Our Philosophy
For our participants; we believe in creating a positive experience through interactions with friendly, capable staff and approachable doctors. Participants will always be treated with great care and respect, with each human interaction being valued and each person being assessed for their individual needs to achieve quality outcomes for each person.
For our staff; we will work diligently to ensure our staff are supported in their complex roles, and provide opportunities for career growth. We will strive for the highest standards in everything we do and have a culture of open communication for continuous quality improvement. Our staff will enjoy health initiatives to provide a foundation for taking on new challenges and building innovative attitudes.
We are responsible to our clients and the projects we are fortunate enough to work on. Collectively, our team will provide quality data, exceed recruitment goals and be highly responsive in all interactions. Our client’s expectations will be exceeded and we will continue to experiment with new ideas to improve our services. We will always operate with integrity in our undertakings, committing to the highest quality output in the most efficient way.
Investigators
Dr Marc Russo
Medical Director / Pain Specialist
MBBS DA(UK) FANZCA FFPMANZCA
Dr Russo is a globally recognised Pain Medicine Physician who believes that clinical diligence, early intervention, education and research in the field of pain management are integral to successfully treating patients suffering from chronic persistent pain.
Dr Russo completed two successful world first spinal cord stimulator device implantations in Newcastle Australia in 2011, establishing him as a leader in his field. Dr Russo has been involved in over 60 clinical trials and published over 40 journal articles. Dr Russo participates in both pharmaceutical and medical device trials (SCS). His primary research areas are Neuropathic Pain (CRPS, PDN, PHN), Chronic Pain (Back, Neck & Limbs), Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, Osteoarthritis and Vaccine studies.
Dr Willem Volschenk
Pain Specialist / Anaesthetist
MBChB FCA (SA) FANZCA FFPMANZCA
Dr Volschenk is a dual qualified Anaesthetist and Specialist Pain Management Physician from South Africa. He speaks 2 languages; English and Afrikaans. He is passionate about clinical education as a local GP educator and trainer for Fellows of Pain Medicine.
Dr Volschenk commenced working with the Genesis team in 2015 working on device and pharmaceutical studies for people suffering chronic pain as both a study investigator and Anaesthetist for our surgical procedures. His primary research interests are in neuropathic pain conditions and spinal pain.
Dr Cillian Suiter
Pain Specialist / Anaesthetist
MB BCh BAO FFPMCAI FCAI EDRA P Dip Sc.
Dr Suiter is a Pain Specialist and Anaesthetist who joined the Genesis team in 2022. He is passionate about research, specifically new innovations in pain medicine, neuromodulation, and cancer pain management. Dr Suiter believes pain medicine is an exciting area and aspires to be a future leader. He is interested in international collaboration to expand the knowledge of this relatively new field of medicine.
Dr Suiter has also travelled and gained medical work experience in numerous countries such as Tanzania, Malawi, Canada, and Ireland. He has taught as a faculty member on medical training courses in Ireland and Malawi to provide medical support to local hospitals and is a qualified American Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instructor.
Outside of medicine, Dr Suiter enjoys surfing and exploring the beautiful local beaches.
Dr David Mathers
Rheumatologist
MBBS FRACP
Dr Mathers is a Consultant Physician in Rheumatology with clinics in Newcastle and regional NSW. He is a regular Specialist at John Hunter Hospital and a Lecturer at both the Universities of Newcastle and Wollongong.
Dr Mathers enjoys the great outdoors having walked the Kokoda track and also climbing to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. In 2017, Dr Mathers joined a small group involved in the Larapinta Trail Challenge, trekking 65km in 5 days in the Northern Territory raising funds to support Indigenous students and research into Indigenous community health issues.
Dr Mathers has worked with Genesis since 2016 as an investigator on numerous Rheumatology studies. His primary research areas are Spondyloarthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Dr John Van Der Kallen
Rheumatologist
MBBS FRACP
Dr Van Der Kallen is a leading Rheumatologist in Newcastle with a passion for climate change activism. He speaks 2 languages; English and Dutch. Between his clinical practice and work as a conjoint lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Dr Van Der Kallen runs his own tree plantation and biodiversity project in Northern NSW. He also chairs the NSW branch of Doctors for the Environment Australia, addressing environmental deterioration and the effects on our health.
Involved in research projects since 2007, Dr Van Der Kallen’s primary research interests are in musculoskeletal disease, osteoporosis and Rheumatology. He has worked with the Genesis team since 2016 on a number of Pharmaceutical studies, expanding our ability to be involved in Rheumatological advances.
