Monday, 1 December 2008

New Chair for National Screening Advisory Committee

Professor Ross Lawrenson has been appointed as the new chair of the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC), replacing Professor Alistair Woodward, who had held the position for the last four years.

Professor Lawrenson is currently Head of Waikato Clinical School, University of Auckland and is a Professor of Primary Care at the University of Auckland.  He brings over 20 years of experience in general practice, public health and senior hospital management both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

He is a registered specialist in public health and has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers.

Career experience

• practiced as a GP for 5 years before taking up admin role with Waikato Health Board and training in public health
• worked as Medical Officer of Health in the Waikato before returning to the UK.  Worked as a senior lecturer at Charing Cross Hospital and Westminster Medical School (later Imperial School of Medicine) before moving to University of Surrey where he was Dean of Medicine and Head of the Postgraduate Medical School
• returned to New Zealand in 2005
• currently Head of Waikato Clinical School and Professor of Primary Care (University of Auckland)

Positions held

• Fellow (and Chair of the New Zealand Committee) of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health
• Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health (UK)
• Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners
• Trustee of the New Zealand Guidelines Group
• Trustee of the New Zealand Institute of Rural Health
• Member of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes