OUR CONFERENCE
SPEAKERS
Professor Phil Fischer
KEYNOTE SPEAKER, PLENARY AND CONCURRENT SESSION SPEAKER
Professor Phil Fischer completed pediatric training in the US, studied tropical medicine in England, practiced in central Africa, and has been with the Mayo Clinic since 1992. A Professor of Pediatrics, Phil has cared for thousands of patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other functional disorders, co-authored over 200 PubMed-indexed articles, and written books including Tired Teens and Adolescent Medicine in the Middle East. Medical teaching and travels have taken Phil to 84 different countries - highlighted by participation in the PSNZ conferences in 2014 and 2016.
A/Prof Paula Toko King (ia)
(Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, Waikato Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Leo Buchanan Memorial Lecture
A/Prof Paula Toko King is a Public Health Physician and Associate Professor at the University of Otago. Her work involves upholding tamariki rights to health and is situated at the intersection of racism, ableism/disablism, state care, youth justice, and prisons.
Dr Thorsten Stanley
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: RACP Montgomery Spencer Memorial Lecture for 2026
Dr Thorsten Stanley was born in Göteborg, Sweden to English and German parents, one of seven children, and moved to UK at the age of 7, learning English as a second language. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and completed his paediatric training at Yorkhill and Royal Maternity hospitals in Glasgow.
Dr Stanley moved to Wellington in 1980 as a Lecturer and paediatric senior registrar and was appointed a Senior Lecturer and Consultant paediatrician at the University of Otago Wellington and Wellington Hospital the following year. Thorsten covered both General Paediatrics and Level III Neonatal Intensive care from that time until his retirement, developing a particular interest in allergies and neurology including epilepsy. He has always been a keen teacher of both undergraduates and postgraduates and was convenor of the DCH Otago diploma from 1998 until retirement.
Dr Stanley established the annual paediatric update for GPs in the Wellington region {which still continues] in 2002, and the regular teaching of visiting junior paediatricians from Xiamen, China from 2009- 2022. Thorsten maintains contact with paediatric colleagues in Xiamen and last lectured there in 2025. Thorsten’s research interests include asthma & allergies, infectious disease, neonatal seizures, and more recently became part of the WARG research group under Prof Julian Crane and Kristin Wickens including studies into the effect of maternal and infant probiotic supplementation on the development of allergic disease, maternal mental health outcomes, and gestational diabetes. Thorsten assists the NZ Medical Council with health practitioner performance evaluations and was active with ACC misadventure case evaluations for many years.
Dr Stanley is married to a GP and has 5 children, two of whom are doctors, (both practicing in New Zealand). Apart from medicine, Thorsten has a keen interest in Bridge, gardening, and wine (and was previously an NZ wine judge). He still cycles to work every day 😊.
Giselle Bahr
CONCURRENT SESSION SPEAKER - WORKSHOP
Giselle Bahr is a clinical psychologist working in private practice in Whanganui-a-tara. Her work is underpinned by ACT, EMDR and Compassion Focused Therapy. Previously she worked in CAMHS, NGOs and the Victoria University clinical psychology programme. She is part of Excellence in Mind and writes The ADHD Files.
Learn how ACT can shape your interventions with parents so that they’re steadier, less thrown by their
children’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and their children feel better supported. ACT is a third-wave behavioural therapy, underpinned by relational frame theory. Its evidence-based psychological interventions are used in many settings, from brief clinical encounters to coaching to long-term therapy.
Dr Ashwin Bhana
PLENARY SPEAKER
Dr Ashwin Bhana is a Paediatric Gastroenterologist based at Te Wao Nui – Child Health Service in Wellington. He oversees the care of Children in the Lower North Island. Ashwin completed his Paediatrics and Gastroenterology training at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. He has given presentations in NZ, Australia and further overseas covering topics including Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Liver Transplantation and Recurrent Abdominal pain in Children.
Dr Kathryn Currow
SESSION SPEAKER
Dr Kathryn Currow is a paediatric doctor, medical educator and leader with extensive Australian and international experience. She is committed to advancing the health and wellbeing of children and young people through education, collaboration and strengthening paediatric healthcare.
Kathryn founded Taking Paediatrics Abroad (TPA) in 2019 and continues as its Managing Director. TPA connects Australian paediatric subspecialists with paediatric clinicians across the Asia-Pacific region, facilitating specialist education, clinical case discussion, knowledge exchange and locally responsive capacity building.
Earlier in her career, Kathryn worked as a general practitioner for 12 years before moving into paediatric emergency medicine as a Senior Clinical Medical Officer. She subsequently served for 20 years as Executive Principal and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s Sydney Child Health Program, formerly the Diploma in Child Health.
Kathryn is a Global Goodwill Ambassador, advisor to Stronger Brains, and Visiting Professor at the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences.
