MACQUARIE NEUROSURGERY - Key Persons
As the only Personal Assistant based in Canberra, Amanda holds the fort in our ACT practice!
She started working for A/Prof Fuller in 2017, until Macquarie Neurosurgery acquired his practice in January 2020 and she became part of the MQN family.
Amanda has over 30 years of experience in health and administration in multiple countries, including in the UK. In her free time, Amanda is an arctophile.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
- Professor
Professor Behzad Eftekhar is an Australian and internationally trained Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon. His expertise includes brain tumour and spinal surgery, with a special interest in cerebrovascular pathologies including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm.
Professor Eftekhar graduated from the University of Tehran, Iran in 1991 before completing his neurosurgical training in 1995. During his academic career at Tehran University, he was awarded the position of Clinical Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and went on to obtain his Master of Public Health from the School of Public Health, Tehran University in 2003.
In 2006 he migrated with his family to Australia and furthered his Australasian neurosurgical experience at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania; Sir Charles Gardiner and the Royal Perth Hospitals, Perth; and Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand.
In 2009, Professor Eftekhar was awarded fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and then continued with further subspecialty training in Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery under the mentorship of Professor Michael Morgan AO at Macquarie University Hospital in NSW.
Professor Eftekhar is a member of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia and Australian Medical Association and has a strong academic interest which has resulted in the publication of over 50 peer-reviewed papers.
He is committed to the education of the next generation of surgeons and is a Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Sydney, and Clinical Associate Professor at Macquarie University.
Current Appointments
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Macquarie University Hospital
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Nepean Hospital
Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, The University of Sydney, Nepean Clinical School, SMS, FMH
Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University
Catherine joined MQN in May 2022 after 3 years working for Douglass Hanly Moir as a receptionist and trainer.
She is not only a committed Personal Assistant, but she also supports the team and patients on Cantonese and Mandarin interpreting. Patients' interactions and the continuous learning are the two components of the role she enjoys the most at Macquarie Neurosurgery.
She holds both a diploma of interpreting and an advanced diploma of translation.
During her spare time, Catherine is a baker and likes solving jigsaw puzzles.
Clementine joined Macquarie Neurosurgery early 2020 as General Manager, leading the non-medical teams at MQN.
Although she left France more than 10 years ago, moving to China for a few years before arriving in Australia in 2016, she still caries her French accent everywhere she goes! With over 13 years of experience in health and leadership, Clementine holds a Master's in Management and a Bachelor of Economics.
She believes working for MQN offers the perfect mix of professionalism and kindness. The teams are the living proof that success goes along well with compassion and human-centred values.
Clementine spends most of her free time outdoors, either on a hiking path or in the ocean, and enjoys writing and supporting social causes.
Having joined Macquarie Neurosurgery as a Personal Assistant in March 2023, Danielle previously worked as a Medical Secretary for an ENT and Head and Neck Cancer Clinic, providing secretarial support to 4 other surgeons within the practice, whilst managing & overseeing the daily running of a busy specialist clinic.
Danielle has brought a warmth & glow with her, already making special friendships with her colleagues & is committed to making each & every one of her patients feel heard, cared for and always looked after.
Danielle speaks, read & writes fluent Italian & her hobbies include baking (especially Italian biscuits), spending time with her family & friends entertaining, with hearty home cooked Italian food & believes life should be lived through love & most importantly laughter. She feels that life is simply too short to live it any other way.!
Diana has been our Practice Manager for over 3 years now, and joined MQN 11 years ago. Directly managing the PAs team, Diana oversees the optimal running of the main rooms in Macquarie, Nepean, Coffs, and Canberra. She has a sound knowledge of the medical practice environment with more than 24 years of experience in this area.
Diana loves being part of a team supporting neurosurgeons in performing life changing surgeries. She describes Macquarie Neurosurgery as her "home away from home" and loves to continue learning something new every day.
Diana spends her spare time with her family and reading a good book. She also is an animal lover.
Dimity joined the Accounts team in July 2023 as an Accounts Manager.
Dimity previously worked as a Practice Manager in various fields, including Cardiology, ENT and Breast Surgery. She has worked in the medical industry for 11 years. Dimity is currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing at University of Technology Sydney. Previously she studied at June Dally-Watkins Business Finish College where she received a Certificate IV in Business Administration
Dr Matthew Tait is a specialist in the neurosurgical treatment of disorders of the spine and also in treatment of diseases of the blood vessels of the brain (cerebrovascular surgery).
He has completed additional post-fellowship training in both areas: Complex spine surgery at Kings College London and cerebrovascular surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital and the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr Santhosh George Thomas is a highly trained and well-regarded Australian Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeon, with several years of experience in the management of brain, spine and peripheral nerve conditions.
