Professor Richard Beasley
Professor Beasley is based in Wellington where he is the director of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ). Professor Beasley won the 2004 World Lung Health Award and has published or overseen several hundred peer reviewed research papers. He is currently a regular contributor to Research Review publications.

Dr Shaun Holt
Dr Holt founded medical trials company P3 Research which has its head office in Wellington and a trial centre in Tauranga. He is the co-founder of Research Review and continues in an advisory capacity for the organisation. Dr Holt is currently responsible for selection and commentary for Natural Health Review.

Dr Jeremy Krebs

Dr Krebs is an Endocrinologist with a particular interest in obesity and diabetes. He trained in Endocrinology at Wellington Hospital in New Zealand and subsequently spent 3 years doing full-time research with the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, England where he completed his MD. Dr Krebs returned to New Zealand in 2002 to take up a Consultant Endocrinology post at Wellington Hospital. His clinical responsibilities include general endocrinology and diabetes as well as general medicine. He is also establishing research interests in the area of obesity and diabetes. Dr Krebs provides expert commentary for NZ Diabetes and Obesity Research Review.

Dr Tim Blackmore
Dr Blackmore is based in Wellington where he works as a microbiologist and infectious diseases physician. He provides specialist support to all public hospitals in the Wellington, Hutt and Wairarapa region as well as working at ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research). He trained in New Zealand and South Australia where he completed fellowships with the RCPA and RACP, and obtained a PhD. He has a busy clinical and laboratory practice, is on Ministry of Health advisory committees for HIV, vaccines and antibiotic resistance, and publishes the occasional paper.

Dr Valerie Looi

Dr Valerie Looi is a Lecturer in Audiology for the Department of Communication Disorders at the University of Canterbury. She completed post-graduate qualifications in music therapy, and then audiology at the University of Queensland, Australia. She then completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne, Australia, investigating the music perception of cochlear implant and hearing aid users. She has worked as both a registered music therapist, and as an audiologist in research and clinical positions in Australia. Her primary areas of research are in the field of cochlear implants, along with the music perception of those with a hearing impairment. She is particularly interested in developing a music training program for cochlear implant users. She is also interested in clinical outcomes research, and research that informs evidence-based practice. Dr Looi selects the studies and provides the expert commentary for Hearing Review.

Dr Matire Harwood (Ngapuhi)
Dr Matire Harwood (Ngapuhi) is based at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand as a Research Fellow. She also works part time as a General Practitioner at Whai Oranga Health Centre in Wainuiomata, sits on the Wellington Ethics committee and is an executive member of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Maori Medical Practitioners Association). She has contributed to a number of National Guidelines including Life After Stroke, Rehabilitation after TBI, Atrial Fibrillation, Paediatric Asthma and the Maori Cardiovascular Action Plan. Her research interests include ethnic disparities in health outcomes, particularly for conditions requiring rehabilitation (stroke, traumatic brain injury) and kaupapa Maori and qualitative research. Dr Harwood provides the expert commentary for Maori Health Review.

Associate Professor Nick Chandler
Associate Professor Nick Chandler is Head of the Discipline of Endodontics in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation at the University of Otago School of Dentistry. He has an MSc from the University of Manchester and a PhD in endodontics from the University of London. His research has focused on the assessment of pulp status using laser Doppler and Doppler ultrasound, pulp dimensions and their clinical implications and dental radiography. Associate Professor Chandler selects the studies and provides the expert commentary for Dental Review.

Associate Professor David Menkes
David Menkes is an academic psychiatrist with a background in psychology and pharmacology (PhD 1983, Yale). Since completing specialist training in Dunedin (FRANZCP 1989) he has worked as an academic liaison psychiatrist in NZ and the UK. He has a continuing interest in the pharmacology, toxicology and sociology of drug treatments in psychiatry,and is a member of healthyskepticism.org. He is currently Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Waikato Clinical School, University of Auckland and provides expert commentary for the Psychiatry Research Review.

Professor Jim Reid

Jim Reid graduated in medicine at the University of Otago Medical School in Dunedin New Zealand. He had previously trained as a pharmacist. He undertook his postgraduate work at the University of Miami in Florida. Currently he heads the Department of General Practice at the Dunedin School of Medicine and he is also Deputy Dean of the School. He has a private family medicine practice at the Caversham Medical Centre, Dunedin, New Zealand. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and is also a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. He has a special interest in Respiratory Medicine and has published widely in Asthma and COPD. He is active in research in respiratory medicine and has had wide international lecturing experience.

Dr Sisira Jayathissa
Dr Sisira Jayathissa is a General Physician and a Geriatrician. He is also the clinical head of internal medicine at the Hutt Valley DHB. He is actively involved in both undergraduate and post graduate medical education in the Wellington region. In addition to his medical qualifications he has completed a Masters of Business Studies in Health and a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology with major emphasis of pharmaco-epidemiology and biostatistics. Sisira is also a member of the Pharmacology and Therapeutic Advisory Committee (PTAC) of PHARMAC. Dr Jayathissa selects the studies and provides commentary for Internal Medicine Research Review.

