Governance
Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae - Breast Cancer Foundation National Register, is governed and guided by two professional bodies
- The Breast Cancer NZ Register Trust Board of Trustees
- The Clinical Advisory Group
Members, who are all leaders in their respective fields, are wholly dedicated to achieving the Trust's vision to improve outcomes and standards of care for New Zealand breast cancer patients by maximizing the utility of Te Rēhita, the National Register. They dedicate their time and expertise voluntarily, and Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae, the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register, owes its continuing existence to the commitment of these hard-working individuals.
The Members operate under the guiding principles of the Trust purpose, the Privacy Act 1993 and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae, the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register, is governed and guided by two professional bodies
- The Breast Cancer NZ Register Trust Board of Trustees
- The Clinical Advisory Group
Breast Cancer NZ Register Trust Board
Justine Smyth: Chair
Justine Smyth is a professional company director. Her current directorships include chair of Spark, director of Auckland International Airport and chair of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
Justine is also owner and executive director of a clothing manufacture and wholesale business. Her background includes the roles of group finance director of Lion Nathan Ltd and partner at Deloitte.
Patricia Wright
Patricia Wright has more than 20 years of charitable experience, and is currently a trustee of the Starship Foundation and vice-chair of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. She is also the chair of Vivid Solutions, a for-profit company providing organisational connectivity on a secure network to the Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards, and other related organisations.
Patricia was the first executive director of the Starship Foundation, a position she held for nine years.
Patricia has been a board member of The New Zealand TelePaediatric Society, vice-chair of the Friends of Starship, trustee of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand, The Children’s Promise (a global millennium appeal), and committee member of the first TV3 Telethon.
Dr Reena Ramasaroop
Reena is a specialist histocytopathologist at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand - Waitemata. Reena graduated from the University of Natal Medical School as a Fellow of the College of Pathologists (South Africa). In 1996 she immigrated to New Zealand and, since her arrival, has been an intrinsic part of the New Zealand breast cancer specialist medical field.
Reena has contributed to the BreastScreen Advisory Group, Auckland Breast Cancer Study Group, Breast Screen Limited (Auckland Central) and the NZ Society of Cytology. In 2013 she was appointed a member of the NZ Order of Merit in recognition of her services as a histocytopathologist. Reena is chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
Dr Alison Foster
Alison works as a breast physician at Wellington Hospital, a GP in Seatoun, Wellington, and is the chair of the Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. As chair of the CAG, Alison represents the CAG as a trustee on the Breast Cancer National Register Trust Board. Alison also co-chairs the weekly CCDHB Breast Multidisciplinary Meeting, and is a member of the Wellington Regional Breast Cancer Study Group.
Alison has been a member of the CAG since May 2017, where she is the deputy chair and Wellington representative. She has also represented the CAG in the HRC/BCF Research Partnership since 2018. As deputy chair of the CAG, Alison represents the CAG as a trustee on the Breast Cancer National Register Trust Board.
Alison particularly enjoys the multidisciplinary nature of her work, and liaises with the primary care community regarding updates in breast cancer.
Clinical Advisory Group (CAG)
Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae, the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register, Clinical Advisory Group includes representatives from the following specialties:
| Breast Surgery | Chair Medical Advisory Committee (BCFNZ) |
| Breast Pathology | Scientific Representative |
| Medical Oncology | Consumer Representative |
| Data Managers | Māori Representative |
| Breast Physician | Pasifika Representative |
| Epidemiology |
Funding Representative (BCFNZ) |
Breast surgery: Professor Ian Campbell
Professor Ian Campbell is a Hamilton Breast surgeon who has specialised in the treatment of breast cancer since 1989. He has been involved with more than 30 international clinical trials, leading several of these for Australia and NZ. He has co-supervised Sanjeewa Seneviratne for his PhD thesis on breast cancer outcomes for Waikato women based on the Waikato Breast Cancer Register. He has also been a co-investigator on numerous studies from the Breast Surgeons of Australia and NZ (Breast SurgANZ) Quality Audit. He has actively contributed to the Australia and NZ Breast Cancer Trials Group through trial work and on their Scientific Advisory Committee since 1992.
He has been the elected New Zealand director on the ANZBCTG Board from 2001-2014. He was chair of the NZ Management of Early Breast Cancer Guidelines Group from 2007-2009, overseeing the development and publication of these guidelines. He is currently chairing the NZ Breast Cancer Working Group charged with developing NZ standards of care for breast cancer. He has been the New Zealand representative on the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Breast Section from 2002-2011 and a founding member of the Executive of Breast SurgANZ and their audit subcommittee.
