Join us for LBC’s 4-part webinar series this September, where leading healthcare professionals and advocates will guide you through the essential aspects of blood cancer care in New Zealand - from understanding the current landscape and treatment innovations like CAR T-cell therapy, to practical strategies for self-empowerment and navigating your blood cancer journey.

Speakers and Topics

Thursday, 4th September, 1-2pm

The Future of Blood Cancer Care in Aotearoa. Charting a path to deliver the global best standard of care in New Zealand - Rosie Shaw

Thursday, 11th September, 1-2pm

Self-Empowerment - From hospital to home / community care - managing the daunting transition from hospital to homecare - Wendy Jar

Thursday, 18th September, 1-2pm

And now what...?
Navigating the practical & emotional challenges of cancer - Lauren Bradley

Thursday, 25th September, 1-2pm

CAR T-cell therapy in NZ - Dr Phillip George & Petra Minehan

Meet the speakers

Rosie Shaw

Rosie Shaw is Head of Advocacy at LBC. She has a background in health policy spanning New Zealand, the UK, and Australia, and now leads national efforts to improve outcomes for Kiwis living with blood cancer. In recent years, LBC has ramped up its work to ensure blood cancer is no longer overlooked in national health planning by advocating for system-wide change that delivers better access to treatments and services. In this webinar, Rosie will share how LBC is working to reshape the system for the blood cancer community.

Wendy Jar

Wendy has worked in haematology for over 20 years. She is currently the Clinical Nurse Specialist at Haematology Outpatients at Christchurch Hospital. Wendy is passionate about patients not being a bystander in their care.

Lauren Bradley

Lauren is the Regional Lead for the Te Whatu Ora Cancer Support: Psychology and Social Work team in the Northern Region (Counties Manukau, Te Toka Tumai, Waitemata and Te Tai Tokerau). Lauren is originally from the South Island and moved to Auckland to complete her master’s in social work. Lauren has a background of working in community settings in child protection before moving to oncology care in 2015 to form the Cancer Support Service. She has a passion for psycho-social care and ensuring patients and whanau remain at the centre of care.

Dr Philip George

Philip is a Consultant Haematologist at Wellington Hospital. He undertook Speciality Haematology training in the University Hospitals of Leicester, UK; which he completed in August 2022. In 2018 he took time out of clinical training to carry out a clinical research fellowship in Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington. During his 3 year fellowship, he worked extensively on setting up the ENABLE trial: a Phase 1 anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell trial for patients with relapsed and refractory B-Cell Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. He was awarded a Masters of Clinical Research with distinction at the Victoria University of Wellington in August 2020. He is now the Principal Investigator of the Phase 2 ENABLE-2 CAR T-cell trial, alongside his duties as a Consultant Haematologist. Philip’s specialist areas of interest as a Haematologist are Lymphoma, Myeloma and Cellular therapies.

Petra Minehan

Petra Minehan is a Clinical Trials Research Nurse working across oncology and haematology, with 8 years of nursing experience. Since joining the Wellington Hospital Clinical Trials Unit in early 2024, Petra has been involved in the delivery of CAR T-cell therapy in Aotearoa New Zealand. She supported the treatment of the final patients enrolled in the Phase 1 CAR T-cell clinical trial and has now taken on the role of lead study coordinator for Phase 2. Petra takes a calm and compassionate approach to her work, helping patients and their whānau feel informed, supported and empowered throughout their clinical trial experience.