Neurologists
We provide high quality care for people who need diagnosis and management of conditions affecting the brain, spine, nerves and muscles.
Prof Simon Hawke
MBBS (Syd), DPhil (Oxon), FRACP
Although a general neurologist, Simon has a particular interest in neuroinflammatory diseases such as MS and in neurodegenerative disorders such Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. He serves on the CJD International Support Alliance (CJDISA) - Friends and Advisory Group. As well as his clinical practice in Orange, he holds weekly clinics at Sydney Neurology in Camperdown.
Dr Emma Blackwood
BSc(Med), MBBS(Hons 1), FRACP
Dr Emma Blackwood is a consultant neurologist and neurophysiologist practising in Orange.
She grew up in Bathurst and studied medicine at the University of New South Wales, graduating with first class honours in 2003. She subsequently undertook basic physician training at Concord hospital and then trained in neurology at Concord, Royal Prince Alfred and Prince of Wales Hospitals. She attained Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2010. She worked for two years as a Staff Specialist Neurologist at Liverpool and Concord Hospitals before moving to Orange in 2013.
Dr Blackwood undertook a neuromuscular fellowship at Concord Hospital, receiving training in neurophysiology, neuroimmunology and neuromuscular medicine. She is qualified in neurophysiology including performing and reporting nerve conduction studies, electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potential studies. In addition she has expertise in the injection of botulinum toxin for the treatment of neurological conditions including hemifacial spasm, blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, post-stroke spasticity, migraine and axillary hyperhidrosis.
Professor Leo Davies
MD, BS, FRACP
Associate Professor Leo Davies is a neurologist with clinical and research interests in movement disorders and stroke, and a strong interest in medical education and assessment. He has previously worked as a Clinical and Research Fellow at Harvard University, studying the physiology of human movement. Associate Professor Davies says, “alongside movement disorders, I developed an interest in stroke because as our population ages, in-hospital neurology practice is dominated by this disease. It is an area where research and evidence-based management can make a real difference toward reducing disease burden in the community”. Associate Professor Davies also is actively involved in medical education and assessment. He is the past Chairman of the RACP Clinical Examinations Committee, current member of the National Examination Panel, and oversees the assessment of medical students in the Sydney Medical Program. He notes, “assessment necessitates balancing our demand for excellence, the community’s need for safe practitioners and the load imposed on students. Since student learning is strongly influenced by assessment, we need processes that ensure students are trained in a manner that serves the needs of the community”. Associate Professor Davies has helped implement reliable, robust student assessments that reduce bias and promote the development of skilled medical practitioners. He is Chairman of the Australian Medical Schools Assessment Collaboration (AMSAC) through which he has led a series of Benchmarking projects. He is a member of the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand Assessment Collaboration Steering Committee.
Dr Susanne Grewe
PhD, FRACP
Dr Susanne Grewe is an Australian trained general neurologist with special interest in clinical multiple sclerosis and research, and will be locumming with us in March/April 2022.
Dr Grewe was born in Germany. She graduated from medical school at the Julius-Maximilians Universität in Würzburg, Germany, where she completed a medical dissertation graded ‘magna cum laude’. She subsequently moved to Sydney where she undertook medical internship and basic physician training at Royal North Shore Hospital, followed by advanced training in neurology at Royal North Shore, Royal Prince Alfred, and Concord Hospitals.
Dr Grewe received the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2014. She worked for 3 years at North Shore Private Hospital where she saw inpatients and outpatients with a wide range of neurological conditions.
Additionally to her clinical training, Dr Grewe worked as research fellow at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney. She was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by the University of Sydney in 2021 after completing research in multiple sclerosis epidemiology highlighting the influence of migration on multiple sclerosis.
Dr Ruhaida Daud
MBBS, FRACP
Dr Ruhaida Daud is an Australia-trained neurologist based at Leura Specialist Clinic in the Blue Mountains. Dr Daud visits Orange one Wednesday per month and also holds regular clinics in Blacktown and Dubbo.
