Our team
Prof David Reutens MBBS, MD, FRACP, FAHMS
Director
Prof David Reutens is the Director of the RBWH Comprehensive Epilepsy Program since its formation in 2015.
Following his neurology training in Australia, he undertook further training at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square London and fellowships in epilepsy at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne and at the Montreal Neurological Hospital. He has been a consultant neurologist in the Epilepsy programs at the Austin Hospital and the Montreal Neurological Hospital.
Prior to his appointment at RBWH in 2008, he was the Director of Neurology at Monash Health. He has held professorial positions at McGill University, the University of Melbourne and Monash University. He is currently the Foundation Professor of Experimental Neurology and the Director of the Centre for Advanced Imaging at The University of Queensland. His wide-ranging research into epilepsy includes studies of how seizures begin, antiepileptogenic therapies, seizure prediction and new imaging techniques for epilepsy.
MBBS, FRACP
Epilepsy specialist
Associate Professor Cecilie Lander is an epilepsy specialist who has worked at RBWH for 40 years. She obtained her medical degree at the University of Queensland then completed specialist neurology training at the RBWH. Further training followed at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne and at the University College Hospital, London.
Commencing work as a consultant neurologist at RBWH in 1979, she established an antenatal clinic for women with epilepsy which continues to serve patients who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. In the 2000s, she set up the first dedicated multidisciplinary team to evaluate patients for epilepsy surgery and supervised the early epilepsy surgery RBWH program. Throughout this period she also maintained a busy private neurology practice.
Her research interests are neuropharmacology and the effect of AEDs in pregnancy. She has a close relationship with the epilepsy support organisations, contributing to their educational material and symposia, as well as teaching and mentoring neurology trainees throughout her career.
MBBS, FRACGP, FRACP, PhD, GradCertDiagnosticGenomics
Epilepsy specialist
Associate Professor Lata Vadlamudi is an epilepsy specialist in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and a senior staff specialist in Neurology at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
She completed physician training in the field of neurology in 2000. Further specialised training in epilepsy was undertaken at Westmead Hospital (Sydney), Mayo Clinic (USA) and Austin Hospital (Melbourne). She has been at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital since 2012 and co-supervises the Women and Epilepsy clinic. She has a strong background in research and is Principal Research Fellow at UQCCR.
Her PhD was obtained in 2006 from the University of Melbourne, entitled “The Genetics of Epilepsy: The Testimony of Twins” and her current research is in the field of genomics, which is the study of genes and their function. Her other special interests include EEG teaching, women and epilepsy and genomics education.
MBBS, FRACP, FRCPC
Epilepsy specialist
Dr Jim Pelekanos is a paediatric and adolescent neurologist and epileptologist.
He graduated in Medicine from the University of Queensland. He then trained in general paediatrics in Brisbane followed by 3 years of neurology training in Canada including an epilepsy fellowship at the Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia with Prof Peter Camfield. He also worked as a consultant (clinical and research) at the Epilepsy Research Institute in Melbourne in 2003.
Dr Pelekanos has worked in a number of roles in Queensland in general paediatric neurology and chronic neurodisability but epilepsy has been his main focus. Since 2012 he has been at the RBWH running the transition clinic for young patients with epilepsy who are transferring from paediatric to adult neurology care.
Clinical interests currently include surgical evaluation of epilepsy and development of DBS for epilepsy. He has a strong interest in teaching, particularly in EEG education, and regularly participates to the Epilepsy Society of Australia EEG training program.
MBBS, PhD, FRACP
Epilepsy Specialist
Dr Xiaohua Chen is an Australian-trained neurologist who holds a fellowship in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). She obtained her undergraduate medical qualification from Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences in China and was awarded a PhD in the area of brain structure and neuroimaging from University of New South Wales in 2008.
Undertaking physician and neurology training in Westmead Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, she completed further subspecialty training in epilepsy with fellowships at Westmead Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital. Dr Chen joined the RBWH Comprehensive Epilepsy Program in 2018 and currently is a full time staff specialist at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and Women’s Hospital. Her areas of interest include neuroimaging and invasive EEG monitoring for epilepsy surgery.
MBBS, BA, FRACP
Epilepsy Specialist
Dr Alice-Ann Sullivan works in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program as an epilepsy specialist. She obtained her medical degree in 1989 from The University of Queensland and in 2001 completed physician training in the field of neurology, spending a year at the University of Michigan Medical Centre in Ann Arbor Michigan USA as part of her training.
