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Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology



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Members

John Angus (Chair)


Dr John Angus was Children’s Commissioner from 2009 to 2011.  Prior to that he had a long career as a senior social policy advisor within the Ministry of Social Development and its predecessors (1987–2006), and then as a social policy consultant (2006–2009).

John began his career as a historian after obtaining a BA (Hons) (1971) and then a doctorate in history from Otago University (1977). He went on to spend almost 10 years as a social worker in Dunedin for the Department of Social Welfare and to complete a Diploma in Social Work (Victoria University 1982). John then moved into social policy. John has led policy work on child support, the care and protection of children and support for vulnerable families. He played a leading role in the development of several family support initiatives such as Family Start and SKIP. From early 2008 to April 2009 he headed up work on the prevention of child abuse and neglect for the Taskforce for Action on Violence Within Families.

John lives in Central Otago and is married with two adult sons.

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Karen Buckingham


Dr Karen Buckingham is a graduate of the Auckland School of Medicine and trained as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She has worked as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist for the Auckland District Health Board since 2003. In addition, she was a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland from 2003 to 2008. For the past 10 years she has subspecialised in the field of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She now works part time, mostly as a fertility specialist in both the private sector (Repromed Auckland) and public sector (Fertility Plus).

Karen has held a wide range of clinical, teaching and research roles in New Zealand and overseas. Her research interests include recurrent pregnancy loss, polycystic ovarian syndrome and antiphospholipid antibodies and infertility.

She lives in Auckland with her husband and three young children.


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Alison Douglass


Ms Alison Douglass is a Barrister at Waterfront Chambers, Wellington, specialising in health and disability law. Prior to moving to the independent bar in 2008 she was a partner, then consultant to Wellington law firm, Tripe Matthews and Feist. She has been a practicing litigation lawyer since 1985. She completed a LLB at Canterbury University (1984) and a Master of Bioethics and Health Law at Otago University (1999).

Ms Douglass is currently Co-Chair of the ACC Research Ethics Committee and Convenor of the New Zealand Law Society Health Law Committee which provides submissions on health law reform. She was the legal member to the Interim, then National Ethics Committee on Assisted Human Reproduction (1993-2002) prior to the enactment of the HART Act in 2004 and is a former Chair of the Wellington Ethics Committee. She has worked part time as a senior lecturer in health law and bioethics at the University of Otago, Wellington.

Ms Douglass has published journal articles on ART and in 2006 prepared for the Ministry of Health the Report on the Regulatory Framework Governing Assisted Reproductive Technologies in New Zealand.

She lives in Dunedin and is married with three children.

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Nikki Horne


Nikki is a member of Fertility New Zealand, the national group for consumers of fertility services. She has served as a committee member of the Auckland Group for four years, and her specific roles have included facilitating consumer contact support groups and clinic liaison.

Nikki currently works part time as the Business Support Manager at Career Analysts in Auckland. Previous to this she worked for 8 years as Event Manager for Obex Medical Ltd. Her time there included managing all events, conferences and functions for the company across a broad range of medical specialties, including embryology.

Nikki is married to Chris and they have two daughters, who were both born after years of IVF treatment and recurrent miscarriage. Following completing her family she was an egg donor for another couple.

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Cilla Ruruhira Henry QSM


Cilla Henry grew up under the mantle of the Kīngitanga movement, deeply entrenched in Waikato kawa (protocol) and tikanga (teachings). Her hapū connections are Ngāti Wairere and Ngāti Hako Hauraki.

Cilla is a Te Kauhanganui tribal representative, Hukanui Marae; a Māori Specialist Consultant in the bicultural therapy model (BTM) for the Department of Corrections Psychological Services, Hamilton, working with Māori inmates at Waikeria Prison; a trustee of Raukura Waikato Social Services; and a Consumer Representative for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

She is also a member of the National Council of Women and the Māori Women’s Welfare League, and a representative on the Care and Protection Panel for Children and their Families (Child, Youth and Family). Cilla is passionate about the care, protection and wellbeing of children. She was appointed a justice of the peace (JP) in 1996 and received the Queen’s Service Medal for public service in 2003.

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Michael Legge


Associate Professor Legge is currently an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Associate Dean of Medical Education, and Director of Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Otago. He was previously National President of the Infertility Society of New Zealand (1995-1998). Associate Professor Legge is a member of the European Commission Ethical Review Panel (2006-present), the European Commission Life Science Expert Panel (2003-present), and the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (2000-present), and is a former National President of the Infertility Society of New Zealand (1995).

Associate Professor Legge completed a PhD in Experimental Embryology at the University of Essex (1988) and a Bachelor of Science in Mammalian Physiology at Southbank University, UK (1972). He also completed a fellowship with the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia (2010), and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences (1978) and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences UK (1973).

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Andrew Shelling


Associate Professor Andrew Shelling is head of the Medical Genetics Research Group, which is primarily interested in understanding the molecular changes that occur during the development of genetic disorders, focusing on infertility and reproductive cancers.

Professor Shelling has a special interest in understanding the cause of premature menopause, and his research is internationally recognised for identifying genetic causes of this common cause of infertility. He initiated the development of a support group for women with premature menopause in New Zealand.

Professor Shelling is currently deputy head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, and is extensively involved in teaching reproduction, genetics and cancer at the university. He has recently served as president of the New Zealand branch of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia. He is currently an associate editor of the journal Human Reproduction, which is one of the leading journals in the area of reproductive research. He is a trustee for the Nurture Foundation for Reproductive Research.

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Judy Turner


Mrs Turner is currently Deputy Mayor of Whakatane District Council (2011-present). Prior to this she was a contractor in the community and charitable sector, and was previously a Member of Parliament (2002-2008). Mrs Turner is currently a Trustee for the Life Education Trust (Eastern Bay of Plenty), a Trustee for Habitat for Humanity (Eastern Bay of Plenty), and an Advisory Board member for Whakatane Youth Engagement Services, to name a few such positions. She is also Party President and Deputy Leader of UnitedFuture.


Page last updated: 16 May 2012



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