From nursing to patient safety and preparing for disasters

June 3, 2025 by Liz Farquhar Leave a Comment

NSW Health Pathology has farewelled Meredith Caelli, who is retiring after a 42-year career working across multiple roles in the health sector.

Staff gathered at NSW Health Pathology’s Newcastle office in May 2025 to celebrate the four decades Meredith has dedicated to the health and wellbeing of patients across NSW.

She rounded out her career as the Disaster Coordinator for NSW Health Pathology, where she has worked for 10 years.

“I am proud to have worked as part of an organisation where everyone shows up not to just do a job, but to support each other, to serve something bigger than themselves, and to strive for excellence in everything they do,” she said.

“What has always stood out for me is the attitude that says – talk to us about what you need, and let’s work together so we can be the best version of ourselves.

“That mindset; open, practical, and quietly ambitious, shapes the way the teams across Pathology work and is something I have genuinely admired.”

A woman sits at a table surrounded by balloons with the message, happy retirement. — Meredith celebrating her retirement.

Meredith thanked her colleagues at NSW Health Pathology who she praised for acting with openness and collegiality, helping her to succeed in her role.

“During my time in health I have worked as a nurse, infection control nurse practitioner, public health nurse consultant, patient safety manager, enterprise risk manager, internal audit manager, pandemic preparedness officer, and finally as a member of the Emergency Management Unit.”

She says she is most proud of her work to initiate the design and delivery of a mass vaccination clinic in a rural community, which paved the way for similar clinics to be established during the COVID pandemic, completing her PhD, and helping to develop the first statewide infection control database in NSW.

“Over the years I have learnt a lot, shared wins, commiserated when we have fallen short, but throughout it all I have felt safe, valued, respected and appreciated at NSW Health Pathology. I have truly been very fortunate.”

We wish you all the best for the future Meredith! You will be missed.

Pathology services for the future

May 27, 2025 by Development Team Leave a Comment

NSW Health Pathology is currently developing our next strategic plan, which will guide how we design and deliver our services to the people of NSW over the next five to ten years.

We want to better understand what people across NSW want, need and expect from us.

Your experience and input will help us to provide the best possible pathology services, now and into the future.

How can you have your say

There are two main ways for you to be involved and to have your say:

We are also flexible about how and where you’d like to provide your feedback. To share your lived or living experience, we know that long form writing, photos, poetry, and collage can be powerful.

Please feel free to send through your feedback in a way that is best for you by email to [email protected].

Collaborating to combat Antimicrobial Resistance

May 26, 2025 by Liz Farquhar Leave a Comment

Our microbiology experts recently travelled to Austria for a World Health Organization meeting to showcase the latest efforts to combat global antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to modern medicine and global health security. The main cause of antibiotic resistance is antibiotic use. When we use antibiotics, some bacteria die but resistant bacteria can survive and even multiply. The overuse of antibiotics makes resistant bacteria more common.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working on global actions to address AMR across human, animal, agriculture and the environmental sectors.

The WHO AMR Surveillance and Quality Assessment Collaborating Centres Network (WHO AMR CC Network) is a global partnership of institutions brought together by the WHO to support countries to strengthen their response to AMR.

The Network’s mission is to assist the WHO to support countries to build capacity to develop and implement AMR surveillance. NSW Health Pathology’s Randwick laboratory plays a central role in this effort.

The NSWHP Randwick WHO Collaborating Centre, led by Professor Monica Lahra, is serving as the coordinating Collaborating Centre for the WHO of the AMR CC Network for 2024–2026.g

Professor Monica Lahra (Microbiologist and WHO CC Director), Professor Sebastiaan van Hal (Microbiologist and Director NSWHP RPA Genomics), Dr Rob George (Microbiologist and Director of Medical Services) and Ms Savannah Gill (Programme Manager, WHO CC) from NSW Health Pathology WHO Collaborating Centre travelled to Vienna, Austria in April 2025.

They attended the 5th WHO CC AMR Network Meeting and WHO activities at the 2025 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global Congress.

The WHO hosted a dedicated booth co-hosted by NSW Health Pathology and Robert Koch Institute, Germany to raise awareness of the Network and its work.

A man and a woman standing at a World Health Organization booth at a conference — Dr Savannah Gill (NSWHP) and Andrey Verich (PhD student UNSW) at the WHO booth ESCMID Austria.

Hundreds of delegates participated in discussions at the WHO AMR Network booth, with information about the Network and a diverse selection of WHO and AMR CC Network materials showcased, generating sustained interest throughout the event.

