Clinical Team

Clinical Lead Molecular Virology: Dr. Gary McAuliffe
Clinical Virologist: Dr. Erasmus Smit
Clinical lead Immunopathology: Dr. Maia Brewerton
Immunopathologist: Dr. Rohan Ameratunga
Immunologist: Dr. Hilary Longhurst
Clinical Lead Chemical Pathology: Dr. Samarina Musaad
Chemical Pathologist: Dr. Campbell Kyle
Dr. Weldon Chiu
Dr. Campbell Heron

Technical/Scientific Team

Scientist Unit Manager - Immunology: Mary Bilkey
Scientist Unit Manager - Molecular Virology: Saed Miri Nargesi
Quality Officer: Jerusha Gojer

Hours:

Immunology full services: 08.00 to 17.00 weekdays
Molecular Virology full services: 08.00 to 21.30 weekdays
12.00 to 20.30 weekends

For Molecular Virology tests, contact the molecular virology team via email: virology@adhb.govt.nz .

For Immunochemistry/Proteins/ Allergy tests, contact the immunopathology team via email: immunology@adhb.govt.nz or Lablink .

For Autoimmune or Infectious serology tests, within routine hours, contact Lablink in the first instance or ring 09 307 4949 ext 22103.

On call service

• Available for limited tests outside these hours.
• Out of hours (weekdays, weekends and public holidays) tests must now be requested by the Consultant of the requesting team who must personally ring the appropriate Virology/Immunology pathologist.
• Requests from staff other than the clinical consultant will not be accepted.

Molecular Virology

Out of hours: 21.30-08:00 weekdays and weekends
On-call laboratory phone number: 021 198 2738

Available on call tests :

• Limited routine testing e.g.: Respiratory NAATS/Measles are performed over weekends/after hours.
• Urgent tests - for instance: Neisseria Meningitides, Measles, Mumps, AC tap, Vitreous fluid for eye panel, HGPC whole blood from NICU/PICU need to be communicated to the on-call clinical microbiologist in the first instance or contact the on-call laboratory phone number.

Serology

Out of hours: 17.00- 08.00 and weekends
On-call phone laboratory phone number: 021 946 179

Available on call tests :

• VZV Immune Status
• Vasculitis testing - a-MPO, a-PR3 and a-GBM (if specifically requested)

Normal results for Viral hepatitis, HIV, Syphilis antibody, Toxoplasma antibody, Rubella antibody, CMV antibody and EBV antibody (approximately 95% of requested tests) are automatically released 24/7 for clinical action form the Level 3 Roche COBAS line.
If any of the above is pending, please contact the Biochemistry Rapid Response Team in the first instance.

Note:

1. Public Health Practitioners and General Practitioners must likewise contact the appropriate Virology/Immunology pathologist.
   Since it may take many hours for even urgent requests to reach LabPLUS from Community laboratories, non-hospital practitioners cannot assume a test taken early in the day will reach LabPLUS within normal working hours. We suggest non-hospital practitioners should contact the appropriate Virology/Immunology pathologist for any test considered urgent.
2. Weekends and public holidays, 08.00 to 17.00, the on-call laboratory scientist should be contacted directly as before.

For clinical enquiries please contact the clinical team.
Technical Enquiries please contact the scientists in the appropriate section.
Phone enquiries are most easily made through Lablink .

Lablink

Molecular Virology Section

Viral and some Bacterial DNA/RNA testing including Viral Loads and Drug Resistance

Section Leader: Radhika Nagappan
Technical Specialist: Dhanya Jayaraj
Hanna Antoszewska

Molecular Diagnostic Assays

Serology Section

Anti-Viral, Parasitic, Bacterial and Autoantibody assays

Section Leader: Paul Austin
Technical Specialist: Helena Thompson
Yulia Hwang
Rong Zhou

Immunochemistry Section

Specific Protein and Allergy testing.

Section Leader: Ushmita Patel
Allergy Technical Specialist: Roy The
Proteins Technical Specialist: Koshla Govender