About the Head and Neck Service
The Head and Neck Service at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse brings together over 40 highly skilled medical and allied health professionals including surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, dental specialists, speech therapists, specialist nurses and dietitians, along with research scientists and data managers. The Service has a national and international reputation for excellence.
The Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute (SHNCI), founded in 2002 by the late Professor Christopher O’Brien AO to provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art treatment to patients with cancers and diseases of the head and neck, is also an important part of the Head and Neck Service providing funding for two head and neck clinical fellows each year.
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Fellowships
The Head and Neck Department at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse offers a clinical fellowship program for domestic and international surgeons for a period of 12 months. Three fellowship positions are offered each year, one commencing in January and 2 positions in July.
Find out more about the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Fellowship Program.
ANZHNCS Fellowships
The Australian and New Zealand Head & Neck Cancer Society offer a number of grants and fellowships to medical students, doctors and other medical professionals.
Find out more about the Chris O’Brien Travelling Fellowship.
Annual review
Clinics
Head and neck cancer is a group of more than ten types of cancer that originate in the head and neck region. We have a range of multidisciplinary clinics for the investigation and treatment of head and neck cancers, including in rural and regional New South Wales.
Meet our team
Our team consists of members of the departments of Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology, as well as the allied services.
Director of Head and Neck Surgery
Surgery
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Dr James Wykes Chair of the Perioperative and Operating Theatre Committee and Head of Surgical Services, Director Head and Neck Fellowship Program, Head and Neck Surgeon
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Skullbase team
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A/Prof Raewyn Campbell ENT Surgeon -
Dr Arjuna Ananda ENT Surgeon -
A/Prof Alex Saxby ENT Surgeon -
A/Prof Jonathan Kong ENT Surgeon
Craniofacial Specialists
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A/Prof Payal Mukherjee Otologist -
Dr Joe Dusseldorp Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon -
Sophie Fleming Clinical Anasplastologist
Medical Oncology
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Prof Michael Boyer AM Chief Executive Officer -
A/Prof Jenny Lee Medical Oncologist -
Dr Adrian Pokorny Medical Oncologist -
Dr Mun Hui Medical Oncologist
Radiation Oncology
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A/Prof Christopher Milross Director of Mission, Radiation Oncologist -
Dr Mo Mo Tin Radiation Oncologist -
Dr Raymond Wu Radiation Oncologist
Oral Medicine and Dental
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A/Prof Dale Howes Dentist and Prosthodontist -
A/Prof Sue-Ching Yeoh Oral Medicine Specialist -
Dr Pooja Garg Staff Specialist -
A/Prof Mark Schifter Oral Surgeon
Nurses and Allied Health Team
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Clinical A/Prof Merran Findlay Oncology Specialist Dietitian -
Dr Toni Lindsay Senior Clinical Psychologist -
Joan Ryan Palliative Care Nurse -
Sarah Davies Nurse Practitioner
Research Team
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Dr Abdullah Al Maruf Head and Neck Research Fellow -
Dr Masako Dunn Head & Neck Researcher -
Dr Rebecca Venchiarutti Head and Neck Research Fellow
Patient Information
Find out more about head and neck cancer. Read more >
Information booklets
Mouth Care (PDF)
Cancer Types
Treatment types
A number of treatment options and combinations are recommended for cancer. Read more >
Research
The Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute (SHNCI) is a multi-institutional research organisation led by the head and neck service at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
With the largest database and biobank in Australia, the SHNCI brings together experts from a wide range of disciplines and leading national and international research institutions to improve outcomes for people with head and neck cancer.
The Head and Neck research team is made up of multidisciplinary specialists from the department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), the RPA Institute of Academic Surgery, the University of Sydney, the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, the Garvan Institute for Medical Research, the University of Technology Sydney and a number of other leading research institutions both nationally and internationally.
The researchers at the SHNCI are world leaders in head and neck cancer research. Our research focus includes mucosal head and neck cancer, complicated local and regional skin cancer, salivary gland cancer and reconstruction following major head and neck surgery.
Some of our current specialised projects are:
Finding a cause for mouth cancer in young patients who have never smoked.
Investigating the genomic profile of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Advanced Facial Reconstruction techniques and outcomes
Digital planning, 3D printing and implantable devices for head and neck reconstruction
The team is made up of experienced surgeons, pathologists and medical and radiation oncologists who are dedicated to gaining a better understanding of head and neck cancers and their treatment. Their research is uncovering insights into genetic changes of head and neck cancers, better understanding the effects of current and novel treatments and the impact on clinical presentations – all with the aim of improving outcomes for people with head and neck cancer.
Are you interested in doing a research project with our group? Our research team has extensive experience in research projects ranging from smaller studies (aimed at poster presentations and publications) up to Masters and PhD projects.
Our research projects include both translational and clinical studies and are closely tied with our extensive head and neck database. Research projects involve medical students, junior doctors, registrars, fellows and nursing and allied health staff.
Enquire at headandneck@lh.org.au.
Contact Us
Phone: (02) 8514 0662
Fax: (02) 9383 1033
Email: headandneck@lh.org.au
Visitor Information
Find out more about public transport options, parking and our free shuttle bus.
In NSW alone, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 13 minutes. Every dollar you contribute to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse will make a difference to the 57,000 patients who visit us each year.