Ed Fysh3Dr Edward Fysh / MBBS BSc 

(2011 - 2014)

Dr Fysh is a clinical research fellow in the Pleural Medicine Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital approaching completion of his PhD on malignant pleural effusions with the University of Western Australia. Dr Fysh is also an advanced trainee with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in both Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care. He has been awarded several prestigious scholarships including from the NHMRC and the Lung Institute of Western Australia. He was the recipient of the inaugural American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) / Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Award in 2010 to present research findings at the conference of the ACCP. He also has received the International Trainee Travel Award from the American Thoracic Society to present at their conference this year.

Dr Fysh is currently completing his ICU training at Royal Perth Hospital, Perth. 

 

Dr Fraser Brims

Dr Fraser Brims / MBChB MRCP MD

(2008 - 2009 / 2013 - 2014)

Dr Fraser Brims spent twelve months at SCGH as a Senior Registrar in 2008-2009 as part of a pleural disease overseas fellowship sponsored by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. During this time he continued to develop his interest in thoracic ultrasound and pleuroscopy, assisted in setting up the regional indwelling pleural catheter service, and had four research papers published. Since returning to the UK, Fraser has become a Consultant in Thoracic Medicine and lead for pleural disease at University College London Hospitals (UK) and Senior Lecturer at University College London. He has established a North London pleural disease service and chest drain and pleural procedures training course for trainees.

Fraser re-joined the SCGH Pleural Unit in 2013 when he returned to Perth and has now set up his own independent research studies in respiratory medicine.

 

 

Nicola

Dr Nicola Smith / FRACP MBCHB BHB

(2010 - 2011) 

Dr Nicola Smith undertook her Pleural Fellowship in 2010. Upon completion, she returned to New Zealand taking up a position as a Consultant Respiratory Physician at Wellington Hospital and is a Research Associate at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand. In Perth, she developed an interest in thoracic ultrasound and the management of malignant pleural effusion and pleural infection.

Since returning to New Zealand she has established a national training course in thoracic ultrasound and indwelling pleural catheters, and is a contributing author on a textbook on thoracic ultrasound. She has established a regional indwelling pleural catheter service, providing an alternative to talc pleurodesis for patient with malignant pleural effusions and introduced intrapleural TPA/DNase for treatment of empyema. Nicola has recently been awarded a prestigious Health Research Council Emerging Researcher Grant, as well as grants to undertake collaborative research with the SCGH Pleural Unit.

 

Dr Imran Mohammed NoorDr Imran Bin Mohammed Noor / MB BS MRCP FCCP FAMS 

(2010 - 2011)

Dr Imran Bin Mohamed Noor is a consultant in respiratory and critical care medicine at Changi General Hospital, Singapore. He undertook a year of fellowship training at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in 2010 sponsored by the Singaporean Ministry of Health. He spent six months at the Pleural Diseases Unit to subspecialize in the management of pleural diseases and learned interventional skills including pleuroscopy and use of indwelling pleural catheters. On return to Singapore, he has started a pleuroscopy service in his hospital and is planning to establish a pleural diseases unit in the near future.

 

Dr Alvin TungDr Alvin Tung / MB BS BSc M Med MRCP FCCP FRACP FHKCP FHKAM 

(2011 - 2012)

Dr Alvin Tung worked at the Pleural Unit at SCGH as a Senior Registrar in 2011 for 12 months. Graduated from University of New South Wales he worked in various hospitals in Australia as well as Hong Kong. His main interests are in interventional pleural procedures including pleuroscopy, pleural ultrasound and indwelling pleural catheters. During his term, he helped set up a Pleural Roster which allowed designated Pleural team members to supervise junior medical staff in performing pleural procedures after hours. He has returned to the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong and is developing a local service in the use of indwelling pleural catheters for malignant effusions.

