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Clinical Research Groups
Health and medical research is recognised worldwide as being integral to quality health care systems. Waitematā DHB, as the largest and fastest growing DHB in the country, has a number of research groups involved in collaborative clinical trials and innovative research.
Listed below are groups actively researching. Click on the group name for more information. Contact details are included, where available. Alternatively enquiries can be directed to research@waitematadhb.govt.nz .
Main areas of research
Pain neurophysiology, personalised pain medicine, postoperative delerium, postoperative orthostatic intolerance, rehabilitation for chronic pain, complex regional pain syndrome.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Debbie Bean
• Dr Daniel Chiang
• Dr Lindsay Gray
• Dr Michal Kluger
• Dr David Rice
• Dr Nav Sidhu
• Dr Natalie Tuck
Waitematā Pain Services has strong research and teaching ties with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute.
Contacts (office hours only)
• Seema Vinish, CNS Quality Improvement & Research, 09 4868920 ext 44941 or 021 679553, seema.vinish@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Monica Skarin, Senior Research Officer, 027 8732708, monica.skarin@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Michelle Wang, CNS Research Chronic Pain Team, 022 1307861, michelle.wang@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Dr Alice Wang, Research Assistant, 021 0607319, alice.wang2@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Jill Collier, Senior Research Officer, 09 4868920 ext 48944 or 021 0314757, jill.collier@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Cholesterol management, heart failure treatment, coronary artery disease treatment, atrial fibrillation treatment.
Lead investigators
• Dr Nezar Amir
• Dr Colin Edwards
• Dr Patrick Gladding
• Dr Hamish Hart
• Dr Tony Scott
• Dr Andrew To
Contacts (office hours only)
Enquiries to the Cardiology Research Unit coordinator Grainne McAnnalley or Cathy Hulbert on (09) 4868920 ext 43501 or text 021 1789971, email grainne.mcannalley@waitematadhb.govt.nz or cathy.hulbert@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Community acquired pneumonia, intravenous fluid therapy, community cardiac arrest, antibiotic therapy.
Lead investigators
• Dr Jonathan Casement
• Dr Robert Everitt
• Dr Janet Liang
• Dr Ywain Lawrey
• Dr Lesley Maher
• Dr Duncan Reid
Contact
• Danni Hacking, Research Coordinator, email icuresearch@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Diabetes research into novel therapeutic treatments in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes for glucose control, cholesterol and weight management as well as diabetes renal disease. Endocrinology research – Acromegaly.
Lead investigators
• Dr Michelle Choe
• Dr Rick Cutfield
• Dr Catherine McNamara
• Dr Carl Peters
• Dr Simon Young
Contact (office hours only)
• Narrinder Shergill, Clinical Nurse Specialist, email narrinder.shergill@waitematadhb.govt.nz , phone 021 453579
Main areas of research
Simulation based learning, epilepsy, family violence interventions, systems research, positive psychology and wellbeing, adverse events in ED, discrimination, equity, access to mental health care.
Lead investigators
• Dr Johanne Egan
• Dr Andrew Ewens
• Dr Kim Yates
Contact
Enquries to the Director of Emergency Medicine Research, kim.yates@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Frailty: quality and provision of care in residential aged care; retirement villages and their residents – epidemiology, morbidity, service use; diverticular disease; driving in older people; vital signs remote monitoring; medicines optimisation in older people; multiple comorbidity
Lead Investigators
- Dr Katherine Bloomfield
Main areas of research
Malignant haematology, lymphoma, myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Castlemans disease.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Anna Elinder-Camburn
• Dr Henry Chan
• Dr Merit Hanna
• Dr Ross Henderson
• Dr Eileen Merriman
Contacts
• Leo Gonzalez-Perez, Clinical Nurse Specialist, email leo.gonzalez-perez@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Amelia Turnwald, Research Co-ordinator, email amelia.turnwald@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Diabetic foot infections, endocarditis, home parenteral antibiotics (OPIVA), surgical site infections in colorectal and orthopedic surgery, Clostridium difficile.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Nick Gow
• Dr Hasan Bhally
Contact
Enquiries to hasan.bhally@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Coronary artery disease, invasive coronary diagnostic tests and therapy, novel devices, cutting edge technologies and pharmacotherapies for use in percutaneous cardiovascular interventions.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Guy Armstrong
• Dr Seif El-Jack
• Dr Tim Glenie
• Dr Ali Khan
Contact (office hours only)
• Hector Gonzales, Research Co-ordinator, email hector.gonzales@waitematadhb.govt.nz , phone 021 777560
Tino Rangahau
The centre of Māori Health Research Excellence leads and collaborates with other researchers and research teams to address Māori health equity, the Tiriti o Waitangi being at the core of the Centre’s activities.
