Dr Belinda Barton, Head of CHERI (Clinical and Admin)
Dr Barton was appointed Head of CHERI in January, 2005, and is a registered psychologist. Belinda's long standing commitment and involvement with CHERI is reflected in the various appointments she has held since CHERI commenced in 1996, from Coordinator and Research Associate to Acting Director between February, 2003 and December, 2004. She has also had an ongoing involvement with CHERI's clinics since their inception in 1997.

Belinda completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours Psychology) at the University of Sydney in 1992. In 2000, Belinda was awarded a full-time doctoral scholarship with the Neurogenetics Research Unit, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, to examine the cognitive and psychosocial profile of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and was awarded her Doctorate in Philosophy in 2004.

Her interests include the psychosocial aspects and adjustment of children with chronic and genetic conditions, learning problems, social skills, self-concept, NF1, and velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS). She also has a strong statistical background and completed a book in 2005, titled "Medical statistics: A guide to data analysis and critical appraisal".

Professor Max Coltheart,
Academic Director and James Packer Chair of Educational Research
Professor Coltheart, (DSc FASSA FAA FBA), was appointed in October, 2004, as Academic Director and James Packer Chair of Educational Research, CHERI. Professor Coltheart is also an ARC Federation Fellow, Professor of Psychology and Scientific Director of the Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science at Macquarie University.

He has published and authored numerous articles, chapters and books on subjects including: cognitive psychology, dyslexia, language processing, cognitive neuropsychology and reading success and/or failure. Professor Coltheart is on the editorial board of numerous psychological journals that focus on cognitive science, psychology, learning, memory, and neuropsychology.

Current research interests for Professor Coltheart are: cognitive neuropsychology (particularly acquired and developmental disorders of language and of semantic memory); cognitive neuropsychiatry (particularly in relation to delusional belief) and cognitive science (particularly computational modelling of cognitive processes).

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Professor Kathryn North, Honorary Neurogeneticist, CHERI
Professor North is Douglas Burrows Professor, Associate Dean and Head Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney; and also Head, Neurogenetics Research Unit, and Deputy Head, Institute for Neuromuscular Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

She is engaged in both clinical and laboratory research, and established the Neurogenetics Research Unit in 1996. Professor North has extensive medical and clinical experience with children with neurogenetic disorders and runs the Neurogenetics Clinic, which caters for over 1000 families with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), as well as patients with other neurogenetic disorders. She was the first recipient of the Research Career Development Award, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in 1995, and previously worked as a Fellow in the Harvard University Genetics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital.

Professor North and her team have collaborated with CHERI to determine the incidence of specific learning disabilities in children and adolescents with NF1 since 1996. To recognise this important collaborative relationship between CHERI and the Neurogenetics Research Unit, Professor North was appointed as Honorary Neurogeneticist in 2000. CHERI and the Neurogenetics Research Unit continue to work closely and jointly run the Learning Disorders Clinic for children and adolescents with NF1.

Dr Paul Hutchins, Honorary Senior Paediatric Consultant, CHERI
Dr Hutchins is also Head of the Child Development Unit, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. At the end of his training in the United Kingdom he established an exchange with The Children’s Hospital, and returned in 1982 to work in the Child Development Unit. He worked for several years in child protection, in newborn follow up and head injury, as a paediatrician to a special school for physical disability and coordinates a program for children receiving ventilator support at home.

He represented The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in the advocacy and collaboration which established CHERI and, as part of the Children’s Assessment Centre, in the move to the new hospital, promoted its concepts, activities and resources. He participates in the activities of CHERI as part of his vigorous collaboration with educators, parents and health professionals in patient management and teaching.

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Dr Richard Webster, Research Neurologist
Dr Webster is a paediatric neurologist with an interest in the biological causes of paediatric language disorders. He completed his medical training in 1986, and spent a short period of time in general practise before undertaking further training in paediatrics at Sydney Children's Hospital. He completed his paediatric training in 1998, and then trained in paediatric neurology at both Sydney Children's Hospital and The Children's Hospital at Westmead. He completed his training in paediatric neurology in September 2001, and was awarded his MSc in October 2003.

Richard joined CHERI in 2004, and has a joint appointment with the Paediatric Department of The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney.

Richard became interested in the biological basis of paediatric language disorders after studying a group of children with acquired language impairment and epilepsy (acquired epileptic aphasia, Landau-Kleffner syndrome). After completing his neurology training he undertook research at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (Dr Michael Shevell) and the Montreal Neurological Institute (Professor Alan Evans) investigating the developmental and functional outcomes associated with a pre-school diagnosis of developmental language impairment. Richard is interested in the use of techniques developed at the Montreal Neurological Institute for the computerised analysis of magnetic resonance images (Voxel base morphometry, automated cortical thickness estimation) to investigate the biological basis of paediatric language and cognitive disorders. Richard is particularly interested in the impact of neurological disease on a child’s language development.

Mrs Susie Edmonds, Education Program Coordinator, Back on Track

Mrs Valerie De Fina , Education Program Coordinator, Back on Track

Mrs Katrina Sheraton-Yu , Education Program Coordinator, Back on Track

The Back on Track team at The Children's Hospital at Westmead consists of three Education Program Coordinators who are responsible for implementing the program in New South Wales. 

The program coordinators, Valerie De Fina, Susie Edmonds and Katrina Sheraton-Yu, have broad ranging experience in educational context from primary to high school and beyond.  Their collective experience includes classroom teaching in a number of subject areas; coordination, administrative and executive roles across a number of school systems.  Their experience and expertise enables them to understand the range of educational and social needs that students who are undergoing treatment for cancer may experience. 

The Back on Track program coordinators adopt a collaborative approach that includes the student and their family, their school and other health care providers.  Program coordinators aim to create a bridge that supports students during this difficult time when they may otherwise become disconnected from their school and peers.

The Back on Track program coordinators empower the student's teachers by working with them to identify and implement strategies that help them support their students.  This is an ongoing process that continues until the student is able to resume regular schooling.

Mrs Kirrilly Garvey , Administration Manager

Kirrilly Garvey has has significant and extensive Administration experience, mostly in the medical field .  Her experience has ranged from workers compensation rehabilitation, medical secretary and coordinator of GP training.  She has gained skills in administration, bookkeeping, design, photography, event management, training, IT and budgeting.  She joined CHERI as the Administration Manager in March 2007 with an interest in medical research.