Our Team
Peter Browett
Clinical Director
Peter is a consultant haematologist at Auckland City Hospital and Professor of Pathology in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. He is a graduate of the University of Otago Medical School, and after postgraduate training in clinical and laboratory haematology in Auckland, he was a Wellcome – HRC research fellow in the Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London. Peter is involved in several co-operative group and investigator initiated studies in blood disorders and stem cell transplantation. He is co-director of the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Research Unit, with interests in blood cancer genomics, biomarkers in leukaemia, and the monitoring of measurable residual disease. Peter is Clinical director of the Auckland Regional Biobank, and Grafton Clinical Genomics.
Cris Print
Chair Scientific Advisory Board
Cris graduated in Medicine in 1989 then completed PhD in the University of Auckland. After a four-year postdoctoral fellowship in Melbourne, Cris spent six years in Cambridge University, UK, where he was a Fellow of St Edmunds College. While there he co-founded a bioinformatics biotechnology company that became listed on the Tokyo stock exchange in 2007. He leads a cross-disciplinary research team of clinicians, biologists and data scientists who use genomics bioinformatics to better understand human disease, especially cancer. Cris sits on the Board of Directors of the NZ Institute of Environmental Science and Research and is Vice President of the Auckland Branch of the Royal Society of NZ. He leads the Genomics Into Medicine Strategic Research Initiative in Auckland and Chairs the Auckland Regional Biobank Scientific Advisory Board.
Nancy Ajay
Biobank Senior Technician
Nancy holds Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology and has specialization in Clinical Microbiology. She has more than 8 years of experience in Research and Diagnostic Laboratories in India as well as Dubai. In New Zealand, she has worked as a Scientist and Laboratory Supervisor in the areas of Analytical Chemistry and Functional Medicine. Nancy has special interest in Holistic medicine and Clinical Microbiology.
Anona Pak
Biobank Technician
Anona holds Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science specialising in Clinical Microbiology and Clinical Diagnostic Genetics. Anona has experience in working in New Zealand Diagnostic Laboratories as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in the areas of Human Genetics particularly in Molecular Haematology. As a biobank technician, Anona’s daily operations includes administrative work, and the collection and processing of samples.
Anona also provides technical support for Molecular Haematology laboratory in Diagnostic Genetics at LabPlus.
Bernice Sanchez
Biobank Technician
Bernice holds a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science from the Philippines. Prior to New Zealand, she has gained more than 5 years of practice in a diagnostic laboratory as a licensed medical technologist and has worked in many clinical studies/researches and clinical vaccine trials. She has worked in a research facility (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) of the Philippine government’s Department of Health in handling COVID-19 during the global pandemic under Department of Virology. As a Biobank technician, she does administrative works, collection and processing of samples, storage and monitoring of samples in the ARB. She aims to further enhance her skills and knowledge in clinical research/trials and in clinical laboratory.
Bhavisha Solanki
Biobank Technician
Bhavisha holds a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science specialising in Clinical Diagnostic Genetics, Transfusion Science and Clinical Chemistry. She has experience of working in both generalised and highly specialized New Zealand Diagnostic laboratories. Bhavisha has experience across blood banking, haematology, microbiology, basic chemistry, specialized chemistry processes like various forms of chromatography. As a biobank technician, her daily operations include the collection and processing of samples, administrative work and other tasks that allow the smooth operation of the team.