OUR DOCTORS

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Dr Alexandra (Alex) Johnson is a Paediatric Neurologist working in both the public and private sectors in Sydney, Australia. She has positions at Sydney Children’s Hospital (Randwick) and Royal North Shore Hospital, and reports paediatric EEGs privately through Northern Neurophysiology at North Shore Private Hospital.

Neurological  disorders such as headache and epilepsy are not uncommon in children,  teenagers and young adults. At least five out of every ten teenagers  experience headaches at least once a month. One in twenty children will  have a seizure during childhood, whilst one in two hundred are diagnosed  with epilepsy. Both disorders can lead to a high burden of disability and distress for these children and their families. Alex aims to work with families to understand their concerns through listening, communication, and provision of appropriate information and education.

Alex contributes to teaching and research at Sydney Children’s Hospital (Randwick). Current projects include contributing factors to headache in children and young adults, and factors contributing to epilepsy including  genetics, epilepsy syndromes, and epilepsy education. Alex is an ongoing  investigator in studies regarding the sequelae of childhood  brain tumors and their treatment, in addition to canabinoids in severe childhood epilepsy and rare diseases. She is also interested in the  translation of emerging research in rare neurological diseases  (including gene and enzyme therapies) to prevent neurodegeneration and ongoing cognitive and physical disability.

When not at work, Alex loves spending time with her husband and two children, who are trying to help her become an expert in Minecraft, Star Wars, and Transformers!

Dr Didu (Sandi) Kariyawasam completed her Masters at the University of Cambridge, UK, subsequently graduating from University College London in 2007. She embarked on her training in Paediatric Neurology at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK, gaining specialist expertise in the management of complex epilepsy (Great Ormond Street Hospital, London), movement disorders (Evelina Children’s Hospital London) and neuroinflammation (John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford). In 2022, Sandi successfully completed a PhD in the investigation of pathways to optimise diagnosis and care for children with Neurogenetic disease.

Sandi is currently a Paediatric Neurologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital (Randwick), and a conjoint lecturer at the University of New South Wales where she is continuing her PhD research. She combines her role as a Staff Specialist with her clinical research, striving to improve outcomes for children with rare inherited neurological disease. 

Sandi is active in the field of clinical trials and is part of the clinical research team providing access to new genetic therapies in the field of childhood onset neurological disease. Her work has been translational in the domain of paediatric neuromuscular disease where she strives to improve health and psychosocial outcomes for affected children and their families. 

Sandi's goal is to provide optimal care and informed choice for families, based on best current evidence, taking into account the values and beliefs of the individual. The ethos that underpins her work is maintaining a child- and family-centred focus to improve the health and well-being of her patients.

In her spare time, Sandi can be found running after her son (who has just learned to walk, and who is obsessed with chasing dogs and pigeons!)

Dr Denise Chan is a  Paediatric Neurologist who holds positions at Sydney Children's Hospital (Randwick) and Liverpool Hospital. 

Denise  brings to the Practice her expertise in epilepsy, neuroimaging and tuberous sclerosis, and has extensive experience in general paediatric neurology including  the management of headache, tic disorders and developmental disorders.  She has contributed to teaching and research in her previous  appointments at Sydney Children's Hospital (Randwick) and Children's  Hospital at Westmead, and recently undertook overseas training  in neurophysiology (EEG) in infants. 

Denise  works in partnership with families, bringing excellent organisational  and communication skills.  She understands the complexities of managing  and investigating neurological diseases in children and infants, and  is  very supportive of families whilst walking this road.

When not at work, Denise plays a mean bass guitar! 

Please note that Denise does not speak fluent Cantonese and Mandarin. However, she speaks conversational Cantonese and limited, basic Mandarin.

Dr Rachel Wong is a Paediatric Neurologist with diverse experience in managing neurological conditions in children, including complex epilepsy and neurometabolic disorders. In addition to consulting privately, she works in the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network where she cares for children and families with genetic disorders.

Rachel has trained and worked at several of Australia’s premier paediatric hospitals, including Sydney Children’s Hospital, the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

She has pursued further specialised training through the BPNA Paediatric Epilepsy Training programs and the ANZAN EEG Course, and is currently pursuing dual sub-specialist fellowship training in metabolic genetics.