Alice-Ann has worked at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital since 2006. Her main achievement at the RBWH has been the establishment of a first seizure pathway for the rapid assessment for patients referred from the emergency department and the community who have experienced their first seizure. Her interests include first seizure education and management and liaison of epilepsy specialist care with primary care.
BAppSc, MBBS, FRACP
Epilepsy Specialist
Dr Stephen Walsh works in the RBWH Comprehensive Epilepsy Program as an epilepsy specialist. He obtained his medical degree in 2010 from the University of Queensland and completed specialist training in neurology in Queensland, including an epilepsy fellowship at the RBWH in 2019. His clinical interests are in advanced epilepsy monitoring and ICU EEG.
BMSc, MBBS, FRACP
Epilepsy Specialist
Dr John Phamnguyen is a neurologist and subspecialist epileptologist who works for the RBWH Comprehensive Epilepsy program. Following completion of medical training at Griffith University, he undertook specialist training and obtained his Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). Further subspecialist training was completed in an epilepsy fellowship at Westmead Hospital where he obtained extensive experience in pre-surgical multimodal neuroimaging, invasive EEG evaluation and completed his accreditation as a Level 3 EEG supervisor.
Dr Phamnguyen joined RBWH in 2021 and is undertaking a PhD at the Centre for Advanced Imaging using advanced neuroimaging techniques with ultra-high field 7T MRI. He aims to uncover the mechanistic underpinnings behind why epilepsy patients develop tonic-clonic seizures, the most severe form of seizures and one of the greatest risk factors for SUDEP.
Dr Phamnguyen has clinical interests in the pre-surgical epilepsy evaluation, including advanced multimodal neuroimaging and invasive EEG evaluation.
BSc, BA, MBBS FRANZCP
Neuropsychiatrist
Dr Chris Randall works in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program as a neuropsychiatrist with a special interest in epilepsy. He obtained his medical degree in 2003 from The University of Queensland before obtaining his fellowship with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists with a focus on the link between the mind and the body.
Dr Randall is passionate about treating the mental health concerns of persons with neurological conditions, including advancing the care of functional neurological symptoms, anxiety and trauma. He supervises psychiatry trainees in neuropsychiatry, general hospital psychiatry and psychotherapy.
He finds great satisfaction in working in a multidisciplinary team to enhance the bio-psycho-social care of persons with epilepsy.
DPsych (Clin and Neuro)
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr Thompson is employed as the clinical neuropsychologist for the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. She attained her Bachelor of Psychology in 2005 (Griffith University) and in 2010 was awarded her Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Queensland).
Working within the Gold Coast Health Service from 2008, she relocated to RBWH in 2015 and began working within the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. In that role, she uses her expertise to assess brain function in people with epilepsy. Trained as a clinical psychologist as well as a neuropsychologist, she is committed to developing integrated, goal-orientated psychological care for patients to help them improve their quality of life.
Her research interests include social cognition in epilepsy, as well as the identification, prediction and rehabilitation of neuropsychological deficits following epilepsy surgery. She is an adjunct senior lecturer at the University of Queensland and regularly hosts post-graduate students on clinical placements. Dr Thompson is assisted by clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Ada Lo.
RN
Clinical Nurse Consultant
Angela Spencer is the clinical nurse consultant for the RBWH Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and has been working at the RBWH since 2016. She obtained her initial nursing qualifications from the Mater Hospital program. Her postgraduate training included placements in a variety of paediatric speciality clinical settings including neurosurgery.
From 2008, she was the clinical nurse in the Mater Children’s Neurosciences unit working in the field of complex and refractory epilepsy, providing care and coordination of services to families dealing with epilepsy. Since taking on the role of CNC in Epilepsy at the RBWH, she has coordinated the weekly multidisciplinary team meetings and developed programs for the flow of patients through the surgical process. She has developed educational materials for women with epilepsy and patients undergoing surgical evaluation as well as coordinating the education of RBWH neurology nurses in epilepsy and seizure management.
Angela is currently studying a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences degree at Swinburne University.
BA, RN, Grad Dip Clin Epi.
Research Nurse
Kimberley Irwin is a research nurse in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and is responsible for coordinating clinical drug trials of medications to treat epilepsy.
Kimberley obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne before training as a registered nurse at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
After working for several years in clinical nursing roles, Kimberley began work as a research nurse in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. Whilst working in her role at Monash University, Kimberley obtained a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology from Monash University.
In 2013 Kimberley commenced work in her current role in the epilepsy service at the RBWH. In Kimberley’s time at RBWH, the Clinical Trial program has greatly expanded. This has allowed the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at RBWH to attract multi-centre trials of new medications to treat epilepsy, expanding potential treatment options for patients.
