ARO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, MercyAscot
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer, Southern Cross Healthcare
Job Titles:
- Board Members
- Chief of Strategy & Partnerships, Southern Cross Healthcare
Job Titles:
- Member of the New Zealand Ministry of Health
- Member of the US
Dr Anthony Falkov trained in medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and was awarded the SAIDA prize in the year of his graduation 1983. He worked in Radiation Oncology training positions in the United Kingdom and arrived in New Zealand in 1992, qualifying as a specialist in 1996. Anthony was awarded the Windeyer fellowship by FRANZCR on graduation from the college, to undertake a Clinical Research Fellowship at Mount Vernon Hospital and the Gray Laboratory in London.
On his return to NZ he commenced work as a Consultant and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Auckland Hospital. Anthony has been involved in private practice at Mercy Hospital, initially as a member of University Specialists but most recently with Auckland Radiation Oncology.
Anthony is a member of the US based Children's Oncology Group and been audited by the Quality Assurance Review Centre and is thus accredited for IMRT.
Anthony is a member of the New Zealand Ministry of Health appointed Expert Advisory Board for Stereotactic Radiotherapy. He believes that such therapy can only be offered in a multi-disciplinary setting with rigorous peer review. To this end he has initiated a process whereby all patients being considered for Stereotactic Therapy
Dr Anthony Falkov trained in medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and was …more
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director
- Member of the ARO Management Team
- Fellow of the Royal Australian
Dr Benjamin was previously clinical director of radiation oncology at Auckland City Hospital where he was a specialist for 26 years. He was named an Officer New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2008 New Year's Honours list for his services to medicine and the community.
Dr Benjamin is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and NZ College of Radiologists and Dean of the Oceania University of Medicine.
Dr Benjamin was previously clinical director of radiation oncology at Auckland City Hospital for 25 years, where he was also a specialist for 40 years. He was named an Officer New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2008 New Year's Honours list for his services to medicine and the community.
Dr Benjamin is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and NZ College of Radiologists.
He worked with N.Z.A.I.D and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 10 years (1996-2005) as the coordinator of New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme for seven South Pacific countries (Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu). Dr CS Benjamin has over 140 publications and presentations in the medical journals and international conferences. He has also has participated in many clinical trials involving breast cancer, head and neck cancer and prostate cancer. Dr Benjamin was the chairman of Auckland Breast Cancer Study group for several years. He was the examiner of Royal Australian College of Radiologists for 7 years. He was the member of the Educational Board of Australian and NZ College of Radiologists for 6 years.
He has special interest in the management of breast, prostate and skin cancers, and training in CyberKnife and VMAT radiation treatment.
Dr Benjamin was previously clinical director of radiation oncology at Auckland City Hospital for 25 years, …more
Dr Charles De Groot is a radiation oncologist based at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. He completed his specialist training through the University of Cape Town in 2001 and relocated to live and work in New Zealand in 2003.
Dr De Groot has subsequently held a number of local, regional and national leadership positions including chairing the New Zealand Cancer Treatment Advisory Group from 2006-2012. He held the position of Clinical Director in his own department at Waikato Hospital from 2014 to 2019.
He was instrumental in introducing a number of advanced radiation therapy techniques to Waikato hospital, including intensity modulated and volumetric arc radiation, as well as stereotactic ablative radiation techniques for lung, brain, spine and multiple other body sites.
Charles's current practise focuses on Head & Neck cancer, Skin cancer, Lung, Brain and Haematological malignancy. He has an interest in ablative therapy for oligometastatic cancer. He is current chair of the Waikato Regional Head and Neck cancer multidisciplinary meeting and vice chair of the Lymphoma meeting.
He currently consults at Waikato Hospital and Auckland Radiation Oncology(ARO). His private clinic is located at SalutisCare - Thackeray street, Hamilton. Radiation oncology treatment is provided at ARO in Auckland.
Dr Charles De Groot is a radiation oncologist based at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. He completed …more
Dr David Anderson is an established radiation oncologist who works with Te Whatu Ora and provides consultation and treatment services at Auckland Radiation Oncology. Dr Anderson offers in-person and virtual consultations for patients and holds weekly in-person consultations at Newmarket and on the North Shore.
Dr Anderson completed his radiation oncology training in Cape Town, South Africa and pursued his fellowship in Canada. He has postgraduate certificates in lung, breast and prostate cancer from the Universities of Zurich, Ulm and Lugano Switzerland.
David accepts private referrals for a wide range of malignancies including breast, urological, lung, lymphoma, gastrointestinal and CNS. He has a special clinical interest in Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT or SABR) for the treatment of prostate cancer, lung cancer and oligometastatic disease.
Dr David Anderson is an established radiation oncologist who works with Te Whatu Ora and provides …more
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the Faculty of Radiation Oncology
Dr Giuseppe 'Peppe' Sasso MD FRANZCR is a consultant (specialist) in radiation oncology with 30 years of experience in cancer medicine.
He currently works at Auckland Radiation Oncology (ARO), Auckland City Hospital and Dunedin Hospital; and holds honorary academic appointments at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences of the University of Auckland; and at the School of Medicine of the University of Brescia (Italy).
Dr Sasso is a Fellow of the Faculty of Radiation Oncology of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists. He attended medical school and specialist training with first class honours at the School of Medicine and Surgery of the Second University of Naples, Italy; one of the world's oldest medical faculties (est. 1224 AD).
He has worked as a specialist in internationally renowned cancer centres including the European Institute of Oncology in Milan (Italy), the Dorset Cancer Centre (UK) and Queensland Health (Australia). He was the Chairman of Radiation Oncology Department at Tawam Hospital in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine International and the Chief Medical Officer at Forcilles Hospital, France.
His past positions also include Director of the Radiation Oncology Department at Auckland City Hospital from 2010 to 2020, President of the Board of Directors of TROG Cancer Research and Chairman of the New Zealand Ministry of Health Radiation Oncology Working Group.
Dr Sasso is the author of over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts, invited speaker at more than 30 international scientific meetings, conferences convenor, PhD supervisor and investigator of renowned research projects. He is an expert in modern technology and precision therapy including Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), CyberKnife and advanced cancer imaging (PET and MRI).
Dr Sasso's clinical activity focuses on head and neck, genito-urinary and breast cancers. He has extensive experience in the use of SABR for primary prostate and kidney cancer; and in the use of SABR for early metastatic disease to spine, liver, kidney, adrenal, pancreas, lymph nodes, bone, brain and lung. He is passionate about patient-centred care.
He is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian.
Dr Giuseppe 'Peppe' Sasso MD FRANZCR is a consultant (specialist) in radiation oncology with 30 years …more
Dr Ian Maddock Hanson (MPhys, MSc, PhD) is a UK certified medical physics expert (MPE) and state registered clinical scientist.
He has worked at the forefront of radiation therapy treatment at the internationally renowned Joint Department of Physics at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research in London, UK for over ten years where he held both clinical and research appointments. His main focus was developing high technology treatments and solutions to improve radiation therapy precision and safety.
Dr Hanson has published many peer reviewed research articles, primarily focussing on patient safety and adaptive radiation therapy. He has presented his work at oncology conferences in Europe, North America and the Middle East as well as lecturing extensively on radiation therapy physics to fellow medical physicists, oncologists and radiation therapists.
In 2021, Dr Hanson joined ARO, where he leads a talented team of physicists who provide some of the most advanced and safest treatments available in the world today.
Dr Ian Maddock Hanson (MPhys, MSc, PhD) is a UK certified medical physics expert (MPE) and …more
Dr Childs is a trained Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist. He has worked at Addenbrooks Hospital, Cambridge, UK and The Royal Marsden Hospital, UK and held the position of National Clinical Director at the Ministry of Health, NZ.
He has a depth and breadth of experience having worked in most areas of radiation oncology. He has a particular interest in:
Dr Childs is a trained Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist. He has worked at Addenbrooks Hospital, …more
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the ARO Management Team
Kate has more than two decades of experience in various roles within the health sector both in New Zealand and the UK, including commercial executive leadership positions and directorships within the private healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
She has a longstanding interest in cancer holding Doctorate and Master of Science degrees researching prevention and treatment of cancers by harnessing the immune system. She led the GSK Vaccines business unit in New Zealand for 5 years, enabling a number of new vaccines to be funded in National Immunisation Programmes in New Zealand and Fiji before taking a leadership role in the pharmaceutical division business.