Dr Uli Liedvogel
General Practitioner
BMed FRACGP
Dr Liedvogel is an experienced General Practitioner specialising in the management and rehabilitation of Acute Injuries. He is a thrill-seeker with a passion for adventure sports and has travelled to remote locations for Medical Locum and foreign aid positions to assist people in need. Dr Liedvogel is the owner and Principal Doctor at the Hunter Acute Injury Management Unit at Newcastle Private Hospital. As a procedural GP, he assists numerous surgeons in theatre operations including all Genesis Spinal Cord Stimulation surgeries.
Dr Liedvogel’s flexible approach to medicine centres around his beliefs that treatment options need to be customised to suit each individual, stimulating his interest in developing therapies available through research. He has worked with Genesis since 2016 with his primary interests being in musculoskeletal pain management studies.
Dr Dmitry Samokhin
General Practitioner
MBBS
Dr Samokhin is an experienced General Practitioner. He joined the Genesis team of investigators in 2023 and is our very first, dedicated, on-site investigator. Dr Samokhin also works at Maitland Hospital in the NSW Hunter Valley as a CMO Anaesthetist.
Dr Samokhin’s interests lie in regional anaesthesia, and acute and chronic pain management. It was his curiosity and desire for clinical innovations that drew him to clinical research.
Outside of work, Dr Samokhin enjoys spending time with his family and renovating his home.
Dr Paul Mansfield
Rheumatologist
MBBS FRACP FRCPA
Dr Mansfield is a local Rheumatologist with a background in Immunology. He joined the investigative research team at Genesis in 2020 to be more involved in clinical developments.
Dr Mansfield is fascinated by the immune system and actively seeks to assist people living with a range of rheumatological conditions to have a higher quality of life. He is passionate about giving people greater treatment options and keeping up to date with new therapies. Outside of medicine, Dr Mansfield enjoys being active and playing tennis. We are thrilled to have him as part of our team.
Dr Richard Verheul
Orthopaedic Surgeon
MBBS FRACS
Dr Verheul is a specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, working exclusively in knee surgery. When he is not working at his clinic in Lake Macquarie or in surgery, Dr Verheul can be found getting his hands dirty at his farm in Port Stephens. Dr Verheul has travelled through Asia volunteering to teach arthroscopy and joint replacement surgery to local doctors. He also speaks two languages, English and Dutch.
As one of the most productive knee surgeons in Australia, we are fortunate to have Dr Verheul commencing work with us at Genesis. His primary research interests are improvements to surgical procedures and outcomes for knee surgery patients.
Research Team
Dr Julia Kuszewski
Research & Business Manager
Julia brings more than 6 years of experience and extensive knowledge in all aspects of clinical trials, having worked as a Research Officer and a Clinical Trial Coordinator, and having successfully grown an independent clinical research site as a Site Manager. Julia has a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from Maastricht University, a Master in Cardiovascular Research from VU Amsterdam, and a PhD in Human Physiology from The University of Newcastle. She speaks English, German, Dutch and a little bit of French.
Working in clinical trials, Julia gets to play a fundamental role in finding new treatments and medications for patients suffering from various diseases, making sure they are safe before hitting the market. She is thriving on experiencing first-hand how new treatments can have a massive impact on patients’ lives. Outside of work, Julia enjoys exercising and going for long walks with her German Shepherd puppy.
Dr Danielle Santarelli
Medical Writer / Researcher
Danielle is a medical writer and researcher with a Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) (Honours) and a PhD in Molecular Neurobiology / Experimental Pharmacology from The University of Newcastle. Since completing her thesis by publication and leaving the laboratory, she has worked alongside Dr Marc Russo at Genesis Research Services performing patient data analysis and publishing journal articles.
Danielle operates as a consultant medical writer for specialist physicians around the world and is a published author on over 25 journal articles. She also produces educational content for patients and research professionals, and assists with the development of protocols for our investigator-initiated studies. Outside of work, she enjoys being crafty and mountain biking.
Amy North
Office & Quality Coordinator
Amy first joined the Genesis team as a Research Services Administration Coordinator. She has a strong desire to challenge herself and grow her extensive research administration skill set and has recently taken on the additional role of Quality Administrator. Amy has a Diploma in Business Administration as well as management experience and is going to commence further education and training in her new role.
