At Asquith Doctors, we ensure our staff are passionate about providing our health services and an incredible experience for our patients here at Asquith Doctors.
Dr. Mehdi Samari
General Practitioner
Dr Samari is a Fellow of Royal Australasian Collage of General Practitioners.
He initially trained in surgery and emergency medicine before specialising in General Practice.
He started his surgical training at Westmead Hospital than proceeded to St George and Sutherland Hospitals.
He has over 15 years experience in General Medical Practice.
Dr Samari has special interests in chronic disease management, skin cancer, minor surgery, aged care and mental health.
Dr. Ronak Khabaz
General Practitioner
Dr Khabaz initially trained in surgery and emergency medicine before specialising in paediatrics.
She worked as a consultant paediatrician in Dubai for 3 years.
She migrated to Australia in 2009 and worked as a paediatrics registrar at Mater Hospital.
She then decided to change her career to general practice due to her passion for holistic care and her own family circumstances.
Dr Khabaz has special interests in paediatrics, mental health, women’s health and aged care.
Dr. Gayani Jayasinghe
General Practitioner
Dr Jayasinghe is a Fellow of Royal Australasian Collage of General Practitioners.
In addition she holds a Diploma in Child Health and a Certificate in Primary care Skin Cancer Medicine.
She has special interests in paediatrics, preventative health, women’s health and skin cancer prevention and treatment.
Dr. Johanna Turner
General Practitioner
Johanna graduated from the Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry in 2011, having studied at both the University of Exeter and Plymouth. She continued her junior training in leafy Devon before going on to qualify as a GP.
Johanna is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and has experience working in a number of GP practices across the UK.
Her role has allowed Johanna to deliver high standards of healthcare to a broad spectrum of communities living in Britain, with very different needs.
Johanna has an interest in Women’s Health, gynaecology, sexual health and contraception, and has experience working in both obstetrics & gynaecology hospital departments, as well as sexual health & contraception community clinics. She completed a clinical fellowship in Integrated Sexual Healthcare in 2017 and is a qualified IUD and contraceptive implant fitter.
Johanna also has an interest in medical teaching and gained a medical education diploma from Keele University in 2017.
Outside of medicine Johanna enjoys walking her dog Hector, cooking for family & friends and spending time by the sea.
Dr. Saima Lohdi
General Practitioner
Dr. Saima Lohdi’s bio coming soon.
Sameera Athapattu
General Practitioner
Sameera is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Starting his general practice career in Sri Lanka, Sameera was exposed to diverse patient populations and a variety of complex medical presentations. During this time, he was awarded the prestigious Gold medal for the Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine and the Silver medal for the Best Post Graduate Trainee from the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo.
On arrival in Australia, he began his medical career in Emergency Medicine before continuing with his passion for the General Practice speciality.
To further his interest in paediatric medicine, Sameera obtained a Diploma in Children’s Health from the University of Sydney in 2015. He has also completed Professional Certificates of Skin Cancer Medicine and Aesthetic Medicine.
Sameera enjoys all aspects of general practice with a particular interest in chronic diseases, men’s health, children’s health, sexual health, preventive health, skin health and mental health.
He is a strong believer in continuous professional development to be able to provide the most current and best practice for his patients.
Dr. Ali Shirzad
General Practitioner
Dr Ali has graduated from Medical School in 2008. Since then he worked in various different areas including Emergency and Day clinics. He has also held a role as a research assistant.
Dr Ali’s fields of interest include skin care including skin cancer (early detection and biopsy), paediatrics and gastroenterology.
Ali Asghari
Psychologist
Ali Asghari has been working in the field of Clinical Psychology for more than 30 years as a clinician, researcher and educator in both Iran and Australia. He graduated from the School of Medicine, University of Tehran-Iran in Clinical Psychology in 1981. He obtained his Ph.D degree from
University of New South Wales in 1996. He is a registered psychologist both in Iran and in Australia.
Ali has 30 years of experience working with Iranian patients experiencing anxiety, depression, and marital conflicts. He has also treated patients suffering from chronic pain, using cognitive- behavioural therapy (a psychotherapy method helping people to change their problematic behaviours,
unhelpful thoughts and beliefs and disturbing emotions and feelings). He also practices Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) (where patients learn acceptance and mindfulness strategies to further bring positive change to behaviours). Ali has authored a number of books with particular
focus on assessment and management of chronic pain.
Along with chronic pain management, Ali has particular interest and expertise in the treatment of patients with a multicultural backgrounds.
Alex Fielding
Physiotherapist / Chiropractor
Alex has spent over 8 years of university training to be one of the few dual qualified Physiotherapists and Chiropractors in Australia. Currently Alex is the Physiotherapist for NSW Hockey’s U/18 Blues men’s team and head physiotherapist for NSW Lacrosse. He has also worked with various other sporting clubs and teams including most recently the Canberra Raiders in 2018 pre-season.