He completed MBBS with honours from Christian Medical College in Ludhiana, India, where he graduated as the Eileen B Snow ‘Best Outgoing Graduate'. He went on to complete his neurosurgical training at the Department of Neurological sciences, Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, the pioneering neurosurgery department in South Asia.
He was awarded the prestigious Dr Jacob Chandy Gold Medal, for best all-round achievement in Neurosurgery at his graduation. His keen interest in epilepsy led him to specialize in adult and paediatric epilepsy surgery and he received the Hindustan Ciba-Geigy Award in Epilepsy from the Neurological Society of India for his exemplary work in the field of epilepsy surgery.
After his training, he continued at CMC Vellore as Associate Professor of Neurosurgery. He received further training in stereotaxy, neuro-oncology and was part of the endoscopic skull base program and the epilepsy surgery program.
Dr George Thomas moved to Australia with his family and undertook a Master's in Advanced Surgery at Macquarie University, Sydney. He went on to complete multiple neurosurgical fellowships at the prestigious Royal North Shore hospital, Sydney where he undertook further training in cerebrovascular surgery, neuro-oncology, and spine surgery, before he gained the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Neurosurgery.
He is the author of several book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals. He has presented at multiple international conferences and is an invited faculty in Neurosurgery. He is passionate about teaching and mentoring his registrars. He believes in listening to his patients, provides personalised care and evidence-based treatment to his patients to achieve the best possible outcome. He is proficient in several languages, including English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil.
Current Appointments
Consultant Neurosurgeon and spine surgeon, Macquarie University Hospital
VMO Neurosurgeon - Royal Darwin Hospital
Dr Siu is an Australian and internationally trained neurosurgeon and spine surgeon.
He has an expertise in minimally invasive surgery including lateral spine surgery, pituitary surgery, awake surgery for brain tumours and peripheral nerve surgery.
Dr Siu received his doctorate in visual neuroscience from the University of New South Wales in 2009. After completing his neurosurgery training in Sydney, Dr Siu joined the fellowship program at the prestigious University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in USA where he undertook further subspecialty training in the management of brain, spine and peripheral nerve tumours.
With a strong interest in research, Dr Siu has been involved in numerous leading edge research projects and has co-authored and published extensively in his field of specialty.
As a recognised expert in minimally invasive spinal surgery, Dr Siu is amongst the first cohort of spinal surgeons to apply 3D printing technology to create custom made implants for the treatment of spinal deformity. He has also pioneered new and modified surgical techniques in performing microscopic tubular discectomy for lumbar disc herniation.
Dr Siu is dedicated to ongoing education and continued professional development and regularly attends local and national industry and professional neurosurgical events and conferences. He holds specialty accreditation as a permanent impairment assessor.
Current Appointments
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Macquarie University Hospital
Clinical Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University
Visiting Medical Officer, Northern Beaches Hospital
Gemma joined the Accounts team in December 2022 as an Accounts Officer.
Her administration experience spans a range of industries, largely focusing on accounts and finance roles with a view towards improving client's experience. Gemma has worked in the medical industry for 6 years, with time spent in both patient facing and organisational roles where she has been able to gain financial experience as well as knowledge of practice operations.
As one of the newcomers at Macquarie Neurosurgery, Gemma is excited to see what the future holds for this talented team who are so dedicated not only to their patients but also to research and education.
In the near future, she plans on dedicating her spare time to seeing Australia, enjoying the local food specialties while supporting local businesses.
Job Titles:
- Social Media and Marketing Assistant
Josh joined our practice in July 2023. He previously worked as a Marketing Executive and Marketing Associate. Josh completed his Master's Degree In Ireland in 2021 writing his paper on "The Effects of Polarisation on Consumer Psychology and Purchasing Behavior". He also has a Bachelor's degree in Marketing Practice which he completed in 2020.
Since joining MQN Josh enjoys the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. In his spare time Josh enjoys travelling and being outdoors. He also enjoys working out and being around good people.
After 2 years as a Registered Nurse in Macquarie University Hospital, Kate Lin joined the neurosurgery teams in September 2012 as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. She was promoted to Clinical Nurse Consultant in 2016 then got endorsed as Nurse Practitioner in 2020.
She holds a Bachelor of Nursing (both in Chinese and English) and a Master of Clinical Nursing from the University of Sydney.
Working with world leading experts in neurosurgery inspires Kate Lin every day, who also enjoys the multiculturalism component of the team. Committed to excellence in patient care, she feels strongly aligned with the organization focus on research, teaching, and learning.
Before becoming a mum, Kate used to spend her free time travelling and cooking. Since she's embraced motherhood, her children's hobbies have become hers too!
Kate joined our Macquarie practice in October 2018 and moved to the Nepean practice in January 2020 after more than 10 years in customer service and patient liaison roles, respectively at MMI, Macquarie University Hospital and Westmead Private Hospital.