 

Dr Sze TanDr Sze Khen Tan / MBBS MRCP (UK) MMed 

(2011 - 2012)

Dr Sze Khen Tan is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore. He was sponsored by his institution to undertake a 1 year clinical fellowship in pleural disease ar Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in 2011. His main interests are in malignant pleural disease and lung cancer. During his year in the unit, he developed his skills in thoracic ultrasound and interventional pleural techniques including pleuroscopy and indwelling pleural catheter management. After returning to Singapore he plans to set up a pleural service in his institution and introduce the use of tunnelled pleural catheters in the management of malignant pleural effusions.

 

R Boshuizen2

Dr Rogier Boshuizen / MD 

(July 2012 - Dec 2012)

Rogier Boshuizen is a visiting fellow at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, where he has started a PhD-project on Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPE). In the NKI-AvL he gained a lot of experience in the treatment of MPE. He is conducting a multicenter trial comparing Indwelling Pleural Catheters with pleurodesis as first line treatment for recurrent MPE, which he hopes to publish in 2013. In addition, Rogier is writing a review on the latest evidence of IPC together with Professor Lee, he is also investigating the role of mcroRNAs in pleural effusions. In May 2013 he commenced his respiratory medicine training in Our Ladies Hospital (OLVG) in Amsterdam.

 

Dr Andrew RosenstengelDr Andrew Rosenstengel / MB BS FRACP 

(2012 - 2013)

Andrew Rosenstengel is a Respiratory and Sleep Physician with an interest in pleural disease. He graduated in 1998 with an Honours degree in Pharmacology from the University of Queensland prior to working at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Molecular Vaccine development. He graduated from Medicine with Honours in 2003 and was awarded his FRACP in 2011. Andrew completed a post-FRACP fellowship in pleural disease, with the bacteriology of pleural infection the focus of a Master of Philosophy post-graduate degree. He has a strong interest in education and organised the Australasian advanced trainee course in thoracic medicine through the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand for 2011-12. Andrew has returned to Brisbane to take up a consultant post at Holy Spirit, Northside.

Dr Rabab Rashwan

Dr Rabab Rashwan / MSc MBBCh 

(2011 - 2012)

Rabab Rashwan received her M.B.B.Ch. in Medicine and Surgery with honours in 2002 from the Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt. Her 2007 Masters degree in microbiology and immunology compared the effect of specific adjuvants on the immune response of mice against potential protein vaccines. As an assistant lecturer Rabab continued this area of study and was awarded an international scholarship from the Egyptian Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector to complete her 4 year PhD at the University of Western Australia. Winthrop Professor YC Gary Lee is her project supervisor on, “The biological effects of common bacterial pathogens of pleural infections on pleural mesothelial cells”. This project is using in vivo models and in vitro techniques to study bacterial migration into the pleural cavity, and the biological responses of pleural mesothelium upon exposure to bacteria. Data from this rarely studied but important area will be highly publishable and add valuable knowledge to the existing literature. There is also direct translational relevance to millions of patients worldwide who suffer from pneumonia each year.

Awards: Lung Institute of Western Australia (LIWA) Top Up scholarship (April 2012) & Egyptian International scholarship (May 2011).

 

Su Lyn LeongDr Su Lyn Leong / MRCP, MBBS 

(2012 - 2014)

Dr Su Lyn Leong graduated from the University of Bristol, England in 2004, and went on to undertake her initial medical training within the Severn Deanery. Dr Leong obtained her MRCP (UK) in 2009 and subsequently obtained a training number with the Oxford Deanery in 2010. In 2013 she passed her Specialist Certificate Examination (Respiratory) - an exit exam.

Dr Leong visited Perth and worked at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for just over a year and was involved in clinical research with Prof Gary Lee, assisting in the development of the Tumour Immunology Group (TIG) Biobank through the addition of further pleural fluid samples as well as supporting the SCGH Pleural outpatient clinic service.

 

Dr Ranjan ShresthaDr Ranjan Shrestha / MBBS, FCCP, FRACP

(2013 - 2014)

Ranjan Shrestha is a respiratory physician with a special interest in pleural disease. At Sir Charles Gairdner hospital he undertook a post FRACP fellowship in pleural disease and in particular looked at pleural ultrasound and procedures including the teaching of clinical skills in this area.

