Council Members

Sue Carnoutsos

Sue Carnoutsos is the Chair of the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand, convener of the Council's Finance Audit and Risk Committee, and a Council representative on the Medical Sciences Secretariat Board of Directors.  A registered and practising medical laboratory scientist, Sue is the Operational Development Facilitator for Canterbury Health Laboratories in Christchurch.  Sue has published a number of papers and is a well-known speaker at various medical laboratory science conferences and seminars.  Sue is on the Board of Studies (Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science programme) at the University of Otago and provides clinical tutoring in haematology at the Christchurch School of Medicine.  She is a member of a number of professional associations. 

Bruce Dove

Bruce Dove is the Manager of the Microbiology Department at Diagnostic Medlab in Auckland.  A registered and practising medical laboratory scientist, Bruce has been in the medical laboratory science profession for over thirty years and is a well-known speaker at various conferences and seminars in the New Zealand medical laboratory science arena.  Bruce took a lead role in establishing the Council's accreditation framework to ensure New Zealand educational providers of accredited qualifications continue to meet the Council's requirements for registration and in 2011 convenes the Council's Accreditation Committee.

David Stephens

David is a lay member of the Council and was first appointed to this position in June 2010.  He is a member of the Council's Professional Standards Committee.  David has a background in law, biological science and iwi affairs, and has over twenty years experience in private legal practice.  David has a PhD (Canterbury), MSc (Honours 1st Class)(Waikato), and LLB (Hons)(Auckland).  He is currently working as a private consultant in business management and environmental management.  David has an interest in critically reflective governance and sits on a number of national and local boards and committees.  David is a member of a number of professional bodies 

Chris Kendrick

Chris Kendrick comes to the Council with over thirty years experience in the medical laboratory science profession.  A registered medical laboratory scientist, Chris is a senior lecturer in Haematology and Transfusion Science, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Science at Massey University in Palmerston North.  Prior to his appointment to Council Chris was the President of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science and he played an active role in helping to develop the competence and professional development of the Institute.  He is a regular presenter at professional medical laboratory science meetings and is a regular contributing author on scientific and professional affairs of medical laboratory science and scientists in New Zealand.  Chris convenes the Council's Recertification and Competence Committee.     

Laurie Manley

Laurie Manley has over thirty years experience as a research and clinical medical laboratory technician and has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.  A registered and practising medical laboratory technician, Laurie works in the endocrinology laboratory at Christchurch Hospital.  Laurie was appointed to the Council in 2006 and is a member of both the Recertification and Competence Committee and the Registrations Committee.

Helen Walker

Rurally based, Helen Walker has held governance positions for a range of community-based organisations including being Musical Director of operas and musical theatre productions.  Helen is a Director of Unison Networks Ltd, a Trustee for the New Zealand Singing School, and with her husband runs a successful farming operation in Central Hawkes Bay.  Helen was a Director of the Hawkes Bay District Health Board from 2001 to 2007 and Chairman of the Central Hawkes Bay Consumers' Power Trust until 2003.  She has a BSc (Massey) majoring in physiology and is a member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand.  Helen was appointed to the Council as a lay member in 2010 and is a member of the Finance Audit and Risk Committee.

Christine Hickton

Christine Hickton is a registered and practising medical laboratory scientist with over forty years medical laboratory experience.  This has included working as a research fellow in Malmo - Sweden, scientist in charge of haemostasis at Canterbury Health Laboratory, and as the sole scientist covering all disciplines at the Central Hawkes Bay Health Centre in Waipukurau.  Christine is currently the Quality Manager for Point of Care Testing and the Assistant Laboratory Manager at Hawkes Bay Hospital.  She has published a number of scientific papers, and spoken at scientific meetings both nationally and internationally.  Appointed to the Council in 2010, Christine is a member of the Council's Accreditation Committee.

Kathy Hill

Kathryn Anne (Kathy) Hill has lived in Hawkes Bay for five years.  Prior to her husband's transfer to work in Napier, she has lived most of her adult life in Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua.  She has extensive community links through various volunteer activities as well as being self-employed in past years.  Kathy was appointed as a lay member to the Council in June 2010 and is a member of the Council's Recertification and Competence Committee.

Professor Brett Delahunt

Professor Delahunt is currently the Deputy Chair of the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand, convener of the Council's Professional Standards Committee, and a Council representative on the Medical Sciences Secretariat Board of Directors.  He is Professor of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences (University of Otago), and Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at Victoria University (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).  Professor Delahunt is currently a member of the WHO Tumour Classification Panel, editor of the International Journal of 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.  Professor Delahunt was admitted to the 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.

Don Mikkelsen

Don trained as a medical laboratory scientist and has progressed professionally within hopsital-based diagnostic laboratories while also accepting roles with larger amounts of management responsibilities culminating in his current role at the New Zealand Blood Service.  Don is responsible for managing all operational activities of the national service including DHB-based blood banks, 4 blood processing and testing hub sites and 11 blood collection centres throughout New Zealand.  Appointed to the Council in 2010, Don is the convener of the Council's Registrations Committee