Dr David Heyworth-Smith MBBS (Hons) FRACP FRCPA, Practice Principal
Dr Heyworth-Smith, Clinical Immunologist and Allergist, commenced private practice at The Greenslopes Private Hospital in 2005. Prior to this David was a Staff Specialist at The Princess Alexandra Hospital and at The Royal Brisbane Hospital. In addition to his private clinical practice David practices as an Immunopathologist at QML Pathology and is a Visiting Medical Officer at The Wesley and Mater Private Hospitals David’s special interests include vasculitis, autoimmune disorders, hereditary angioedema, drug allergy and food allergy. In 2011 David joined with colleagues to found The Compass Immunology Clinic.
Dr Kathryn Heyworth MBBS FRACGP DCH DIC MSc Allergy (London)
Dr Kathryn Heyworth is a Paediatric GP Allergist. She has over 12 years of experience in managing childhood allergies. In her earlier career she worked as a Paediatric General Practitioner and in Children’s Emergency medicine at the Mater Childrens’ Hospital, South Brisbane for over a decade. She holds a Diploma of Child Health and a Masters degree in Allergy Medicine from Imperial College, London. She is the current Australian Primary Care representative to ASCIA and is regularly involved with GP education. Kathryn has a passion for enabling children to achieve their optimal health.
Dr Susan Perel MBBS BSc FRACP FRCPA, Clinical Immunologist and Allergist
Dr Susan Perel graduated from medicine (University of Queensland) in 2002. Dr Perel trained as a registrar at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Greenslopes Private Hospital and completed her specialty training in Clinical Immunology/Allergy and Immunopathology in 2012. She joined Compass Immunology as a specialist in 2013. Dr Perel’s clinical practice encompasses the full spectrum of allergic and immunological disorders. She has a special interest in aeroallergen desensitisation (immunotherapy) for allergic rhinitis and asthma, management of chronic urticaria and angioedema, and investigation and management of drug allergy (including general anaesthetic and antibiotic allergy testing).
Dr Kim Robertson MBBS FRACP, Paediatric Immunologist and Allergist
Graduated in Medicine from the University of Queensland in 1998. She undertook the majority of her General Paediatric training at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, with an additional year of experience in Ireland. She subsequently embarked on subspecialty training in Paediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2008, and was awarded her fellowship in 2012. Dr Robertson’s areas of interest include the diagnosis and management of paediatric food and insect allergies, eczema, and allergic rhinitis. She performs diagnostic skin prick testing and intradermal testing, as well as oral food challenges and allergen immunotherapy. Kim sees children from birth up to the age of 16 years.
Dr Mariana Melo MBBS, FRACP Clinical Paediatric Immunologist & Allergist
Dr Melo has been practicing medicine in Australia since 2008 and began training in general paediatrics at the Mater Children`s Hospital. She has since completed a Fellowship in Paediatric Immunology & Allergy at the Lady Cilento Children`s Hospital (now QCH), where she currently works as a Consultant. Mariana completed her MBBS at the Federal University in Brazil in 2002. She completed General Paediatric & Immunology/Allergy/ Rheumatology training at the University of Sao Paulo in 2005. She has undertaken research in Immunobiological at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London 2005/06.
As a mother of 2 children with allergies, including one with food allergy/anaphylaxis, eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, she understands firsthand the challenges of caring for children with allergic conditions.
Mariana’s aim is to provide the highest quality of care for children with allergic conditions, to bring normality to their lives and help them and their families live a happier life.
Dr Babu Philip MBBS FRACP, Clinical Immunologist and Allergist
Dr Philip underwent basic physician training at Royal Perth Hospital and advanced training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Sydney at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Hospital, Campbelltown Hospital and Liverpool Hospital. Dr Philip worked as a full-time staff specialist in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Royal Darwin Hospital before relocating to Brisbane in 2018. Dr Philip is a Staff Specialist at Princess Alexandra Hospital and a Visiting Medical Officer at Royal Darwin Hospital. His special interests include all allergic diseases, hereditary angioedema and autoimmune disorders.
Dr Carl Kennedy MBBS BSc FRACP FRCPA, Clinical Immunologist and Allergist
Dr Kennedy graduated in Medicine from the University of Queensland in 2001. Following graduation he spent time in regional Queensland as part of his Rural Health Scholarship. Dr Kennedy then returned to Brisbane to complete his basic and dual advanced training in Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Immunopathology at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital. Dr Kennedy’s particular interest is in Allergic disease, including the investigation and management of Urticaria and Anaphylaxis, Allergic Rhinitis and the use of Immunotherapy for the treatment of environmental allergies. Dr Kennedy heads our Toowoomba clinic and has provided a valuable service to the Darling Downs region for many years.
Dr Martin Newman MBBS (Hons), FRACP Clinical Immunologist and Allergist
Dr Newman is a graduate of the University of Tasmania Medical School and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Dr Newman completed his basic and advanced physician training at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Greenslopes Private Hospital. He is also a Visiting Medical Officer in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Princess Alexandra Hospital and has a monthly clinic in Rockhampton.
