Council Members
The Council's members are drawn from across the cancer continuum — from primary preventions through treatment to palliative care.
This section provides information on the Council Member and Secretariat, the Council's terms of reference and key milestones in the development of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy.
Chair
Associate Professor Christopher Atkinson is an oncologist at the Canterbury District Health Board, where he was Head of Radiation Oncology (1984 – 2004) and Chair of the Oncology Service (1992 – 2004). He is Medical Director and a past President of the Cancer Society of New Zealand. He is also a former President of the New Zealand Society for Oncology. He was the inaugural President of TROG, an Australasian clinical trials group, and the inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Radiation Oncology of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists. He is the current Chair of Psycho-Oncology New Zealand and has been Associate Professor of Medicine at the Christchurch School of Medicine since 2000. Professor Atkinson has been closely involved in developing a cancer control strategy for New Zealand, holding the positions of chair and deputy chair of many of the committees, taskforces and working parties that developed the current Cancer Control Strategy.
Council Members
Dr Kate Grundy is a Consultant Physician in Palliative Medicine at Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury District Health Board (1999-present). She is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at Christchurch School of Medicine (University of Otago) and is the current Chair of the Palliative Care Council of New Zealand (since 2008). Dr Grundy completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Birmingham Medical School in the UK (1989) and in 1999 was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). In 2000 she was awarded Fellowship of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (AChPM). From 2006-2009 Dr Grundy was the President of the AChPM and until 2009 was the Palliative Medicine Representative on the New Zealand Medical Council. She is a member of the Christchurch Hospital Mortality Review Committee and regularly contributes to work conducted locally and nationally on issues relating to Palliative Care and End of Life Care.
Professor Michael Findlay is Chair of Oncology and Head, Discipline of Oncology in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, at the University of Auckland. He is the Director of Cancer Trials New Zealand a national cancer trials organisation and is a visiting Medical Oncologist at Auckland City Hospital, North Shore Hospital and Mercy Ascot Hospital. He trained in New Zealand, Australia and London, where he developed a clinical research interest in the field of gastro-intestinal malignancy. He completed an MD in this field before returning to Sydney and then New Zealand. He has published in the field of gastric cancer chemotherapy, oral fluoropyrimidines and hepatocellular carcinoma and has been PI on several multicentre early and late stage clinical trials. Michael is a member of the Board and Scientific Advisory Committee of the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group, the Board of the Gastro-Intestinal Cancer Institute (NZ) and of the Cancer Society of New Zealand (Auckland Division.
Professor David Lamb has been a consultant radiation oncologist at the Wellington Cancer Centre since 1984, and in this capacity has held various leadership positions, including Head of Oncology and Head of Radiation Service. In the latter position, he advocated strongly for better resourcing of the radiation service, so more cancer patients could be treated in a timely fashion. In 1989, he was a founding member of the research organisation Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG). He convened the first meeting, and was Chair of the Scientific Committee for an extended period. He has had a leadership role in two large randomised trials investigating new treatments for prostate cancer. The second of these trials (RADAR) has been financially supported by the Health Research Council and the Cancer Society of New Zealand. In recognition of his research activities, he was appointed Associate Professor by the University of Otago, and more recently Professor by the University of Victoria. He has a long record of service to the community, which includes a 20-year association with the Cancer Society (past vice-President), a period on the inaugural Board of the Mary Potter Hospice, a leadership role in the Cancer Standards Institute (current Chair) and active participation in the Order of St Lazarus (Commander).
Dr Scott MacFarlane is a Paediatric Oncologist at Starship Children’s Hospital. Before this he was Medical Chief, then Clinical Leader at Starship Children’s Hospital (1998-2003). Dr MacFarlane completed a paediatric fellowship in haematology (oncology with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne) after earlier training in Auckland. Previously Dr Macfarlane was Clinical Director of Paediatrics at Waikato Hospital and President of the Australia and New Zealand Children’s Haematology Oncology Group. He is currently Oceania President for the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Chair of the New Zealand Paediatric Oncology Steering Group and Chair of the Ronald McDonald House Trust.
Dr John Waldon is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Māori Health Research and Development, Massey University. Dr Waldon has a Doctorate in Māori Studies. He is a Life Member of the Cancer Society and holds a voluntary position with the Public Health Association of New Zealand.
Professor Brett Delahunt is Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago - Wellington and Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. He is a past President of the New Zealand Society of Pathologists (1996-2007), and has also served as President of the International Society of Urological Pathology (2007-2009,) and the Australasian Division of the International Academy of Pathology (2007-2009). He is currently a member of the WHO Tumour Classification Panel, Editor of the international journal Pathology and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Cancer Society of New Zealand. In 2009 he was appointed as one of two International Members of the College of American Pathologists Tumor Staging Panel. He was admitted to the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 and in 2009 was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia for lifetime achievement in pathology.
Professor Francis Frizelle is Head of the Academic Department of Surgery at the Christchurch School of Health Science (2006-present, a Professor of Colorectal Surgery at the Christchurch School of Health Science, University of Otago (2000-present) and a Colorectal Surgeon (1996-present). He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Professor Frizelle has a Master of Medical Science, a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of Otago. He is an executive member of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand, the Colorectal Foundation of Australia and New Zealand and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Ms Shelley Campbell was Chief Executive of Waikato Primary Health (2005 - 2009) and prior to that was a Midland Business Development Manager for Pinnacle Group Limited. Shelley has worked in paediatrics, Māori and community health across the health, education and social service sectors. She is Chair of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Taskforce, was a recipient of the Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award in 2007 and a member of the New Zealand delegation to the World Health Assembly in 2008. Her qualifications include a certificate in Te Reo Māori and Adult Teaching from Waikato Polytechnic and a Bachelor of Social Work with Honours at Massey University.
Mrs Catherine Smith is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Canterbury District Health Board (2009-present). Before this she was a Registered Nurse in the Oncology Department at Canterbury District Health Board. Mrs Smith completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Hospice Palliative Care at Whitireia Community Polytechnic, a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Practice (Oncology) at Christchurch Polytechnic and Registered General and Obstetric Nurse training at Christchurch School of Nursing. She is currently Treasurer of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation National Cancer Nurses Committee.
Mr Dalton Kelly (Deputy Chairperson,is Chief Executive of the Cancer Society of New Zealand National Office and Managing Director of Fluteboard Group Ltd. Prior to this he was Chief Executive of Trigon Plastics Ltd. Mr Kelly is Chair of the Wellington Business Development Board, President of the Wellington Manufacturers Association and Chair of the Mary Potter Hospice Board.