Alex takes an evidence based holistic approach to patient care incorporating the latest research to ensure his patients received the highest quality of care available.
Alex now consults at Asquith Doctors on Mondays and Thursdays, providing his Physiotherapy and Chiropractic services to the Asquith, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Berowra Heights, Cowan, Waitara, Wahroonga, and Warrawee communities.
Adam Van Der Wielen
Physiotherapist
Adam has spent 6 years undertaking university training in Exercise and Sport Science as well as Physiotherapy and has developed a keen interest in patients who suffer from musculoskeletal pain and sporting injuries.
Adam has been developing his acute and end stage rehabilitation skills in the last year working with professional and semi-professional athletes. This has been part of his work with the NRL high performance team as well as part of a high performance and rehabilitation team under The GWS Giants athletic performance physiotherapist.
Adam has a keen interest in the assessment and treatment of sports and work-related injuries, and more specifically, those to the shoulder, knee, back and tendons throughout the body. He understands that different people have different goals and finds that communication and joint decision making is key to achieving these goals.
Adam now consults at Asquith Doctors on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, providing his Physiotherapy services to the Asquith, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Berowra Heights, Cowan, Waitara, Wahroonga, and Warrawee communities.
James Ritchie
Physiotherapist
James has 6 years of university training in Physiotherapy and Exercise & Health Science. He believes in a holistic, evidence based approach as a clinician, with a special interest in sports and workplace injuries especially the ankle, knee, lower back and shoulder.
James has worked in multiple settings as a sports trainer, personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and in the aged care sector which has provided him with the experience to manage a wide range of clinic presentations.
He has experience with multiple sporting teams including Canberra Raiders, Macquarie University Sevens Rugby, Warringah Rats and lately Redfield College Rugby Club.
James believes in an active, healthy lifestyle and likes to incorporate this into his sessions. James used to be a competitive Cricket and Rugby Union player and now enjoys some social touch football, golf and getting outdoors either bush walking, scuba or free diving.
James now consults at Asquith Doctors on Mondays, providing his Physiotherapy services to the Asquith, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Berowra Heights, Cowan, Waitara, Wahroonga, and Warrawee communities.
Ellie Raeissi
Chiropractor
Ellie originally trained as a Physiotherapist at the University of Welfare and Rehabilitation in Iran. Since moving to Australia, she has recently completed her training as a Chiropractor from Macquarie University, and is now studying hard to pass her board exams and have her Physiotherapy qualifications recognised.
Ellie has a special interest in managing spinal conditions affecting the neck and back, knee injuries, and the full rehabilitation these conditions require to help people reach their health goals and stay active.
Ellie now consults at Asquith Doctors on Mondays, offering her Chiropractic services to the Asquith, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Berowra Heights, Cowan, Waitara, Wahroonga, and Warrawee communities and surrounds.
Jennifer Bennett
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
Jennifer completed her Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Sydney and since graduating, has worked in numerous private practice settings helping people with chronic musculoskeletal conditions, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiometabolic conditions.
Being a soccer player, she has a special interest in working with athletes at all levels with their rehabilitation from injury, as well as strengthening and conditioning to make sure they are performing at their best
Jennifer now consults at Asquith Doctors on Wednesdays, providing her Exercise Physiology services to the Asquith, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Berowra Heights, Cowan, Waitara, Wahroonga, and Warrawee communities.
Hollie James
Dietitian
Hollie is a warm and friendly Accredited Practising Dietitian. Her goal is to empower clients to understand their own health and be resilient to misinformation. She supports her clients by providing the skills and knowledge to make realistic, sustainable changes. She appreciates how personal diet is and having a positive relationship with food, so encourages finding individualised balance.
Hollie enjoys working with individuals to improve their health, particularly those managing chronic conditions. Her areas of interest include metabolic health (including diabetes, PCOS), digestive conditions (including IBS, IBD, coeliac disease), weight
management, cardiovascular conditions (including hypertension, high cholesterol) and general healthy eating.
In her spare time, you will find her trying new recipes, spending time with her partner and dog, or scuba diving.
Hollie now consults at Asquith Doctors on Thursdays, providing her Dietitian services to the Asquith, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Berowra Heights, Cowan, Waitara, Wahroonga, and Warrawee communities.
Nicole Cameron
Dietitian
Nicole is a Sydney based Accredited Practising Dietitian, who is passionate about working with individuals to see the importance of nutrition and helping them optimise their health and well-being through the power of food.
Nicole is passionate about the role nutrition plays in chronic conditions. Her areas of interest include gut health (including IBS management), weight management, PCOS, diabetes, mental health and general healthy eating. Nicole has also had experience in childhood and adolescence nutrition, working with Go4Fun and educating children and their families about Healthy Eating.
In her spare time, you will find her in the kitchen creating delicious recipes, enjoying a good book or upside-down teaching and training as an aerial circus performer.