Rachel's research has been presented at national and international conferences, earning her recognition such as second prize at the ANZCNS Annual Scientific Meeting.

When not at work, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family. She is deeply committed to providing child- and family-centred care, through an evidence-based, holistic, and compassionate approach.

Please note that Rachel speaks Mandarin.

Clinical Interests

Clinical genetics, Metabolic genetics, inherited metabolic disorders, newborn screening, genetic causes of developmental delay and intellectual impairment, preconception carrier testing, genetic counseling.

Background and experience

Prof Carolyn Ellaway brings to the Team over 20 years’ experience in the rapidly-expanding field of clinical genetics. She is one of Sydney’s most experienced and sought-after genetic metabolic specialists.

Carolyn graduated with an MBBS from the University of Melbourne in 1990 and trained in Paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Camperdown, and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, before completing her clinical and metabolic genetics sub-specialist training at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. In 2000, Carolyn worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, and completed a PhD with The University of Sydney in 2001. Since 2001, Carolyn has worked as a consultant clinical geneticist in the field of metabolic genetics at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and since 2014 she has also worked at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. Carolyn  holds a number of leadership, teaching, and research roles with the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, and is a Clinical Associate Professor with the Disciplines of Child and Adolescent Health and Genomic Medicine at The University of Sydney.

A large part of Carolyn’s clinical practice involves consideration of an underlying genetic diagnosis and further investigation of children and young adults with developmental disorders, intellectual impairment and/or complex health issues. Carolyn provides long-term care for children and young adults with a wide range of genetic metabolic disorders, some of which are detected by newborn screening. She has a special interest in the diagnosis and management of complex genetic conditions such as mitochondrial and lysosomal storage disorders, Rett syndrome, and related disorders. 

Carolyn has experience and skill in arranging access to, and interpreting results of, specialised biochemical genetic and genomic investigations. 

Carolyn is also available to provide expert advice and to discuss genetic test results for couples having had preconception carrier testing. 

Teaching and Research 

In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Carolyn participates in a number of research projects. She has been principal and co-investigator on several clinical trials of enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage disorders, cannabinoids in Rett syndrome, and gene discovery research projects. Carolyn is interested in translation of emerging research in rare disorders such as gene and other novel therapies. Her publication record includes 80 papers published in peer-reviewed journals and four book chapters. She has been an invited speaker at many national and international conferences. 

When not at work, Carolyn enjoys spending time with her family, going on holidays, reading, and keeping fit. 

New Referrals

Prior to making a new patient appointment, please forward to our practice a specialist referral and any available results (e.g. microarray). This will allow us to advise whether or not any additional information is required for the consultation.

Please note that Carolyn will not accept any new patient bookings without a referral.

Dr Kate Lichkus is a General Paediatrician with a special interest in providing care for children with complex health needs. She enjoys establishing an individualised approach to health care for each child and their family. She holds a public appointment at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead's Genetic Metabolic Disorders Service where she is involved in the care of patients with metabolic disorders. 

Kate completed her medical degree in New Zealand, graduating from the University of Auckland. She subsequently moved to Sydney, Australia, where she undertook speciality training through The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, working at numerous tertiary and local hospitals throughout the state. She subsequently gained General Specialist Registration in Paediatrics and Child Health and became a Fellow of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians. In 2017, Kate  completed her Masters of Public Health, graduating with distinction.  

Kate specialises in providing holistic general paediatric care for children from birth until young adulthood, including general acute and chronic health and developmental concerns, attention and hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), and suspected autism spectrum disorders. 

In her spare time, Kate enjoys spending time with her family and looking after her young daughter, as well as their menagerie of backyard pets which includes a dog, a cat, chickens, and bees. 

Dr Louisa Adams is a General Paediatrician who enjoys caring for babies and children from birth to adolescence, and working together with children and their families to achieve the best outcome.

Louisa completed her medical degree at the University of Adelaide, where she was awarded 'The Prize' in Paediatric Medicine. Subsequently, she undertook general paediatric training through the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, and completed a Masters of Public Health.