BMedSci, MBBS, MSc, FRACS, MHE
Neurosurgeon
Associate Professor Lindy Jeffree has been the lead epilepsy neurosurgeon in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program since its inception in 2015, and is a senior staff specialist in the Kenneth G. Jamieson Department of Neurosurgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
She obtained her medical degree at the University of Melbourne, and undertook neurosurgical training in NSW. Her epilepsy surgery experience includes training under Dr Marianne Vonau at the Prince of Wales Hospital between 2000 and 2003, and a fellowship year in paediatric neurosurgery at the Necker Hospital for Sick Children in Paris.
Obtaining her Masters of Science (Neuroscience) research degree in neurophysiology at the University of Montreal in 1996, Dr Jeffree’s research collaborations currently include projects in advanced epilepsy imaging, epilepsy genetics and the functional cognitive assessment of epilepsy surgical patients.
Dr Jeffree has a Masters degree in Higher Education and a strong commitment to undergraduate anatomy teaching and clinical training of surgical and neurosurgical trainees.
BHB, MBCHB, FRACS
Neurosurgeon
Dr. Norman Ma works in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program as an epilepsy neurosurgeon and is staff specialist in the Neurosurgery Department at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Ma completed his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Auckland. He obtained his neurosurgical qualifications after training in Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch. Further training followed in in two postgraduate fellowship posts, the first a paediatric neurosurgery fellowship at the Mater Children’s Hospital Brisbane, and then a fellowship in functional neurosurgery for movement disorders, pain and epilepsy in Bristol, United Kingdom. Here he acquired skills in techniques of stereo EEG epilepsy surgery, as well as experience in deep brain stimulation and neurosurgical robotics.
Dr. Ma has a longstanding interest in teaching and research, and he is currently completing a Masters in Philosophy in neonatal epilepsy at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research.
Our Neurophysiology team
The neurophysiology team under the direction of Mr Fred Tremayne provide neurophysiology services to the RBWH Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. They perform over 2000 routine outpatients EEGs a year (routine, sleep deprived and ambulatory) and manage more than 100 video EEG inpatients annually, including ictal SPECT studies.
Fred Tremayne is the Director of Neurophysiology and oversees 6 other full-time neurophysiology scientists. He trained at Barts and The London NHS Trust and then the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (Queens Square), obtaining skills in pre-surgical evaluation video telemetry EEG at the Sir Jules Thorn telemetry unit. The team undergo constant education and training in advanced EEG skills and other areas of Neurophysiology.
The RBWH neurophysiology service have been instrumental in developing Queensland Health standards and guidelines in neurophysiology and has fostered clinical neurophysiology placements within the department with students of UQ, QUT, Griffith University, Southern Cross University and Central Queensland University.
Our Nuclear Medicine Imaging specialists
Nuclear medicine imaging specialists, Dr. William Fong, Dr. Kevin Lee and Dr. Patrina Campbell, attend the weekly Epilepsy multidisciplinary meeting and provide opinions of imaging for pre-surgical evaluation. Dr. William Fong is the Director of the Department of Nuclear medicine at RBWH. The department hosts the Queensland PET Centre as well as the RBWH’s Radiopharmaceutical Centre of Excellence (Q-TRaCE).
The radiopharmaceutical laboratory produces novel tracers for brain imaging to help diagnose and treat neurological conditions. The centre also currently provides the largest nuclear medicine therapy centre in Queensland for treating cancer and other conditions.
Our Neuroradiologists
Prof Alan Coulthard is Professor of Neuroradiology at the University of Queensland and is Director of Research for the Department of Medical Imaging. Dr Andrew Groundwater and Dr Jane Bursle are experienced radiologists with strong interests in epilepsy and neuroimaging. They each attend the weekly Epilepsy Multidisciplinary Team Meeting, providing expert neuroradiological opinion on imaging of epilepsy patients, and reviewing patient scans in the context of clinical, EEG and nuclear medicine imaging findings.
The RBWH Department of Medical Imaging has two state of the art 3T MRI scanners, providing structural imaging as well as clinical functional MRI for pre surgical evaluation. The RBWH neuroradiology group is active in research and collaborates with researchers from the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, as well as the Centre for Advanced Imaging, UQ.
Contact us
Location: Level 7, Ned Hanlon Building
Phone: (07) 3646 3111
Fax: 07) 3647 62632
Open: Monday-Friday 7.30am-4.30pm
Need help outside hours?
For non-urgent medical issues call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visit your GP.
In an emergency call 000.
Refer a patient
To refer a patient to this service, view the Epilepsy referral guideline.
For an existing referral call 1300 364 938.