Kate comes to ARO from MercyAscot Hospitals where she was the General Manager of Specialist Engagement, responsible for developing specialist partnerships and growth of the business through leadership of the business development, marketing and communications functions. She had a particular focus on developing and optimising cancer pathways for patients and held Director positions on the boards of Auckland Head & Neck Specialists and OneSixOne Medical Group.
Kate is passionate about health and her dedication to enabling patient access to advances in healthcare has been consistent throughout her career.
Kate has more than two decades of experience in various roles within the health sector both …more
Dr Louis Lao is a highly skilled Radiation Oncologist, specialising in advanced precision radiotherapy techniques such as Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SBRT/SABR).
He qualified as a specialist in 2010 and completed his postgraduate training in Radiation Oncology at Auckland, where he was awarded the CE Eddy Prize for most successful candidate in the RANZCR Part 1 exam, and the RANZCR Bourne & Langlands Prize for outstanding research.
Dr Lao further honed his skills by undertaking a two-year clinical research fellowship at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, where he focused on stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and worked in the lung, CNS, lymphoma and genitourinary tumour sites. He returned to New Zealand in 2012 and has since held public and private sector positions as a Radiation Oncologist.
Currently, Dr Lao is the Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy clinical lead at Auckland City Hospital and an honorary academic at the University of Auckland.
He has worked at Auckland Radiation Oncology since 2013, with a special interest in the treatment of lung cancer, upper gastrointestinal cancers, lymphoma, and oligometastases (one or a few metastases involving brain, lung, spine/bone, liver, adrenal or lymph nodes from any primary). He has been an invited speaker at multiple national and international meetings speaking on his area of special interest.
He is highly experienced in advanced precision radiotherapy techniques. He was a member of the expert groups which authored the Australia and New Zealand guidelines on image guided radiation therapy, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and the use of advanced technologies in radiation therapy treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
In addition to his medical expertise, Dr Lao is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. He is married and has two sons aged 10 and 15. Dr Lao is a dedicated physician committed to providing his patients with the highest level of care and expertise.
Dr Louis Lao is a highly skilled Radiation Oncologist, specialising in advanced precision radiotherapy techniques such …more
Dr Maria Pearse is a Consultant (Specialist) Radiation Oncologist and manages the radiotherapy treatment at Auckland Radiation Oncology (ARO). Dr Pearse trained at Otago University in Dunedin, Auckland City Hospital and the Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre in Canada.
In addition to her clinical role at ARO and previously Auckland City Hospital, Dr Pearse was also the Chief Pathology Examiner for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), of which she is a Fellow. This is the examining and accrediting body for the Radiation Oncology specialty.
Research: Dr Pearse is active in the field of cancer research and has a number of international peer-reviewed publications. She is also the recipient of a number of research grants and awards. Dr Pearse is an active member of the following research and professional associations:
Medical Advisory Committee for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation
Executive Member of the Auckland Breast Cancer Study Group
National Breast Cancer Special Interest Group
National Genitourinary Cancer Special Interest Group
Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genitourinary Group (FROGG)
Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG)
Fellow of the Faculty of Radiation Oncology, Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR).
Dr Maria Pearse is a Consultant (Specialist) Radiation Oncologist and manages the radiotherapy treatment at Auckland …more
Dr Seel is a Radiation Oncologist at the Waikato Hospital in Hamilton and joined ARO, working in private practice, in 2023. Before moving back to NZ in 2009, Dr Seel worked as a Radiation Oncologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
He completed his undergraduate training at the University of Auckland, then completed his Fellowship of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) in 2003.
Dr Seel's clinical specialities include skin/melanoma, breast and lung. He also has a special interest in radiation therapy in older patients and individualised palliative radiation therapy.
Apart from his clinical work, Dr Seel has taken up several education and management responsibilities throughout his career. He served as Medical Lead of Cancer Services at Waikato Hospital from 2012 to 2021. He is a RANZCR Phase 2 Examiner and Accreditation Assessor, as well as a Member of Accreditation Review Working Group.
Overall, Dr Seel has a diverse range of experience in Radiation Oncology. He is committed to providing the best possible care to his patients and to improving cancer care as a whole.