Dr Shrestha graduated in medicine with honours from Kathmandu University, Nepal 2000 and in Dudley, UK. Following basic internal medicine training and advanced training in respiratory medicine in Perth, Ranjan was awarded the FRACP in 2012.Ranjan has organized a number of postgraduate skills training workshops in intercostal catheter insertion for junior medical staff in liaison with the department of Postgraduate Medical Education, Royal Perth Hospital.

Dr Shrestha has taken up a consultant post at Fremantle Hospital, Perth and will continue to collaborate in pleural research projects with Prof Lee.

 

Claire TobinDr Claire Tobin / BA BMBCh MRCP

(Jan 2014 - Jan 2015)

Dr Tobin is a Pleural Fellow at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and has developed an interest and advanced skills in Thoracic Ultrasound. She has organised and taught on Australasian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine recognised courses for clinicians and is co-editing a textbook on Thoracic Ultrasound with Gary Lee. She has also authored review articles and case reports on pleural infection and malignant pleural disease.

Claire has a keen interest in Medical Education and held the position of Medical Education Registrar last year at Sir Charles Gairdner. She is a facilitator of teaching courses for junior doctors and was the Trainee Representative of both her Regional Training Committee and the Respiratory Section of the Royal Society of Medicine prior to taking up her Fellowship.

Claire was with the Unit from 2011-2013 and has now returned after a year back in the UK to complete her training. Claire Tobin is a Specialist Registrar in Respiratory Medicine from the UK. She graduated from Oxford University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in Physiological Sciences (1999) and Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. Claire is a trainee in East of England Deanery and her sub-specialty areas of interest include pleural disease and thoracic malignancy. 

After completing her time in the Pleural Medicine Unit, Claire took up a consultant position in Respiratory and General Medicine at Royal Perth Hospital.

 

Redzwan cropped 2Dr Redzwan Rashid / MD (UKM) MRCP (UK/London) Internal Medicine Specialist (MOH Malaysia)

(Aug 2014 - Aug 2015) 

Dr Rashid is currently on a Malaysian Ministry of Health scholarship for self-funded Clinical and Research Fellowship position in the Pleural Diseases Unit, SCGH for one year. He graduated with an MD in 2005 from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and completed his internship in 2006. He subsequently completed his Specialist degree in 2010 and has been gazetted as a General Internal Medicine Specialist by the Ministry of Health Malaysia since 2011. He is currently undergoing subspecialty training in Respiratory Medicine and has been working in the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia since 2009.

Current interests include interventional bronchoscopy, EBUS and Pleural Pathology specifically Pleural Interventions/Thoracic Ultrasound and Clinical Research. 

Francesco Piccolo 1

Dr Francesco Piccolo / MBBS BMedSc (hons) FRACP

Francesco is a Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Specialist working at Midland Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. He completed a Bachelor in Medical Science with first class honours in Biochemistry and then an MBBS both at Sydney University in 2003. He trained in Respiratory Medicine and Sleep Medicine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. He has a clinical research interest in pleural infection. Francesco is currently involved in studies looking at prognostic algorithms for patients with pleural infection and the role of intrapleural tissue plasminogen activator and deoxyribonuclease in the treatment of pleural infection.

 

Maree Azzopardi smallDr Maree Azzopardi / MBBS FRACP  

(Feb 2015 - Dec 2015)

Dr Maree Azzopardi is a Senior Registrar in Respiratory Medicine. She graduated from her Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery degree in 2007 as an Academic Medalist. Her post-graduate medical training was undertaken in Queensland and advanced training in Respiratory Medicine at a leading cardiothoracic hospital in Queensland. Dr Azzopardi has experience in managing a range of common respiratory conditions and has undertaken placements in,

a. lung cancer

b. lung transplantation

c. pulmonary hypertension

d. cystic fibrosis

e. mycobacterial and respiratory infectious diseases.