Louisa has been a staff specialist at The Children's Hospital at Westmead since 2017. She is currently working within medical education, having previously been in Genetic metabolic disorders for 6 years and Children's Emergency for 5 years.

Louisa has a strong interest and involvement in medical education, patient advocacy and policy development. In addition to spending a year of her training in the Child Development Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Louisa has trained in Griffith’s developmental testing.

Louisa is happy to see children with all different presentations and she believes in neuro-affirming care. She has a special interest in developmental delay, newborn feeding, settling and growth difficulties, and autism spectrum disorder.

In her spare time, Louisa enjoys spending time with her young family.

Dr Joanne Smuk is a General Paediatrician who enjoys all aspects of paediatric care and parenting concerns, from newborns to adolescents. She has a particular interest in working with families as they adjust to the challenges of a newborn, general paediatric issues such as asthma, eczema, constipation, growth issues, infant and child development, and  the management of children with complex medical needs. Joanne finds it a privilege to support families in understanding and managing the diverse range of medical conditions that babies and children can experience.

Joanne has  been working in Paediatric Medicine for over 10 years and has a VMO appointment at Royal North Shore Hospital, and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of  Physicians. She completed  her Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at the University of  Sydney and trained as a General Paediatrician with the Sydney Children’s  Hospital Network.

Prior to commencing medical training, Joanne completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) and practised for a  number of years as a Paediatric Speech Pathologist. She has also  provided respite care for families with children with developmental disabilities.

Joanne is a very busy mother of four young children and can relate to the many  challenges of parenthood. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time  with her family, taking photographs, and exploring Sydney’s beaches.

Dr Hugh Allen is a Paediatric Respiratory/Sleep Specialist, and a General Paediatrician. Graduating from the University of Sydney in 1979, and completing his fellowship training in 1985, Hugh brings a wealth of experience from the many years he has enjoyed working with children. 

Hugh has expertise in the diagnosis of sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, and parasomnias. Where required, sleep studies can be helpful in the diagnosis of these disorders, and Hugh is able to arrange and report sleep studies through the Paediatric Sleep Study Unit of Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAN).

Hugh continues to manage children with both complex and simple respiratory issues, and offers lung function testing to assist in assessment and management. 

In his capacity as a General Paediatrician in both private and public practice, Hugh has spent the last 25 years as a Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, after previously working for other metropolitan, rural, and outback hospitals in NSW. He has an interest in the management of paediatric allergy, and is delighted to assist with a wide range of common paediatric medical concerns such as asthma, gut health, headache, developmental delay, and feeding problems. Hugh works closely with families, general practitioners and other specialists to help integrate quality health care for children of all ages.

Dr David Youssef completed undergraduate training at the University of Sydney and post-graduate training at Griffith University, obtaining a Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery, respectively. During his medical training, he gained experience at several hospitals, including Gold Coast, Prince Charles, Tweed Heads and Liverpool Hospital. In addition, he undertook a three-year posting at the Sydney Children’s Network, where he focused on Paediatric Cardiology training. 

In 2020, David undertook two fellowships at The Stollery Children’s Hospital, Edmonton, Canada, in the fields of Paediatric Echocardiography and Three-Dimensional imaging, and Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertension. 

On completion of his Paediatric Cardiology training, David returned to Australia, where he currently runs a Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Pilot program integrating multidisciplinary care and treatment of complex Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertension patients. In addition, he has recently been involved in the development of a multidisciplinary Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) clinic of graduates from the neonatal intensive care unit. 

David continues to work across the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, including both Randwick and Westmead Campuses. 

Clinical interests 

• Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertension.
• Three-Dimensional Imaging of Paediatric Congenital Heart disease.
• Co-investigator of new and emerging Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertensive therapy.

Research 

• Published in Frontiers Journal in 2023 on new and emerging treatment strategies for Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertension.
• Presented at the International Society of Heart Lung Transplant in Denver, USA, and at the American Heart Association meeting in Chicago. 
• Currently preparing an article on the Australian experience with new oral therapy in the Paediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Population.