TSA’s Medical Advisory Panel
Our Medical Advisory Panel helps guide and support TSA (Tuberous Sclerosis Australia). We are indebted to this team of TSC (Tuberous Sclerosis Complex) experts which assists in reviewing and writing materials for our website and new publications, facilitates introductions to other health professionals and researchers and keeps us in the loop on important research, medical and treatment developments.
Dr Denise Chan
Dr Denise Chan is a paediatric neurologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, with expertise in epilepsy and TSC. Denise has been working with families with TSC since 2016. Denise is involved in clinical trials for new antiseizure medications in TSC and the treatment of infants with TSC prior to seizure onset.
Dr Clara Chung
Dr Clara Chung is a clinical geneticist and researcher in the TSC Clinic at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, who helps children and adults living with TSC. She also sees TSC families in Liverpool Hospital. She has been supporting TSA for years. Her area of research interest is in early TSC diagnosis, those with mosaic genetic variants and those in whom a genetic variant has not been found.
Associate Professor Nicole Isbel
Associate Professor Nicole (Nikky) Isbel is a consultant nephrologist with an interest in TSC at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. Nikky works closely with her urology colleagues and has had a key focus on providing advice on the management of renal AML in adults.
Associate Professor Sean Kennedy
Associate Professor Sean Kennedy is a nephrologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. Sean has many years’ experience in TSC. Sean works closely with the multidisciplinary team at Sydney Children’s and has a key focus on providing advice on the management of all TSC kidney-related issues.
Dr John Lawson
Dr John Lawson is a neurologist with many years’ expertise in TSC, having co-founded the multidisciplinary clinic at Sydney Children’s Hospital. John now leads the rural, regional and remote clinical trial enabling program for the NSW Ministry of Health. John also runs a private telehealth clinic that includes young people living with TSC from across Australia.
Dr Fiona McKenzie
Dr Fiona McKenzie is an experienced clinical geneticist with Genetic Health WA, who sees individuals and families with a range of genetic conditions. Fiona has been involved with many families with TSC over the years, providing diagnostic assessments and counselling for parents and individuals with TSC regarding the condition, its genetics and potential reproductive implications.
Dr David Mowat
Dr David Mowat is Head of Genetics and Co-Director of the TSC Clinic at Sydney Children’s Hospital, a clinic he was instrumental in establishing. David is a member of the International Scientific Advisory Committee run by the TSC Alliance and through this reviews research investments made by that organisation and has been a part of the consensus conference that developed/updated clinical guidelines for TSC.
Professor Lakshmi Nagarajan
Professor Lakshmi Nagarajan is a neurologist and epileptologist at Perth Children’s Hospital in WA. She is the Clinical Lead for Epilepsy and Neurophysiology. Lakshmi has been dedicated to the care and management of children with TSC and epilepsy over a long period of time. She has been involved in early diagnosis, clinical trials and a spectrum of therapeutic interventions in children with epilepsy and TSC. Prof Nagarajan has contributed to epilepsy-focused research and teaching programs nationally and globally.
Dr Vinita Prasad
Dr Vinita Prasad is a developmental and behavioural paediatrician with a dual qualification in general paediatrics. She has a special interest in rare neurodevelopmental disorders and is the lead clinician in the Angelman Clinic as well as the 22q and Rett syndrome clinics at Queensland Children’s Hospital. She is the developmental paediatrician in the multidisciplinary TSC Clinic at Queensland Children’s.
Dr Zebunnessa Rahman
Dr Zebunnessa Rahman is a neurologist and epileptologist at Westmead Hospital, Sydney. Zeb plays a pivotal role in advancing patient care for individuals with TSC. Zeb is dedicated to fostering collaboration between health care providers and the community. Specifically, she aims to establish strong connections with GP specialists who share an interest in TSC care.
Dr Vanessa Sarkozy
Dr Vanessa Sarkozy is a developmental and behavioural paediatrician at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick. Vanessa leads Tumbatin, the Child Development Unit there and has been working in the field for more than 15 years. She has a long-standing association with the TSC clinic at Sydney Children’s Hospital and supports the clinic’s research efforts to enhance outcomes for children with TSC.
Dr Matthew Sypek
Dr Matthew Sypek is a nephrologist working at Royal Children’s Hospital and Royal Melbourne Hospital in Victoria. Matt cares for a number of children and adults with TSC and is passionate about developing better systems to deliver comprehensive high quality care to people living with the disease.
Dr Helen Whitford
Dr Helen Whitford is a respiratory physician with many years’ experience of lungs issues including LAM in TSC patients. Helen recently transferred from The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne to Townsville University Hospital.
Professor Deborah Yates
Professor Deborah Yates is a respiratory physician with a longstanding interest in LAM and TSC and other obstructive and genetic lung disorders. She has significant clinical and research experience and was one of the original initiators of the LAM Clinic at St Vincent’s Hospital. This has now been moved to Macquarie University Hospital. She continues to support women with LAM and those affected by TSC, as well as their families, and to advocate for closer national and international collaborations in this field.