Andi Shirtcliffe

Andi Shirtcliffe is a director of Integrated Pharmacy Care Ltd, a company which provides pharmacist consulting services. She trained in Otago (both under and post graduate) and has a particular interest in polypharmacy and medication management. Her background is in community pharmacy and providing medicine review services in both the residential care and community setting. Her current clinical work is as an advisory pharmacist in psychogeriatrics. Andi is Deputy Chair of the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand, is on the board of NAPSAC (the Australasian Pharmacy Schools Accreditation Board) and is a member of the Ministry's Medicines Classification Committee. She also does some writing and training for the NZ College of Pharmacists and the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand's intern training programme. Andi's most recent project was being co-project manager in the DHBNZ's Pharmacist Framework Project. This produced a landmark document detailing five new national pharmacist medication management services.

Dr Colin Tukuitonga
Colin is the chief executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, a registered medical practitioner and public health physician with extensive experience in public health and public policy in the Pacific, New Zealand and internationally. He has provided strategic and operational advice to the NZ Ministries of Health, Pacific Island Affairs and NZAID, the Accident Compensation Corporation, regional and international organisations including SPC, WHO and other UN organizations. Dr Tukuitoinga selects the studies and provides the expert commentary for Pacific Health Review.

Dr Stewart Mann

Stewart Mann trained at Oxford University and Kings College Medical School, London. He undertook research at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow especially in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring leading to a doctorate. He trained in cardiology in Bristol, London and Sydney. He was a cardiologist at Wellington and Hutt Hospitals from 1986 until 2003 and then moved to his present post of Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington. He continues clinical activity in the cardiology department, Wellington Hospital and in private practice at Wakefield Hospital and Ropata Village Medical Centre. His interests include preventive cardiology (especially hypertension), vascular biology and clinical information science. Dr Mann selects the studies and provides commentary for Cardiology Research Review.

Professor Kath McPherson
Kath McPherson is Professor of Rehabilitation (Laura Fergusson Chair) at the Health and Rehabilitation Research Centre, AUT University in Auckland. She completed a PhD at the University of Edinburgh exploring how individuals and their families recover and adapt after moderate to severe brain injury. From 1997-2001, Kath worked at the Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit at University of Otago - Wellington, then taking up a post as Reader in Rehabilitation at the University of Southampton. She returned to New Zealand (AUT) in 2004 building a research, teaching and consultancy programme focused on improving interventions and outcomes for people experiencing with disability. Current projects are funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation,the Health Research Council, the UK-NHS and a number of charitable organisations. Kath provides the commentary for Rehabilitation Research Review.

Dr Lutz Beckert
Lutz Beckert MD, FRCP, MRCP (UK) works as a Respiratory Physician at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand. His research interests include the management of patients with thromboembolic disease, patients with pulmonary artery hypertension. Lutz Beckert is also the medical director of the Respiratory Physiology Laboratory and published in aspects of respiratory physiology. Dr Beckert will provide expert commentary for NZ Respiratory Research Review as of January 2008.

Dr Christopher Tofield
Dr Tofield completed his medical training at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital in London. He is now working as a full-time General Practioner in Tauranga. Chris has a varied background of medical writing and editing and while at medical school published a medical textbook on pharmacology. He has extensive medical book reviewing experience. Chris is responsible for sourcing and short-listing national and international studies for the range of Research Review journals.

Dr David Simpson
Dr David Simpson MBChB, FRACP, FRCPA is a Haematologist, based at North Shore Hospital. His interests are in malignant haematology. He qualified and specialised in Auckland and had postgraduate training in Vancouver and Toronto. He was Assistant Professor of Bone Marrow Transplant at Rush Cancer Institute in Chicago. He has first authored a number of journal articles, reviews, abstracts, and a textbook chapter. He is active in clinical research. David is also a member of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee at North Shore Hospital and the Tender Subcommittee of PHARMAC. Dr Simpson provides expert commentary for New Zealand’s Lymphoma and Leukaemia Research Review.

Dr Michael Schultz
Michael Schultz MD, Dr habil (Germany), FRACP graduated in Germany and trained in the U.K., U.S. and Germany. Since 2005 Michael Schultz works as a Consultant Gastroenterologist for the Otago District Health Board and is a Senior Lecturer in Medicine (Gastroenterology) at the University of Otago, Dunedin School of Medicine. His research interests include host - microbe interactions in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and he has published several papers on this topic. Dr Schultz has formed a coalition with Dr Grant Butt at the Department of Physiology were they jointly supervise projects of the Intestinal Permeability Research Group.