The 5th WHO AMR CC Network Annual Meeting was co-hosted by the WHO Geneva, NSWHP WHO CC and the Robert Koch Institute Germany. This meeting brought together participants from 36 key institutions across the globe to review progress, align priorities, and strengthen collaboration across the network.

The meeting featured presentations from WHO Headquarters highlighting WHO’s current strategic and operational priorities, AMR Surveillance and Laboratory capacity, antimicrobial use surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship.

Professor Lahra gave a presentation on the recent work of the NSW Health Pathology WHO Collaborating Centre AUS-72, highlighting network activities and expertise aligning with strategic goals for the Network.

“We are proud to be leading this surveillance work here in Australia and ensuring that we are coordinating our global response to this major health threat,” Prof Lahra said.

NSW Health Pathology’s leadership in the WHO AMR Surveillance CC Network meeting reinforces its vital role in the international response to AMR and its ongoing collaboration with WHO in challenging times.

(Top photo: Prof Sebastiaan van Hal, Prof Monica Lahra, Dr Insik Kong (WHO Geneva), Dr Rob George, Dr Savannah Gill)

What can you do to help?

The more we use antibiotics, the more chance of antimicrobial resistance. But there are things we can all do every day to help reduce antibiotic resistance.*

1. Prevent infections by regularly washing your hands and keeping up to date with vaccinations

2. Prevent food-borne infections by washing fruits and vegetables and cooking food properly

3. Understand that antibiotics only work against bacteria. They do not work for colds and flus which are caused by viruses

4. Only take antibiotics when they are prescribed for you, don’t use or share leftover antibiotics

5. Follow your health professional’s instructions when you are prescribed antibiotics

*Source: https://www.amr.gov.au/what-you-can-do

Vale Professor Creswell John Eastman AO

May 21, 2025 by Liz Farquhar Leave a Comment

Professor Cres Eastman AO, a pioneering Australian endocrinologist and globally recognised public health advocate, has died at the age of 85, leaving behind a lasting legacy of leadership at NSW Health Pathology.

Born on 30 March 1940 in Narrandera NSW, Professor Eastman devoted his life to the eradication of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), profoundly transforming global health outcomes and earning the fitting title “the man who saved a million brains.”

A distinguished graduate of the University of Sydney, where he earned his MBBS in 1965 and MD in 1980, Professor Eastman commenced his medical career that same year. He was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1974 and held numerous influential academic and clinical positions throughout his career.

A black and white photo of a man in a laboratory with a microscope. — Professor Eastman’s work identified the effects of iodine deficiencies. (Photo: The Royal Australasian College of Physicians)

Notably, he served as Director of the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR) at Westmead Hospital from 1989 to 2006.

Following this, he continued his vital work as Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney and as Consultant Emeritus at Westmead Hospital until his passing.

In the 1980s, Professor Eastman identified widespread iodine deficiency in China and Tibet, where the disorder caused severe developmental impairments in children. His tireless advocacy and groundbreaking research were instrumental in the implementation of national iodization programs, which dramatically reduced the incidence of cretinism and goitre in these regions.

His efforts extended to Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Indigenous Australian communities, where he emphasised the critical importance of iodine in prenatal and early childhood health.

A group of children, with a man examining the neck of one child. — Professor Eastman examining Tibetan schoolchildren for goitre in Tibet in 2000.

In 1997, he was appointed Director and Chief Government Analyst of the Division of Analytical Laboratories (DAL) in Lidcombe. Under his leadership, the DAL provided critical public health analytical and forensic medical services to the entire state of NSW.

Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Eastman received numerous honours, including the Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 for distinguished service to medicine, particularly to the discipline of pathology.

He received the Premier’s Gold Service Award in 2002 and was a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2003. His most recent award was the 2023 Iodine Global Network (IGN) Dr Basil Hetzel Award, in recognition of his advocacy in current iodine nutrition in Australia whereby mandatory iodized salt in bread ensures adequate intake for the general population while supplementation is recommended for pregnant women due to increased requirements.

Professor Eastman’s enduring legacy lives on in the millions of children worldwide who have been spared the devastating effects of iodine deficiency due to his work.

His dedication to public health and medical research has been firmly embedded within the Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research—an institution he led for 17 years. Today, NSW Health Pathology continues to uphold the principles and commitments that Professor Eastman championed, serving communities across the state.

Professor Eastman died on Saturday 17 May 2025 peacefully at home. He is survived by his family and a generation of colleagues who carry forward his unwavering commitment to global health. His profound contributions to endocrinology and public health have left an indelible mark on medicine and humanity, inspiring ongoing efforts to improve lives worldwide.