His interests include all aspects of general clinical immunology and allergy including autoimmune disease, vasculitis, autoinflammatory disease, immunosuppression management and neuroimmunology; food allergy, environmental allergy, allergy desensitisation, urticaria and angioedema; and immunodeficiency screening and management.
Dr Marius Botha MBChB FRACGP Dip Dermatology Grad Cert Allergic Diseases
Marius qualified as a general practitioner in South Africa and moved to Australia 11 years ago. He gained Ear Nose and Throat experience working in a registrar training post for a year. This is where his interest in allergies started. After coming to Australia he furthered his studies by firstly completing his AMC. This was followed by the FRACGP in which he received the Mary Mahoney Examination Price for scoring the highest mark in Queensland. Marius then completed the Graduate Certificate of Allergic Diseases at Western Sydney University.
He has been running an Allergy Clinic in Northern Queensland for the past 6 years and still visits there once a month. The Sunshine Coast has now lured his family down with its great schools and sporting opportunities.
Marius consults for Compass Immunology on the Sunshine Coast and also at the Greenslopes clinic.
Marius is passionate about helping people that suffer from allergic diseases and enjoys treating children as he feel this is where his treatments have the biggest impact.
Dr Zi Tan MBBS FRACP FRCPA Clinical Immunologist and Allergist
Dr Tan Graduated in Medicine from the University of Tasmania in 2007. He underwent his residency years and basic physician training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital before commencing advance training in Clinical Immunology/Allergy and Immunopathology. This was completed at various sites including the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Greenslopes Private Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital. He is interested in all aspects of clinical immunology and allergy in particular allergen immunotherapy, drug and food allergy and immunodeficiency. In his spare time, Zi enjoys spending time with his 2 young children.
Dr Marion Thomas MBChB MRCP FRACP
Dr Marion Thomas is a Paediatrician with dual Australian and British training and qualifications and extensive experience in both countries with the care of children with acute, general and developmental needs. She completed undergraduate training in Birmingham UK in 1991 (MBChB)) and has more than 25 years of Paediatric experience at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and in Community and Educational Practice in the UK and at both the Royal and Mater Children’s Hospital Networks in Brisbane since 1996. She completed an attachment as a Genetics Fellow at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and has dual UK (MRCP Edinburgh UK 1999) and Australian (FRACP 1991) specialist Paediatric qualifications.
Interests include the newborn, early nutrition and growth and early years developmental concerns and the co-ordination of care of complex children.
Dr Marion works at Queensland Children’s Hospital as a General Paediatrician in addition to her private work at Compass Kids Clinic. She has four children including twins and her philosophy is to achieve the best health, happiness and developmental outcome for every child by “walking in their shoes”based on a foundation of family centred care.
Dr Venetia Whitehead MBBS, FRACGP GradCertAllergicDis
Dr Venetia Whitehead is a GP Allergist. She has a Graduate Certificate in Allergic Diseases and is a fellow of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She has worked in Brisbane for the past ten years looking after both adults and children. She has a young family and first-hand experience caring for a child with allergies.
Dr Andrew Merry MBBS, FRACP Clinical Immunologist/Allergist
Dr Andrew Merry is a graduate of James Cook University and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Dr Merry completed his Advanced Physician Training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Greenslopes Private Hospital and the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
He is passionate about all aspects of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, with a keen interest in autoimmune disease, vasculitis, eczema, food allergy, allergy desensitisation, urticaria and angioedema.
Having lived with eczema and being a father of a daughter with eczema, he understands firsthand the difficulties and complexities of tackling allergic conditions.
Dr Elize O’Reilly BMedSci, MBBS(hon), DCH, MHL, FRACP
Dr Elize O’Reilly graduated in Medicine at the University of Sydney in 2010. Dr O’Reilly trained in Paediatrics with the Mater Children’s Hospital and Queensland Children’s Hospital. After completing specialist training with The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and Queensland Children’s Hospital, Dr O’Reilly was awarded her Fellowship in Paediatric Clinic Immunology and Allergy.
Dr O’Reilly practices in paediatric immunology, autoimmune disease and across the full scope of allergic disease including food allergy, eczema, insect and drug allergy. She has a special interest in both food allergen introduction in infants and in teens with allergies. Dr O’Reilly is currently undertaking a PhD in teenage allergy.
She is passionate about working with children and families to improve their quality of life and assist them to better understand their condition.
Dr Katharine Foster FRACP, MBBS, B Sc (Adv)
Dr Foster is a Clinical Immunologist and Allergist and will complete dual training in General Medicine shortly. Prior to starting at Compass, Dr Foster completed her advanced training in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Royal Brisbane and Womens’ Hospital, Greenslopes Private Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital. Dr Foster completed her Basic Physician training in Cairns, and graduated from Medicine at The University of Queensland in 2010.