Dr Seel is a Radiation Oncologist at the Waikato Hospital in Hamilton and joined ARO, working …more
Dr Ramesh Arunachalam graduated from the University of Melbourne, in Melbourne, Australia in 1996 and moved …more
Dr Roger Huang is a Radiation Oncologist at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. He graduated from Auckland University and completed his specialist training at Auckland City Hospital in 2012. He then undertook clinical research fellowship at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, focusing on genitourinary (prostate, bladder, testicular) cancers.
He returned to New Zealand and has worked at Waikato Hospital since 2014. He is actively involved in clinical research and is the site principal investigator for a number of clinical trials. He currently sits in the Waikato Regional Cancer Centre Abdominal and Pelvic Tumour Stream Advisory Group, Brachytherapy Advisory Group and Stereotactic Body Advisory Group. He is also Vice Chair for Waikato regional genitourinary tumour board.
Roger's current clinical work focuses on prostate, colorectal, and breast cancers. He also has a special interest in the use of stereotactic radiation technique for oligometastatic cancers. He has broad experiences in stereotactic body, spine, prostate, kidney, and lung sites.
Roger is a dedicated clinician who aims to provide excellent patient-focused care that result in positive experience for his patients.
He currently consults at Waikato Hospital and Auckland Radiation Oncology (ARO). His private clinic is located at SalutisCare - Thackeray Street, Hamilton. Radiation Oncology Treatment will be provided at ARO in Auckland.
Dr Roger Huang is a Radiation Oncologist at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. He graduated from Auckland University and completed …more
Dr Ruth Angell is a radiation oncologist at the Regional Cancer Service, Auckland City Hospital and Auckland Radiation Oncology. Ruth has a special interest in breast, colorectal, gastrointestinal and gynaecological cancers. She is a member of the National Breast Cancer Special Interest Group, the New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Group and the National Gastrointestinal Special Interest Group.
Ruth has worked in oncology in the United Kingdom, Australia and here in New Zealand. She trained at the Peter Macallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne and at Auckland City Hospital. Ruth is a dedicated oncologist and a strong advocate for her patients.
Dr Ruth Angell is a radiation oncologist at the Regional Cancer Service, Auckland City Hospital and …more
Job Titles:
- Consultant at Auckland Radiation Oncology
Susan Brooks is an Auckland University graduate and did her specialist training at Auckland Hospital. After gaining her FRANZCR in 2003, she did research fellowships at Mt Vernon Cancer Centre and University College Hospitals in London, United Kingdom.
Susan is currently a consultant at Auckland Radiation Oncology and Auckland City Hospital where she manages general oncological issues with sub-site interests in gynaecological, breast and gastrointestinal radiation oncology. She is an enthusiastic and committed Radiation Oncologist and looks forward to being of service to referring physicians and their patients.
Susan Brooks is an Auckland University graduate and did her specialist training at Auckland Hospital. After …more
Dr. Ramesh Pandey is a Radiation Oncologist with a distinguished educational background and extensive experience in cancer care.
He holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS Hons) degree from the University of Sydney. He also obtained a Bachelor of Technology with first-class honours in Biomedical Science from the University of Auckland and completed postgraduate training in Neurosurgery, obtaining a Masters of Surgery (Neurosurgery) from the University of Sydney.
He has undertaken training with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, the Royal New Zealand College of Urgent Care, and the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, completing the requirements for an Associate Fellowship.
Dr. Pandey has held various leadership positions, demonstrating his commitment to enhancing patient care and advancing the field of radiation oncology. He has served as Director of Training, a member of the New Zealand Radiation Oncology Executive Committee of RANZCR, and Chairman of the Head and Neck Cancer Multidisciplinary Meeting (MDM) and Head and Neck Tumour Stream. He has also been the lead of the Central Nervous System team for brain and spinal tumour radiation therapy treatments.
Dr. Ramesh Pandey is a compassionate doctor, who prioritises patients' well-being and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive and cutting-edge cancer care is given, with personalised treatment plans. His faith inspires and motivates him to provide hope for those who need it most.
Dr. Ramesh Pandey is a Radiation Oncologist with a distinguished educational background and extensive experience in …more
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, MercyAscot