Breast Surgery: Dr Magda Sakowska
Dr Magda Sakowska is general rural surgeon in South Canterbury with an interest in treating women with breast cancer. In her role as a rural surgeon, she is an advocate for equity ensuring that rural patients have access to the same treatment options as metropolitan patients. She has always been a proponent of robust audit, accurate data collection and registries to provide transparency and accountability where inequitable treatment and treatment outcomes can be detected so that they may be promptly intervened and rectified.
Breast Pathology: Dr Gavin Harris
Gavin is a specialist pathologist at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand - Waitaha Canterbury, and was the previous Chair of the Clinical Advisory Group (CAG).
Breast physician: Dr Alison Foster
As Chair of the Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Dr Alison Foster represents the CAG as a trustee on the Breast Cancer National Register Trust Board (See her trustee profile above).
Scientific representative: Dr Annette Lasham
Annette is a senior research fellow in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the University of Auckland. She obtained her PhD at the University of Cambridge and then came to New Zealand to work at the country's first biotechnology company, Genesis R&D. In 2009 she returned to academia to work at the University of Auckland.
Annette works in the fast-paced field of cancer genomics, with clinicians, data scientists and statisticians, using genomic, systems biology and bioinformatic methods to better understand breast cancer. Her work is predominantly aimed towards identifying new biomarkers and new drug targets for breast cancer. She is also a member of the CellBank Australia Scientific Advisory Board.
Medical Oncology: Dr Abbey Wrigley
Dr Abbey Wrigley is a medical oncologist working at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand - Te Tai Tokerau - Northland and Canopy Cancer Care with a special interest in the treatment of breast cancers. Abbey completed her advanced training in oncology at Auckland City Hospital and a Masters of Medical Science with first degree honours through the University of Auckland. Abbey has also published research using National Register data measuring the rates of contralateral breast cancer in our New Zealand population, and documenting the use of prophylactic mastectomy surgery. This is an ongoing research project undertaken with the oversight and assistance of Dr David Porter, medical oncologist at Auckland Hospital.
Epidemiology: Dr Sandar Tin Tin
Dr Sandar Tin Tin is a senior research fellow at the University of Auckland. She is a cancer epidemiologist with a medical background and is currently undertaking the HRC-funded Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowship. She has a broad interest in theoretical, methodological and applied aspects of epidemiological research, particularly including the design and conduct of longitudinal studies, health data linkage, pooling and analyses of large datasets and systematic reviews.
Sandar has led a number of epidemiological research projects in the area of breast cancer; her New Zealand-based projects examined breast cancer care and outcomes, focusing on equity, whereas her research fellowship undertaken at the University of Oxford investigated lifestyle factors, biomarkers and breast cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women.”
Consumer representative: Robin Houlker
Robin Houlker is a project manager, people connector, facilitator and coach. She is an experienced advocate for leadership, youth and education.
Pacific representative: Dr Ineke Meredith
Dr Ineke Meredith is an Oncoplastic Breast & General Surgeon and advisor in Pacific health and inequity. Ineke completed her initial surgical training here in New Zealand and undertook additional fellowship training in the field of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery in New Zealand, Australia and France at the Paris Breast Centre.
Māori representative: Lisa Te Paiho
Lisa Te Paiho (Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto) has over 30 years of experience in the cancer sector. Her current role is the Programme Manager for BreastScreen Aotearoa. Previously Lisa was a Pae Ora Programme Manager with Te Aka Whai Ora in their Public and Population Health Team working across cancer screening programmes. Before this she was the Tumu Kaitokeke ai me Kaitikanga rua with a cancer focus, which was an inaugural equity partnership role at MidCentral DHB between the Māori Health Directorate, and the Cancer Treatment, Screening and Support Cluster. In this role Lisa was able to create transformative change across cancer treatment and screening services in the MidCentral district, with a focus on equity gains for Māori across the cancer pathway. This included membership of the MidCentral Māori Research Review Committee, and the MidCentral Clinical Trials Research Governance Group. Lisa also has experience as a member and co-chair of the Health Research Council Public Health Assessing committees.
Lisa is a Radiation Therapist with senior leadership experience, is a member of Hei Āhuru Mōwai, the Māori Cancer Leadership Group. Lisa’s goal for her mahi is to advocate for whānau voice, support Māori Hauora partners, and create system change that will remove barriers for Māori and Pacific and other under-served groups to achieve equity in breast screening, and to achieve equity in cancer outcomes including mortality.
Data Manager: Jaya Bose
Jaya manages the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register - Southern Region, based at Christchurch Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand - Waitaha Canterbury. She is also filled the role of CAG Secretary.
Funding representative (BCFNZ): Ah-Leen Rayner
Ah-Leen Rayner is the chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
She leads the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ operations and revenue generating initiatives. Through fundraising and mobilising wide supporter networks, the foundation enables the ongoing funding of medical research, support and development; services and programmes for public education and awareness; and advocacy and community outreach programme delivery for women with breast cancer.