She is studying for a diploma in Marketing and PR from the APM Training Institute.
Kate has an acute sense of patient care and she loves the professionalism, care and team environment provided at Macquarie Neurosurgery.
Based in our Nepean practice, Lisa started with MQN in 2020. Prior to that, she had spent 4 years on administrative functions in Radiology, and worked in banking too.
In her current role as a Personal Assistant, Lisa enjoys the company culture, the variety of tasks, but above all, helping people.
During her free time, when she is not walking or lifting weights, you will probably find Lisa cooking and spending quality time with her family, especially with her three grandkids.
Professor Marcus Stoodley is an Australian and internationally trained Neurosurgeon with expertise in neurovascular surgery, including management of aneurysms and vascular malformations. He is an Australian leader in cerebral bypass surgery, especially in the treatment of moyamoya disease and other occlusive disorders.
Prof Stoodley graduated with honours from the University of Queensland Medical School. After completing his neurosurgery training in Australia, he continued with further subspecialty training in vascular neurosurgery at Stanford University and the University of Chicago in the United States.
Prof Stoodley joined Macquarie University and Macquarie Neurosurgery in 2008. Prior to this he worked at the Prince of Wales Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital. In addition to his clinical interests, Professor Stoodley heads a research team at Macquarie University. This is one of the largest neurosurgery research groups in Australasia, with world-leading research efforts in syringomyelia and CSF physiology, and in the development of new treatments for brain AVMs.
Margot joined our practice in January 2024. She previously worked as a medical secretary for vascular surgeon Dr Tae Hyun Cho for over 3 years. She has 8 years experience in the medical industry. Margot loves working at MQN because it feels like family. She is also passionate about excellent patient care. Margot thinks that it's a wonderful environment where all staff have the same work ethics and values.
In her spare time Margot loves spending time with her two daughters and niece, taking her dog Abigail for walks, reading crime thrillers and doing renovation and DIY projects around her home.
Murtaza joined our practice in January 2024. He previously worked as a PA for an adolescent psychiatrist. He has 3 years experience in the medical industry. Murtaza graduated high school in 2021 with a major in English, Hospitality and French. He's currently doing his pre course for a bachelor's in politcs, philosophy, and economics at UNSW.
Since joining MQN Murtaza enjoys the team as they feel like family. He likes being in a clinic where there's research and scholarly work happening around the clock. He is constantly learning and being inspired. Outside of work Murtaza has many hobbies and interests including Urdu language and literature, calligraphy, swimming, gastronomy and traveling!
Job Titles:
- Business Consultant
- Chief Financial Officer for Innovation Unit
Nyree has worked with Macquarie Neurosurgery in a business advisory capacity since 2009.
With over 25 years' experience in financial management, business strategy development and process improvement, Nyree has worked in key leadership roles in private hospitals, allied health, medical imaging and medical specialist practices. She has been involved in the implementation of innovative solutions in radiology virtual reporting and hospital systems.
Nyree is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Innovation Unit. She has a Bachelor of Commerce, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds a governance role in the independent school sector. Nyree has been a non-executive director of Macquarie Neurosurgery since 2021.
Raquel joined MQN in October 2013 as a Personal Assistant after a few years as a ward clerk and an administrative officer, respectively, at Macquarie University Hospital and Royal North Shore Hospital. She holds two TAFE certificates in Administration and Executive Assistant skills, and also completed training in Individual Support in Ageing and Disability.
Having joined MQN in February 2011, Rena is our most experienced PA at the practice. With a background in internal communications and administration, she was also a Dental Lab assistant prior to starting a career in the neurosurgical space.
Here at Macquarie Neurosurgery, Rena particularly enjoys a work environment with world class doctors and great teamwork.
When she is not at work, Rena loves spending time with her family and friends, and also likes volunteering on a regular basis.
Job Titles:
- Practice Coordinator - Coffs Harbour Clinic
Susette has been working in the medical profession for over 30 years and started supporting Professor Stoodley at Baringa Private Hospital when he started in the Coffs Harbour region in 2000. Susette contributed greatly to the Coffs Harbour clinic development as a practice coordinator.
She holds a Diploma of Practice Management from the University of New England and she loves interacting with patients, always going the extra mile to provide them with the best level of support.
During her free time, Susette enjoys all beach activities, as well as music, dancing and reading.
Tina joined our Coffs Harbour team early 2022 as an Administrative Assistant. She has more than 14 years of experience in the field with successful medical receptionist roles in Terrey Hill Medical Centre and Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney. Prior to that, Tina was a Training Nurse in Sweden, working in the Cardiology Intensive Care unit of a university hospital.
Tina loves the business side of the organization combined with well organised systems and routines. She feels "so fortunate" to be part of the team, and the feeling is mutual!
Very active outside of work too, Tina is a sailor, a skier and likes dedicating time on craft work.