She has been an advanced trainee representative on committees organising national educational events and as an executive member of the TSANZ Queensland Branch. Her main interests are pulmonary malignancy and pleural disease and in 2015 she joined the Pleural Medicine Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to undertake clinical research in these fields as part of the WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network Clinical Cancer Fellowship.

Subodh Kumar 2Subodh Kumar / MBBS, MRCP

(Jan 2016 - Jan 2017)

Subodh Kumar is a respiratory physician from UK with specialist interests in pleural diseases and lung cancer. He has been trained in respiratory medicine in UK and has worked as a respiratory consultant in Portsmouth, UK.

Subodh is taking the following year to work in Prof Gary Lee’s Pleural Medicine Unit to undertake clinical research in pleural diseases.

THOMASDr Rajesh Thomas  MBBS FRACP

(2013 - 2017)

Rajesh Thomas is a specialist in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine with interests in lung cancer and pleural diseases. He has completed a post-FRACP clinical fellowship in lung cancer in 2012 at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Rajesh is currently enrolled for a PhD (University of Western Australia) while undertaking a research fellowship in the Pleural Medicine Unit with Prof Lee.


Chris photo

 

Christopher Stanley / MBBS

(Jan 2017 - Jan 2018)

Christopher graduated from the University of Western Australia in 2008 with honours in the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery programme.  After finishing his basic physician training at Royal Perth Hospital, Christopher completed his specialist training in Respiratory Medicine at Fiona Stanley hospital.  He has a keen interest in pleural diseases, thoracic malignancies and interventional pulmonology. 

Christopher is currently undertaking a clinical fellowship with the Pleural Medicine Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital with the aims of developing his skills in management of patients with complex pleural pathology, pleural intervention and thoracic ultrasound.

Sannjeevan MurganandanSanjeevan Muruganandan / FRACP, MBBS (Monash) 

(Jan 2015 - Aug 2018)

Sanjeevan is a qualified respiratory physician (FRACP 2015) with clinical expertise and a research focus on thoracic cancers, particularly pleural malignancy. His ambition is to become a leading thoracic cancer physician and an independent researcher to contribute to the advances in the understanding and management of lung and pleural malignancies.

His research aims to determine the ideal management once an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) is inserted for the management of MPE. It will systematically examine the key aspects of clinical care related to IPC treatment through the support of a WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network Clinical Cancer Fellowship.

Sanjeevan’s goal is to translate his research work into clinical practice to help reduce the mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs of patients with thoracic malignancies.

Chan Ka Pang Profile pic 2Dr Ken Chan / MBChB (CUHK), MRCP (UK)

(2018 - 6/12 )

Dr Ken Chan is a respiratory specialist at Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong. He was awarded scholarships from the Hospital Authority, Hong Kong and Hong Kong Lung Foundation for half-year training in Intervention Pulmonology and Pleural diseases in 2018.

After returning to Hong Kong, Ken plans to set up a service to improve the care of pleural disease, especially pleural infection and the use of IPC in malignant pleural effusion.

Carmen TanCarmen Tan / MBBS, MRCP (UK)

(Feb 2018 - Feb 2019)

Dr Carmen Tan is a consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore after being accredited as a specialist in Pulmonary Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine in 2015 and 2016 respectively. She was awarded a grant by the Ministry of Singapore to pursue 1 year of advanced training in Pulmonary infections and Pleural diseases in 2017.

After returning to Singapore, Carmen plans to set up a Pleural disease service and provide thoracic ultrasound training and education in her institution.

 Arash Badiei

Dr Arash Badiei / MBBS (Flinders)

(Feb 2018 - Feb 2019)

Arash initially graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering at Flinders University of South Australia. He then completed a PhD in biomechanics and imaging in metabolic bone disease from the University of Adelaide. During this period he became increasingly interested in medicine and went on to complete a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Flinders University of South Australia.

Arash is now completing his final year of advanced training in respiratory medicine. His research interests are in imaging and image processing techniques in respiratory diseases.