Neurosurgeons
Dr Rodney Allan
BSc(Med) MBBS (Hons) FRACS (Neurosurgery)
Dr Rodney Allan is an Australian born and educated Neurosurgeon with additional advanced fellowship training in endovascular and cerebrovascular surgery.
Dr Allan is a consultant neurosurgeon at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. Dr Allan has hospital appointments at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, North Shore Private and the Sydney Adventist Hospitals.
He grew up in Sydney Australia, and completed his secondary education at James Ruse Agricultural High School.
His undergraduate education was at the University of New South Wales, with electives in Neurosurgery at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Trauma Surgery at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Dr Allan obtained his medical degree in 1994 and then completed his basic surgical training at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, with exposure to a broad range of medical and surgical specialties.
Neurosurgical training followed, with time spent in Auckland, Sydney and Newcastle. Two of these years were spent at the prestigious Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, where he has now returned as a consultant Neurosurgeon.
In 2004, Dr Allan was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in Neurosurgery.
CHARLES DRAKE FELLOWSHIP
Dr Allan then spent two years living in London, Ontario, Canada to complete the Charles Drake Clinical Fellowship in Cerebrovascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy.
Dr Benjamin Jonker
MBBS MMed(Clin Epi) FRACS
Dr Jonker is an Australian neurosurgeon with expertise in both operative neurosurgery and stereotactic radiosurgery.
His hospital appointments are at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and St Vincent’s Public and Private Hospitals in Sydney.
Dr Jonker completed his medical degree at the University of Sydney in 1999. After graduation, an internship and residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital he undertook his neurosurgical training at Prince of Wales, Sydney Children’s, Royal North Shore, Canberra and Westmead hospitals. This culminated in the award of the FRACS (Neurosurgery) in January 2009.
Dr Jonker specialises in the treatment of brain tumours and trigeminal neuralgia with both operative neurosurgery and stereotactic radiosurgery. He also has subspecialty expertise in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s Disease and other conditions. He undertakes surgery for other brain conditions such as hydrocephalus and trauma and has a particular interest in performing awake surgery for brain tumours in critical locations. He also uses intraoperative MRI at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Australia’s first and NSW only one) to guide safe maximal resection of tumours.
Dr Jonker holds a masters degree in epidemiology - the science of designing clinical research and applying the best available evidence to a patient’s problem. He is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney where he lectures for the Sydney Medical Program. His primary research interest is in trigeminal neuralgia in collaboration with the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre of the University of Sydney. Hr serves on the Research Committee of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia. He also teaches and serves on the committee for the College of Surgeons CLEAR course aimed at teaching the principles of Evidence Based Medicine to surgeons. He is a member of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (USA) and the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. He is on the medical advisory committee of the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association of Australia.
Endocrinologist
Dr Kannan Bakthavatsalam (Reddy)
MBBS, MD, FRACP
Dr Kannan Reddy graduated from the University of Mysore (India) and completed his post graduate in MD (General Medicine) from Bangalore University (India). He has undertaken his fellowship training in General Medicine at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle. Later he moved to Westmead, Blacktown and the Royal Darwin Hospital to complete his Endocrinology Fellowship.
He is a Clinical lecturer at the University of Sydney.
His special areas of interest include; Diabetes, Gestational Endocrine disorders and Bone health.
Haematologist
Dr Tom Gleeson
BA, MBBS, FRACP
Tom is a Clinical Haematologist, living and practising in central-west and western New South Wales. He grew up in Sydney, initially completing a Bachelor of Arts (Advanced) at the University of Sydney, majoring in Latin with minor studies in Ancient Greek and Classical Literature. He completed his MBBS at the ANU Medical School in 2011. Medical training was completed at Orange Base Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Wollongong Hospital, Canberra Hospital and Nepean Hospital.
He is a member of the Western NSW District Blood Committee and participates in a fortnightly Haematology MDT meeting with the haematologists at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Tom provides subspecialist care to rural patients close to home. He has a special interest in multiple myeloma, as well as myeloproliferative neoplasms and obstetric haematology.