Main areas of research
The Centre has a broad research mandate focusing primarily on mātauranga and tikanga Māori, and health equity. Through collaboration and partnerships the Centre is involved in cancer, cardiology, diabetes, child and women’s health, mental health, and genetics and genomic research projects.
Lead Investigators
• Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish
• Dr Jonathan Koea
• Dr Helen Wihongi
Contact
Enquiries to the Director of Māori Health Research, email hkwresearch@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Clinical Psychiatry & Addiction
Alcohol and drug behaviour interventions, neuroimaging, neurodevelopmental disorders, depressive disorder, psychoendocrinology.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Vicki Macfarlane
• Dr Wayne Miles
• Dr Frederick Sundram
Contact
Enquiries to research@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Forensic Mental Health
We provide services at the interface between mental health and the criminal justice system, in the courts, prisons, community and secure hospital contexts. We welcome research to improve services and outcomes for service users, in all these domains.
Contact (office hours only)
• Prof Brian McKenna, phone 021 100 093 or email brian.mckenna@aut.ac.nz
Main areas of research
Hip, knee and shoulder arthroscopy, joint replacement, prevention of surgical site infection, robotic surgical techniques.
Lead Investigators
• Mr Ali Bayan
• Mr Robert Elliot
• Mr Bill Farrington
• Mr Peter Poon
• Mr Robert Sharp
• Mr Rupert Van Rooyen
• Mr Matt Walker
• Mr Simon Young
Contact (office hours only)
• Nina Zeng, Research Assistant, email nina.zeng@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Idah Chatindiara, Research Assistant (Mr Poon only), email idah.chatindiara@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Swallowing disorders in adults and children, voice disorders, aging effects on swallowing physiology, impact of dysphagia on health care systems, surgical management of voice and swallow disorders, complex and acute airway management, spasmodic and neurogenic voice disorders, translational research in laryngology, engineering approaches to model swallowing physiology, reflux disease management, in office therapies and diagnostics, impact of head and neck cancer on swallowing function, osteoradionecrosis of the jaw following head and neck cancer treatment, instrumental assessment of swallowing and optimizing quantitative swallowing metrics (videofluoroscopy, endoscopy and manometry), laser therapies for laryngeal disease.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Jacqueline Allen, Laryngologist
Contact
• email jacqueline.allen@waitematadhb.govt.nz or jeallen@voiceandswallow.co.nz
Main areas of research
Screening programmes, mHealth interventions, smoking cessation, diabetes self-management, Māori health gain, employment for people with serious mental illness.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Karen Bartholomew
• Dr Robyn Whittaker, Institute for Innovation & Improvement (i3)
Contact
Enquiries to research@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Chronic kidney disease, end stage renal failure, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN)
Lead Investigators
• Dr Naveed Ahmed
• Dr Janak de Zoysa
• Dr Emad Maher
Contact (office hours only)
• Beula Vincent, Research Nurse, phone 09 4868920 ext 43977 or email beula.vincent@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Mary Baker, Research Nurse
Main areas of research
Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), stroke outcomes.
Lead Investigators
• Dr Nicholas Child
• Dr Kristine Ng
• Dr Joe Singh
Contact
• Sue Austin, Research Nurse, email StarUnit@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Adults: oro-pharyngeal dysphagia in adults, aphasia, apraxia of speech, dysphagia and communication problems following head and neck cancer, dysarthria and alternative augmentative communication use in adults
Paediatrics: neonatal/paediatric feeding and swallowing, cleft palate, early communication in children with complex disabilities
Contact
• Becca Hammond, Professional Clinical Leader SLT, email becca.hammond@waitematadhb.govt.nz
• Catherine Owen, Clinical Leader SLT, Child Health Services, email catherine.owen@waitematadhb.govt.nz
Main areas of research
Upper gastrointestinal, bariatric, breast, colorectal, neuroendocrine and carcinoid tumours, melanoma and skin cancer, bio banking.
Lead Investigators
• Mr Michael Booth
• Mr Richard Harman
• Mr Mike Hulme-Moir
• Mr Jonathan Koea
• Mr Richard Martin
• Dr Mike McCrystal Oncologist
• Mr Siraj Rajaratnam
Contact (office hours only)
• Sherry Nisbet, Surgical Research Nurse Specialist, phone 09 4868920 ext 47233 or sherry.nisbet@waitematadhb.govt.nz