Dr Robert Hungerford

General Practitioner

Rob commenced a Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of Sydney in 2003 before transferring to the University of Newcastle where he completed his Bachelor of Medicine and was awarded the Steele Douglas Prize in Pathology.

His residency years were spent in the Hunter region where he received additional training in ENT, emergency medicine, psychiatry and paediatrics. In 2011 he joined the RACGP training program and upon fellowship he was awarded the Tony Buhagair Memorial Medal for his performance in the RACGP examinations.

He continues to work in the Hunter as a GP Supervisor in a large teaching practice and has a special interest in diabetes and cardiology.

Other areas of interest include travel medicine, skin cancer and sports medicine; having worked alongside the West Indian and Sri Lankan cricket teams during prior tours of Australia.

Dr Judy Luu

Endocrinologist

Dr Luu is an endocrinologist who has been working in the Newcastle Region for over 10 years. She graduated from The University of Sydney in 2000 and obtained her fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2010 with dual specialisation in endocrinology and general medicine. She has been a staff specialist at John Hunter Hospital since 2010 and has been the Clinical Lead for the Diabetes Stream of Hunter New England Local Health District since 2016.
She is a member of the Endocrine Society of Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society, Endocrine Society (USA), Australian and New Zealand Bone Mineral Society, Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand and Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society.

Her areas of interest include diabetes, metabolic bone disorders, transgender health and general endocrinology.

Annabel Thurlow

Diabetes Nurse Practitioner

Annabel has been working in the field of Diabetes education and management for the past 32 years.

Annabel graduated from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1980 as a registered nurse and later completed a post graduate degree in Diabetes Education and management from Deakin University (Victoria). In 2009, Annabel graduated from Newcastle University with a Master of Nursing and later became endorsed as a Diabetes Nurse Practitioner. Annabel is a credentialled diabetes educator and a certified insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring trainer.

In 2015, Annabel and her partner formed Action Allied Healthcare Pty Ltd, an organisation focused entirely on innovative and complete management of diabetes. Trading as Action Diabetes, the service provides industry and patient training programs and a very successful insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring service. An area of special interest for Annabel is insulin initiation and stabilisation and insulin pump therapy.

Action Diabetes currently runs clinics in 19 different locations throughout Port Stephens, Newcastle, Central Coast, North Coast and the Upper Hunter regions.

Professor Roger Chen

Endocrinologist

Professor Roger Chen is a Senior Staff Specialist in Endocrinology at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney and Visiting Scientist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. His clinical interests are in general endocrinology including diabetes and thyroid disease. His research interests are in diabetes co-morbidities such as mental illness and cognitive impairment.

He is active in post postgraduate and undergraduate medical education and coordinates the endocrinology unit of the Masters of Internal Medicine for the University of Sydney and for the Rebecca Cooper Research Foundation. He is Conjoint Professor, St Vincent’s Clinical School at the University of New South Wales.

Dr Chee Khoo

General Practitioner

Dr Chee L Khoo (M.B.,B.S. Hons.) graduated from Sydney University in 1996 with Honours. After graduation, he served in Liverpool, Fairfield and Bankstown Hospitals, gaining experience in internal medicine, orthopaedics and paediatrics. He was an orthopaedic and general surgical trainee at the National University Hospital, Singapore between 1988-1989 before returning to Australia. He further served in the Emergency Department of Liverpool Hospital between 1990-1995.

Dr Khoo has been serving the residents of Southwest Sydney as a GP since 1990. He has a strong passion for diabetes and related metabolic conditions over the last 20 years. He is active in local, state and national medical organisations. He frequently travels within the state and nationally lecturing and networking with other experts in the diabetes field.

He holds the following positions:
• Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolism Translational Research Unit (DOMTRU) – Co-Chair, Education Working Group
• RACGP Diabetes Specific Interest Group – Member
• South West Sydney Healthpathways – GP Clinical Lead
• National Association of Diabetes Centre (NADC) – Member, Foot Network
• University of NSW and Western Sydney University – Conjoint Lecturer
• GPVoice.com.au – Editor-in-Chief

Irene Kopp

Diabetes Nurse Practitioner

Irene is a Diabetes Nurse Practitioner at the Nepean Diabetes Service, she has been a Credentialled Diabetes Educator since 2004 and an Endorsed Nurse Practitioner since 2011. Irene coordinates the diabetes-inpatient-service where she provides comprehensive assessments and management of inpatients and outpatients and offers clinical leadership and support to nursing, medical and allied health staff to the hospitals and community health services in the NBMLHD. She reviews new procedures and technology in relation to best diabetes practice implementing state-of-the-art equipment to our hospitals.

Irene lectures at the University of Sydney and UTS in both undergraduate and post graduate courses for medical and nursing students. She was the course coordinator at UTS for the Master of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner and The Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Management 2012-2014.

In her role as co-chair of the ACI Diabetes and Endocrine Network, Irene has been involved in the implementation of many diabetes initiatives in our public hospitals and community settings and has served on multiple organising committees.

Dr Ted Wu

Endocrinologist

Dr Ted Wu is a senior specialist endocrinologist, the Director of the Diabetes Centre and Director of Physician Training at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. As well as clinical diabetes, he has had a long-term interest in both teaching and research.

Within the Diabetes Centre at the RPA Hospital, Dr Wu has formulated and delivered novel educational programs in clinical diabetes since 1998. These have included CD-ROM based, internet, radio, teleconference, social media, international preceptorships and interactive webinar initiatives. He has also been instrumental in establishing the RPA Diabetes Centre as an “International Diabetes Federation Centre of Education” and NADC Centre of Excellence. Outside of diabetes, he has also been responsible for overseeing the post-graduate education of junior medical officers in the RPA network of hospitals across the state of NSW since 2002, and helped to codify the standards of junior doctor education across the state of NSW.