Amy plays a vital role in supporting our investigators and research team. Her passion for helping people is apparent to everyone who meets her. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends as often as she can.
Heather Macdonald
Clinical Trial Coordinator - Team Lead
Heather is a Clinical Trial Coordinator with experience in academic respiratory research at the Hunter Medical Research Institute. She has a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the University of Newcastle for which she received the Dean’s Merit Award.
Heather has worked in both laboratory and clinical areas with dedication, a high level of technical skill and attention to detail. She works on both pharmaceutical and device studies at Genesis. Heather is passionate about patient care and enriching people’s lives through her work. Outside of work, Heather enjoys music and dancing.
Avril O’Brien
Clinical Trial Coordinator
Avril is an experienced Quality Associate professional with over 15 years of experience in the TGA, FDA, EU & IMB regulated industry, including high volume drug product and API manufacturing. She has worked in laboratories, aseptic and clinical environments. Avril has an Honours in Applied Science – Bioscience from the Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland and is fluent in sign language. She moved to Australia 12 years ago from Ireland.
Avril brings experience in all aspects of clinical trials, from concept through to clinical study report completion. She sought a clinical trial coordinator role to contribute to research and bring new treatments one step closer to reaching patients worldwide. Outside of work, Avril is a wife and mother of three kids who loves travelling and exploring.
Emily Allard
Research Nurse / Trial Coordinator
Emily is a highly experienced Registered Nurse with over 16 years of perioperative nursing experience. Originally from the UK, she moved to Sydney in 2012 and relocated to Newcastle in 2018. In her previous role as a Recovery Nurse, she saw first hand the effects that chronic pain can have on a patient’s quality of life. Emily is passionate about finding new treatment options through clinical research, and has a keen interest in chronic back, neuropathic, and cancer related pain. She also enjoys teaching and educating, and the holistic care approach that can be offered to trial participants.
Outside of work, Emily is a wife and mother of two children. She is a keen swimmer and enjoys spending time with her family at the lakes and beaches of the Hunter Region.
Bethany Williams
Clinical Trial Coordinator
Bethany has a Bachelor of Podiatry and is currently completing her Master’s degree in Medical Statistics at the University of Newcastle. She has 7 years of experience as a pharmacy technician, both in a retail and hospital environment, where her role included involvement in anti-cancer clinical trials and sterile compounding of chemotherapy agents.
During her work as a podiatrist, Bethany witnessed the impact of chronic pain and diseases on her patients, especially those impacted by diabetes related complications and arthritis. She began working in clinical trials as it enables her to be part of the newest interventions improving people’s quality of life. Outside of work, Bethany enjoys running and training circus skills.
Caitlin Crowfoot
Research Administrative Assistant
Caitlin joins the Genesis team as a Research Administrative Assistant and is excited to put her customer service skills to use to help patients with their health and wellbeing. She is currently completing a Certificate IV in Nutrition and is passionate about further upskilling her knowledge in health and wellness. Caitlin has management experience and a Diploma in Events Management, which she utilises in her day to day life to achieve effective planning and communication.
Caitlin has a strong desire to help others and is driven to help make a difference in helping patients with potential new treatments. Outside of work, Caitlin enjoys exercising and spending time with friends, family, and her cat.
Richelle Powell
Clinical Trial Coordinator
Richelle is a Clinical Trial Coordinator and an experienced Registered Midwife. She has worked for over eight years within the maternity sector, including working at the Hunter Medical Research Institute for three years as a Research Midwife on a large pregnancy study.
Richelle has worked in all areas of maternity and has a wide array of midwifery knowledge. She Always works with dedication, compassion, a high level of technical skill, and attention to detail. Richelle is passionate about evidence-based practice and providing culturally safe and inclusive care for all research participants. She is a mother of two teenage boys, and enjoys yoga, trail running, swimming, and going on adventures.
Ashlie Bruce
Research Nurse / Trial Coordinator
Ashlie is a qualified Registered Nurse with over 7 years experience in hospital emergency departments and GP practices in the Newcastle and Hunter areas. Ashlie’s role at Genesis is largely dedicated to coordinating vaccination trials and providing ongoing participant care. She has additional qualifications in immunisation for health practitioners and Work Health and Safety.
Ashlie is passionate about patient focussed care in order to provide positive health outcomes for her study participants. Outside of work Ashlie is a professional photographer and mother of two beautiful daughters. She enjoys exercising and travelling with her family.
