National Child Cancer Network Clinical Lead Appointment Te Aho o Te Kahu is excited to announce that Paediatric Oncologist and Neuro-Oncologist, Dr Stephen Laughton, has been appointed as the new Clinical Lead for the National Child Cancer Network (NCCN).
Based at Starship Blood and Cancer Centre in Auckland, Dr Laughton has been involved in the clinical care of children with cancer since 2000. His specific area of interest and expertise is the management of children with brain tumours.
Stephen completed his initial medical and paediatric training in Auckland and as the inaugural recipient of the Joshua Holland Leukaemia Fund Fellowship in Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Clinical Research, spent three years at the Centre for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders, Sydney Children’s Hospital, and the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia. He then went on to train in paediatric neuro-oncology at one of the world’s leading children’s cancer institutions – St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, before returning to New Zealand in 2007.
Dr Laughton is the Starship Children’s Hospital Principal Investigator for the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the world’s largest cooperative children’s cancer research entity. In addition to being an appointed member of the Starship Clinical Excellence Governance Committee, Stephen is also the Health Professional Representative on the Board of the Child Cancer Foundation.
Chief Executive of Te Aho o Te Kahu, Professor Diana Sarfati notes, “We are thrilled to have someone of Stephen’s calibre and experience take on the role of Clinical Lead for NCCN. Over the last decade NCCN have built a world-class system for the treatment of child cancer and I am confident Stephen will continue to strive for the best possible outcomes for children with cancer.”
Dr Laughton succeeds current National Clinical Leader: Child Cancer, Scott Macfarlane, who is retiring after holding the role since the foundation of NCCN ten years ago. Scott has been an exceptional leader whose dedication and determination has driven Aotearoa New Zealand to the forefront of child cancer treatment.
We will farewell Scott in early November. Stephen commences this part time role on Monday 8 November 2021.