Associate Prof Liza Edmonds (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua)
SESSION SPEAKER
Associate Professor Liza Edmonds (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua) is a Māori neonatal paediatrician with Masterton Hospital in the Wairarapa, Associate Professor Te Tātai Hauora o Hine, Victoria University, Wellington and Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Child Health, University of Otago.
Liza has extensive experience as a member of various boards, governance groups and mortality review groups with a commitment to improving
avoidable mortality, equity and improved health outcomes for the communities we serve.
Dr Kuang Hsiao
PLENARY AND CONCURRENT SESSION SPEAKER
Dr Kuang Hsiao is an Auckland-based paediatric allergist and immunologist specialising in rare immunodeficiency disorders and emerging therapeutic approaches. Working within Aotearoa’s clinical and research networks, he leads multidisciplinary efforts to enhance diagnosis and precision management for children with allergic and complex immune conditions. His translational research and national collaborations aim to advance equitable, evidence driven care across paediatric services.
Annie Kenning
CONCURRENT SESSION SPEAKER - WORKSHOP
Annie Kenning is a Wellington-based Occupational Therapist with 20+ years’ experience across paediatrics, education, andrehabilitation. She holds a Master of Public Health and specialises in neuroaffirming, sensory-integrative and trauma-informed practice. She works across over 30 schools in the Wellington region, and provides regular professional development and education sessions to whanau, health and education specialists. Annie blends deep clinical expertise with a warm, down-to-earth approach to help every learner thrive
Rachel Malcolm-Swindells
PLENARY SPEAKER
Rachel is the mother of one of the CCDHB’s most complex paediatric patients of recent times: Lauren Malcolm-Swindells. Her daughter’s short life, and her family’s experiences of managing Lauren’s symptoms – without ever receiving a diagnosis – are a compelling story comprising triumphs and failures of the personal, collective, and political. Whilst Rachel usually works as a teacher and musician, she also does occasional health advocacy work, and is writing a book about Lauren’s life.
Professor Don Matheson
SESSION SPEAKER
Professor Don Matheson began his health career in Africa as a district medical officer on the Zimbabwe–Mozambique border.
Back in Aotearoa New Zealand, he worked as a GP with trade unions and mana whenua to establish community-controlled health services in Wellington and Ngāti Porou’s rohe.
From 1999 to 2008, Don held public health roles in government and with WHO, contributing to global policy on non-communicable diseases, health care financing, primary care, and health inequities.
From 2009 to 2017, he consulted on health systems across many Asia-Pacific countries. Returning home in 2020, Don was DDG of Primary Health Care and Public Health and now serve as Director of Mortality Review for He Mutunga Kore at the Health Quality and Safety Commission.
Don's academic title comes from being a visiting professor at Massey University’s Centre for Public Health Research.
Chanelle Moriah
PLENARY SPEAKER
Chanelle is a neurodivergent author and advocate. They are a late diagnosed autistic, dyslexic and ADHDer, having received their first diagnosis at 21.
Chanelle is passionate about creating spaces of understanding and inclusion and hopes to empower others to live their lives to their full potential.
Dr Krishna Raghu
CONCURRENT SESSION SPEAKER
Dr Krishna Raghu is a neonatologist and the medical retrieval director for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wellington. Following the completion of specialist neonatal training under the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Dr Raghu underwent further subspecialist training in neonatal neurology at the prestigious Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.
Her key interests include the prevention and treatment of term and preterm brain injury, as well as prognostication of the same. Outside of work, she is a busy mum to two young girls under the age of five.
Dr Charmari Wijemanne
PLENARY SPEAKER
Dr Charmari Wijemanne is a Consultant Development Paediatrician working in Wellington. She qualified and completed specialist training in the UK and led an autism service that was part of Evelina London Children’s Hospital for 5 years before moving to New Zealand in January 2025. She completed projects with Public Health England on child drowning and contributed to the South East London autism pathway for children.
She was also the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Ambassador for
South London, working across professions to reduce health inequalities. Since
moving to New Zealand she has enjoyed being able to work with a truly supportive team as well as exploring the beautiful nature the country has to offer.
In her spare time she loves to travel, cook and play with her nieces.
Dr Russell Wills
SESSION SPEAKER
Following Dame Karen Poutasi’s review of the death of Malachi Subecz clinical leaders and officials have been working together on ways to improve the systems that keep children safe. Russell will discuss progress on mandatory training and reporting in child abuse, the Health NZ Child Protection Policy, Health NZ joining the Child Protection Protocol with Police and Oranga Tamariki and other related matters.
Russell is a community and general paediatrician and Medical Director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board in Hastings. He is the current chair of the Paediatric Society of NZ Child and Youth Clinical Network and Te Whatu Ora Health NZ Child Protection Clinical Governance Group.