Dr Richard Gearry
Richard Gearry is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch and a Consultant Gastroenterologist in the Department of Gastroenterology, Christchurch Hospital. Richard trained at Otago before working in Nelson and Christchurch. His PhD focussed on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Canterbury, New Zealand, before he undertook Fellowships at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne and St Marks’ Hospital in London. He has clinical and research interests in luminal Gastroenterology, particularly IBD epidemiology, aetiology, biomarkers, therapeutics and clinical outcomes. He is a member of Asia Pacific and World Congress of Gastroenterology Consensus Groups for inflammatory bowel disease.

Dr John Conaglen
John Conaglen is Director of Endocrinology at Waikato Hospital, and practices clinical endocrinology with a strong clinical and research interest in the area of sexual dysfunction. He completed his MD in biochemistry at the University of Otago, before post-doctoral training at St Thomas' Hospital, London. His many peer-reviewed publications include papers on the impact of treating sexual dysfunction on the couple. Other current research activity includes investigating the molecular mechanisms, using animal models, of various growth factors on regeneration of cardiomyoctyes in the failing heart, and pursuing molecular pathways active in human pituitary and adrenal tumours. He is Associate Professor of Medicine and Research Coordinator at the Waikato Clinical School, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Auckland. John provides expert commentary for the Men's issues of Sexual Health Research Review.

Dr Joan Ingram
Joan Ingram is an Infectious Diseases Physician with a special interest in Travel Medicine. She is a graduate of the University of Auckland School of Medicine and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. As a Nuffield Scholar Joan completed a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her further postgraduate training was at Duke University Medical Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine and the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. Joan has run a comprehensive travel clinic in Auckland since 1993. She was a foundation member of the New Zealand Society of Travel Medicine and one of the first in New Zealand to be awarded a Certificate in Travel Health by the International Society of Travel Medicine. Joan provides expert commentary on Travel Medicine Research Review.

Associate Professor Philip Polkinghorne
Philip works as a vitreoretinal surgeon and medical retina specialist at Auckland Eye and Auckland District Health Board. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Auckland and has teaching responsibilities for both undergraduate and post graduate students. In addition he is visiting lecturer at the University of Otago preparing registrars from Australia and New Zealand for their final fellowship examination.

Philip belongs to a number of professional societies including the Oxford Congress, Moorfields Alumni, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Specialists and the prestigious Club Jules Gonin. He is an active member of the Asian Vitreoretinal Advisor Group, Oceania Retinal Association and Australian and New Zealand Retinal Specialists Association. He has published over 50 papers, and serves as Section Editor to Clinical and Experimental Journal of Ophthalmology and contributes as a reviewer to a number of international journals. Philip provides expert commentary for Eye Health Research Review.

Dr Jonathan Leichter
Dr Jonathan Leichter is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oral Sciences at the University of Otago. Dr Leichter joined the faculty after 20 years in fulltime private practice in New York and Boston, 18 of which were spent in specialist practice limited to periodontology and implant dentistry. Trained at Tufts University and obtaining his specialist training at Harvard University, he has been actively involved in clinical dental implant practice since 1984. Since 2002, he has supervised and mentored postgraduate students in periodontology, endodontics and prosthodontics. His research interests and publications are in the field of periodontology, dental trauma and laser applications in dentistry. Dr Leichter provides expert commentary for Oral Health Research Review.

Dr Min Karen Lo
Min is a Sexual Health Physician at Auckland Sexual Health Service and is in private practice in Auckland. She is also a Colposcopist at Counties Manukau District Health Board. Min graduated from Auckland University in 1993 and completed specialist qualifications as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians FAChSHM in 2004. She has been working in the area of sexual assault since 2004, she is the chairperson of DSAC, and is the editor of the DSAC Manual. She is currently undertaking her Diploma in Forensic Medicine at Monash University. Min provides expert commentary on the Women’s issues of Sexual Health Research Review.

> Dr Helen Roberts

Dr Roberts combines her role of Senior Lecturer Women's Health at the University of Auckland with that of Research Manager for Family Planning in Auckland. Her key research interests and publications are in the areas of contraception and menopause. In 2002, prior to pharmacy delivery of the emergency contraceptive pill, she undertook, for the NZ College of Pharmacists, the development and delivery of the teaching programme throughout NZ. She has implemented the GTA (gynaecology teaching associate) programme at the University to teach undergraduate medical students the practical and communication skills necessary for taking cervical smears. More recently she has been involved with the writing and delivery of 2 new postgraduate, on-line, web based papers in contraception, pre and early pregnancy care and medical gynaecology. Following the publication of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study she was the clinical leader for the New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG) hormone replacement guidelines. At present she is one of the principal investigators involved with an HPV vaccine study. Dr Roberts provides expert commentary for the Women's Health issue of Sexual Health Research Review.

