Essentials of cardiac genetics & Working Group AGM
Tracks
Rongomātāne Room C
| Thursday, June 11, 2026 |
| 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Rongomātāne Room C |
Speaker
Dr Geoffrey Clare
Cardiologist
Christchurch Hospital
Essentials of Long QT Syndrome
3:30 PM - 3:45 PMBiography
Geoff Clare is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at Christchurch Hospital. His clinical practice encompasses a wide spectrum of ablation and cardiac device implantation procedures, as well as being the local lead for cardiac inherited arrhythmia conditions. He is serving as the current Heart Rhythm NZ chairperson.
Dr Andrew Martin
Cardiologist
Auckland City Hospital
Essentials of Other Channelopathies
3:45 PM - 4:00 PMBiography
Dr Andrew Martin is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist based in Auckland, New Zealand. He is the lead of the Heart Rhythm Service at Auckland City Hospital, with a practice focused on complex arrhythmias, catheter ablation, device therapy, and cardiac genetics.
Ms Alice Christian
Genetic Counsellor
Genetic Health Service New Zealand
Essentials of Family Histories
4:00 PM - 4:15 PMBiography
Alice Christian is a registered genetic counsellor and team leader with Genetic Health Service New Zealand (GHSNZ), and co‑director of a small private genetic practice. As the first genetic counsellor to train in New Zealand, she has been privileged to contribute to the early introduction of cardiac genetics into clinical care. This began in the late 1990s, supporting one of the first pilot projects offering genetic testing to families affected by Long QT syndrome.
For the past 14 years, Alice has worked closely with the Cardiac Inherited Disease Group (CIDG) through nurse‑ and associate‑led cardiac genetic clinics at Wellington Hospital. Working in this rapidly evolving field, she particularly values the opportunity to re‑engage with families first seen decades ago, providing updated genetic insights and management options that can be life‑saving.
Dr Matthew O'Connor
Electrophysiologist
Auckland City Hospital
Essentials of Arrhythmic Cardiomyopathy
4:15 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Dr Miriam Wheeler
Cardiologist
Health New Zealand Te Toka Tumai
Essentials of Dilated Cardiomyopathy
4:30 PM - 4:45 PMBiography
Miriam is a cardiologist at Te Toka Tumai Auckland, specialising in echocardiography and involved in the Cardiac Inherited Diseases Service.
All Speakers
Q&A / Discussion
4:45 PM - 5:00 PMBiography
Discussion
Working Group AGM discussion: mainstreaming genetic testing in NZ
5:00 PM - 5:30 PMBiography
Dr Alyssa Kirby
Cardiologist
Health New Zealand Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley
Chair
Biography
Mr Tom Donoghue
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Health New Zealand Capital, Coast, & Hutt Valley
Chair
Biography