Dr Foster has a keen interest in all areas of Immunology and Allergy. She can perform skin prick testing, intradermal testing and oral challenges for allergic disorders; and immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and asthma. Dr Foster focuses on practicing evidence-based medicine, and has personal experience with severe food allergy, allergic rhinitis, and urticaria. She prioritises educating clients on their condition so that they have the confidence to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Dr Sophie Willcocks BMED DCH FRACP
Paediatric Immunologist and Allergist
Dr Sophie Willcocks is a specialist in Paediatric Immunology and Allergy. Sophie provides care for children of all ages and has expertise in the diagnosis and management of a range of allergic conditions, including food, medication, and insect allergies. She also has an interest in assessing and treating patients with eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and other disorders of the immune system.
Sophie graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine at the University of Newcastle in 2011 and began practicing medicine shortly thereafter. She embarked upon paediatric training in 2014, working at several metropolitan and regional hospitals throughout Queensland. Sophie has since completed subspecialty training in Paediatric Immunology and Allergy at Queensland Children’s Hospital, where she has recently worked at a consultant level. In addition to her fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Sophie is an active member of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.
As a mother herself, Sophie is passionate about supporting patients and their families to navigate the challenges of living with allergic disease. She loves working with children and experiences great joy in seeing her patients grow and develop into healthy, confident, and thriving adolescents and young adults.
Dr Ji Hye Lim MBBS BSc(Med) FRACGP
Dr Ji Hye Lim is a general practitioner with a special interest in allergy. She graduated in Medicine from the University of NSW in 2008 and has had a variety of experiences in both adult and paediatric medicine. She is a fellow of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She is a mother of two children. Dr Lim also speaks Korean fluently.
Dr Luke Droney
Dr Luke Droney completed his medical education at the University of Queensland in 2006 and continued on with basic physician training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. From 2013 to 2017 he completed joint specialty training in Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Immunopathology at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Greenslopes Private Hospital and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Dr Droney is a staff specialist in Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital and Pathology Queensland. He has broad expertise in all areas of immunology, allergy and immunopathology with a special interest in primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.
Dr Krishanthi Ariyawansa MBBS, FRACP
Dr Krishanthi Ariyawansa is an Australian trained paediatrician. She completed her basic and advanced training in paediatrics in both regional and metropolitan hospitals across Queensland including Queensland Children’s Hospital. Dr Ariyawansa graduated in Medicine from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal in 2005. Prior to moving to Australia in 2010 she has worked in India and Sri Lanka. Following completion of general paediatric training Dr Ariyawansa has completed 12 months of allergy and immunology training at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Dr Krishanthi Ariyawansa has many years of experience in paediatrics and provides care to children from neonates to 18 years of age. She has experience in diagnosis and management of children with allergies, autoimmune and immunological conditions. Dr Krishanthi Ariyawansa has special interest in management of food allergies, eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, urticaria and angioedema in paediatric patients.
As a mother of 3 children of her own, Dr Krishanthi understands the challenges of parenthood and passionate about caring for children and families with allergic and immunological conditions to support them through their journey.
Dr Ursula McCrann MBBCh (UK), FRACGP, GradCertAllergicDis
Dr Ursula McCrann is an experienced GP Allergist, managing allergic
conditions in both children and adults. She is a Fellow of the Royal College
of GP (FRACGP), earning the ‘Graduate Certificate in Allergic Diseases’ in
2015 from the University of Western Sydney. Previously she worked in
General Practice in the UK and New Zealand, and is happily settled for the
last 10 years with her family in the Sunshine State.
Dr Kate Bonehill MBBS, BSc, FRACGP, GradCertAllergicDis
Dr Kate Bonehill is an experienced General Practitioner with special interest in allergic medicine. Kate has worked in this field, seeing both children and adults, for the last 9 years.
Kate holds a fellowship from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and a Graduate Certificate in Allergic Diseases from The University of Western Sydney, and is an Associate Member of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology & Allergy.
Kate values effective communication and education and takes a warm, collaborative approach with her patients.
Dr Ravi Widanapathirana MBBS, FRACP – Clinical Immunologist and Allergist
I’m a Queensland trained doctor and immunologist, interested in helping you through your journey of allergy, immunodeficiency and autoimmune disease. I grew up in central and north Queensland, graduating from James Cook University in 2014 awarded with an academic medal. I completed specialist training at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Greenslopes Private Hospital. Outside of work, I go on adventures with my young family, dabble in birdwatching and spend hours at the art galleries.
Your story is the most important thing to me, and I can help you navigate through the complexity of immunological disease. I can see the big picture amongst all the blood tests, previous opinions and things you’ve read about online.
I also offer after hours appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays, helping you find a suitable time in juggling work, school and family commitments.
Dr Michael Lane – Registrar
Dr Michael Lane graduated from the University of Queensland Medical School in 2008. He completed residency at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and several hospitals in the UK National Health Service. Upon returning to Australia, he undertook Physician training and is now in his final year of Advanced Training in both Clinical Immunology/Allergy and Immunopathology.Michael is interested in all aspects of immunology and allergy, but has a particular interest in immunodeficiency, food and venom allergy, drug allergy and desensitisation and autoimmune disease.