Dr Simon Stebbings
Simon Stebbings qualified from University College London. He is a Consultant Rheumatologist at Dunedin Hospital and a Senior Lecturer at Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago. His research interests include the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis and the development of outcome measures in rheumatic disease. Dr Stebbings provides expert commentary for Rheumatology Research Review.

Dr Barry Snow

Barry Snow was educated at Auckland Medical School. He spent his first house surgeon year at Rotorua Hospital where he learned to catch trout. After his FRACP examinations in 1983, he pursued geriatrics training before changing to Neurology training at Auckland Hospital. From 1998 to 1995 he taught at the UBC Medical School, Vancouver. There he was engaged in research into Movement Disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease; he has published over 100 papers in the area. He returned to NZ in 1995 to join the Department of Neurology at Auckland Hospital. He is currently Clinical Director of Neurology. In addition to his general Neurology work, he runs a Movement Disorder Clinic and research programme. Dr Snow provides expert commentary for Neurology Research Review.

Associate Professor Ian Campbell

Ian Campbell is a Breast Oncoplastic and General Surgeon at Waikato Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery with the Waikato Clinical School, University of Auckland. Ian is the Clinical Director of the Breast Care Centre at Waikato Hospital, Chairman of the Waikato Breast Cancer Trust, and the NZ Representative on the Breast Section of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons; He chaired the NZ Guidelines for Management of Early Breast Cancer (published August 2009) and has a long standing commitment to cancer control and in particular to clinical research in breast cancer. He is the NZ Representative, elected to the Board of Directors of the ANZ Breast Cancer Trials Group, a member of the ANZ BCTG Scientific Advisory Committee and Chair of the Local Therapy Subcommittee. He is a member of the NZ Association of Cancer Specialists Breast Special Interest Group. His particular research interests include sentinel node biopsy, patient communication, endocrine therapies, new radiotherapy approaches to breast cancer, screening and breast cancer prevention. Associate Professor Campbell provides expert commentary for Breast Cancer Research Review.

Professor Keith Rome

Keith was awarded a Diploma in Chiropody and Membership to the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists in 1979 and worked in the health service and private practice. He has worked in full-time academia within podiatry and physiotherapy since 1988. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Podiatry from the University of Westminster in 1989 and in 1990 a postgraduate diploma in Biomechanics from the University of Strathclyde.

In 1994, he was awarded a Master of Science Degree in Research Methodology for Physical Therapists from Kings College London and in 2000 was awarded a PhD from the University of Teesside, UK. He was promoted to a Reader in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation in 2002, and in 2005 was appointed as Professor of Podiatric Rehabilitation at University of Teesside. In 2007 was appointed a Professor in Podiatry to AUT University, New Zealand.

He has published over 60 peer-reviewed publications within podiatry and has successfully supervised numerous masters and doctoral students to completion. He is on the editorial board of three international peer-reviewed journals. He has also been invited as an international key speaker in American, Europe and Australasia. Keith is currently leading podiatric research at AUT University and his current research interests relate to chronic gout, rheumatoid arthritis and the effects of foot orthoses/footwear on postural stability in long-term chronic conditions. Keith provides expert commentary for Foot and Ankle Research Review.

Associate Professor Edward Gane
Ed Gane is Deputy Director and Hepatologist of the New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit at Auckland City Hospital and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Auckland School of Medicine. He is the Government Clinical Advisor to the National Hepatitis B Screening Programme. Associate Professor Gane has a vast research experience that includes clinical studies for CCST. He is first author of more than 50-refereed publications. Associate Professor Ed Gane provides expert commentary for NZ Hepatitis Research Review.

Dr Leanne Berkahn
Leanne Berkahn is a consultant hematologist at Auckland City Hospital and senior lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the University of Auckland School of Medicine. Having worked for a number of years as a bone marrow transplant physician at Rush University in Chicago her current research interests are in immunotherapeutic approaches to leukemia and lymphoma treatment. Dr Berkahn provides expert commentary for New Zealand’s Lymphoma and Leukaemia Research Review.

Janice Duxfield
Janice Duxfield is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) who runs Hepatitis treatment clinics. Patients are referred to her after assessment in consultant clinics. Janice also takes care of PEG changes. Ms Duxfield provides expert commentary for NZ Hepatitis Research Review with Associate Professor Ed Gane.

Dr David Gibbs
Dr Gibbs is a graduate of Otago University School of Medicine, he trained in Medical Oncology in Christchurch and has spent four years in London at the Royal Marsden Hospital and gained a PhD from the University of London 2003 on the development of a targeted antifolate. Dr Gibbs is based at Christchurch Hospital and his work interests include drug development and management of gastrointestinal, gynaecological and thoracic cancers. Dr Gibbs provides expert commentary for New Zealand Colorectal Oncology Research Review.