Haematologist recognised as a Highly Ranked Scholar for “exceptional scholarly performance”

May 14, 2025 by Liz Farquhar Leave a Comment

NSW Health Pathology Senior Staff Specialist in Haematology Professor Beng Chong has been named a highly ranked scholar for 2024 by ScholarGPS for the outstanding quality of his research work into blood clots and bleeding disorders.

As a 2024 Highly Ranked Scholar, Prof Chong has ranked in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide in recognition of his “exceptional scholarly performance, the high impact of his work, and the outstanding quality of his scholarly contributions.”

Prof Chong was also ranked in the top 0.19% of all scholars globally in Medicine, 0.25% in Pathology and in Thrombosis 0.1%.

He has published 255 research papers since 1982.

He is involved in clinical work as NSW Health Pathology’s Senior Staff Specialist in Haematology at St George and Sutherland Hospitals but maintains a strong focus on research.

“My research ranges from basic science research to clinical trials/registry studies and translation research,” Prof Chong explains.

“My basic science studies focus on mechanisms of thrombotic and bleeding/thrombocytopenia disorders, as well as mechanisms of thrombosis in cardiovascular (heart) disease and stroke.

“I’ve been involved in extensive clinical trials of anticoagulants, which are now widely used for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic (blood clot) disorders.

“My current focus in mechanisms of thrombosis is investigation of the role of white cells, particularly neutrophils, and red cells besides the traditional roles of platelets and blood coagulation in the formation of blood clots.”

Dr Bente Talseth-Palmer, NSWHP Research Operations Manager, says the organisation places a high priority on supporting its researchers.

“NSW Health Pathology aims to build a better health and justice system by leading vital research that drives innovation,” she said.

“It’s inspiring to see researchers like Prof Chong being recognised for their work—because it’s this kind of research that leads to faster, more accurate care for people affected by blood clots and bleeding disorders.”

Forensic DNA experts put hundreds of ‘cold-case’ sexual assaults back under the spotlight

May 9, 2025 by Liz Farquhar Leave a Comment

A special team has been working at NSW Health Pathology’s Forensic Biology/DNA lab to test hundreds of historic Sexual Assault Investigation Kits (SAIKs) using the latest technology and search for DNA matches on the state and national DNA databases.

In a laboratory at the Forensic & Analytical Science Service (FASS) building in Lidcombe a team of 12 Forensic Scientists has spent two years working on the SAIK Backcapture Project.

A partnership with NSW Police, the team has painstakingly reassessed and examined hundreds of stored Sexual Assault Investigation Kits (SAIKs) for DNA using the latest technologies now available.

SAIKs are provided at the hospital after a sexual assault complaint is made and are used by medical and forensic examiners to collect evidence.

The purpose of the project was to bolster the existing criminal DNA database, identify links between scenes and offenders, and to ultimately gather intelligence and further investigative leads.

Team Leader of the SAIK Backcapture Project at FASS, Kylie Deece, (pictured above front row, second from left) says the SAIKs typically contain intimate swabs and items of clothing such as underwear.

A woman in a laboratory, wearing full PPE, examines a pair of underpants. — The team has examined hundreds of Sexual Assault Investigation Kits or SAIKs as part of the project, in collaboration with NSW Police.

“With assistance from NSW Police, our team received more than 780 SAIKs from police stations across NSW and some dating back as far as 23 years.”

Ms Deece says despite the age of some of the kits, state-of-the-art DNA testing methods available at NSW Health Pathology’s Forensic Biology/DNA laboratories means they have been able to successfully extract DNA from the SAIKs and upload the information to the NSW and National Criminal DNA databases.

“It’s been quite a successful project. We’ve had 310 uploads to the database from samples that would have otherwise remained in storage. Once profiles are uploaded to the database, it can provide intelligence for Police including potentially identifying serial sexual offenders,” she explained.

Some of the funding was also used to examine previously tested sexual assault samples after the original testing could not recover a DNA profile suitable for upload to the database.

“The technology for DNA testing has moved on significantly since some of those tests were done,” she said.

“Testing now is much more sensitive and we’re also able to target DNA from the male Y chromosome, which can help to identify offenders through a familial match.”

A woman works in a laboratory under a purple 'black-light'. — Ultraviolet light is used to examine evidence from the kits.

Ms Deece said the support of both the wider Forensic Biology/DNA and Receipt Unit sections of FASS has been crucial to the project’s success – providing expertise and training while continuing with already substantial workloads.

She also thanked the original Team Leader, Diana De Losa, who set solid foundations to ensure the best possible outcomes for the project.

NSW Police say the work sends a clear message to offenders that police never stop investigating incidents of sexual assault and abuse and it’s never too late to report an incident of sexual assault.