EAA Medical Advisory Board
Dr Kate DeAmbrosis
Medicine (Hons), MPH, FACD Specialist Dermatologist
Dr Kate DeAmbrosis completed an undergraduate medical degree at the University of Newcastle in 2003, graduating with Honours. She completed basic surgical training at Princess Alexandra Hospital before embarking on specialist training through the Australasian College of Dermatology. Her training in Dermatology was completed at Princess Alexandra Hospital Brisbane, Mater Adults and Children’s Hospitals South Brisbane, Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney, and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospitals.
Dr DeAmbrosis received the Ken Paver Medal for Clinical Sciences during her dermatology training, and the Merck Sharpe and Dohme award for research.
Her special interests are in skin cancer detection and treatment, acne, psoriasis and eczema as well as paediatric and vulval dermatology.
Emma King
Dermatology Nurse Practitioner, Paediatric Dermatology
Emma has been working as a dermatology nurse practitioner at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne for the past 19 years. She is acknowledged for her experience and expertise in paediatric eczema and dermatology. Emma has strong expertise in children’s eczema management in Melbourne. Emma’s achievements and leadership in the area of nurse-led paediatric dermatology care has been widely recognised, including the Royal Children’s Hospital Mary Patten Award in 2008.
Stan Seeho
BPharm.M.P.S. M.A.C.P.M. P.M
Stanley graduated from the University of Sydney in 1982 and has been a pharmacist since 1983.
Stan has a special interest in Dermatology, Paediatrics, Women’s Health and Pain Management.
Stan is also a world class mountain bike rider.
Dr William Ng
B.Med.Sc. M.B.B.S. Ph.D.
William is a medical doctor working as a research fellow in the Dermatology unit and in the clinical trials unit at Eastern Health, Victoria. He trained at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Canberra Hospital and undertook dermatology research overseas as a recipient of a government research scholarship. He had atopic eczema since childhood and had been a member of the Eczema Association of Australasia Inc as a young adult. He valued the support from the EAA and hopes to be of service to the association and the wider eczema community.
The EAA is extremely grateful for the support, guidance and advice from our Board
Tribute to an EAA founder
Professor Ross Barnetson (10 October 1939 – 1 October 2021)
Professor Ross Barnetson was born in Edinburgh, studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and after graduating joined the regular Army and trained in Tropical Medicine where he worked in Cyprus, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Istrael and the US.
On leaving the army, he returned to Edinburgh and was appointed as a Registrar in Dermatology in the Professorial Unit at the Royal Infirmary.
He then returned to Edinburgh University as a lecturer in Dermatology before becoming the first Chair of Dermatology at Sydney University and founder of the Australasian Society for Dermatology Research, establishing laboratory research in Dermatology in Australia.
During this time as Professor of Dermatology at the University of Sydney, he was also part of the Pacific Islands Project, run by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He was responsible for the Dermatology arm of the project and he visited Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tuvalu, seeing patients with skin diseases, and teaching the local medical and nursing staff. He received a commendation for this from the Australian Government.
During his 18 years as Professor of Dermatology he was co-author of 100 papers, and by the time he retired he had 30 full time research staff working with him.
The Department now has 45 full time research personnel and is well recognized around the world for the importance of its research.
It has published over 400 scientific papers and attracted more than $20 million in grants.
Professor Barnetson was instrumental in helping to set up the EAA as a non-profit support group – always helped out with anything medical, and was able to gain access for the EAA as the first support group to attend the College of Dermatologists annual Scientific Meetings. Now all support groups can attend annually. His wife Ann, a GP who passed away in 2020, was a regular helper at the EAA stand.
RIP with fond remembrance
In Loving Memory
Dean Mascarello (21 March 1991 – 23 July 2023)
My beautiful baby brother. No one had a bigger heart. He cared so much for his family and his friends. Many don’t know he was born with a debilitating case of eczema and from a newborn baby his body was wet bandaged daily. Growing up all I can remember was his skin constantly broken and weeping. But still he was so fun loving, outgoing, free spirited, the life of the party. A smile so bright it could light up the dullest of rooms.
The last 12 years have been torture for him suffering immense pain and discomfort. His smile wasn’t the same until my little Julian came along.
He visited countless dermatologists, doctors, naturopaths, immunologists, treatment in France, in and out of emergency rooms he was constantly told there was nothing else they could do. His nervous system was shot, he had pins and needles, felt like something was crawling under his skin from head to toe. He could never stay on a medication for life and the few that were available left him with a permanent heart condition that would eventually require a pacemaker, constant kidney function testing, anaemia and other long term side effects.
We waited 6 years for an injection to become available from the US for it not to work while he stayed bedridden. You see, eczema for him wasn’t just a dry patch in the crevice of your skin during winter. It was all over. Eczema contributed to an overactive autoimmune disorder where his body constantly attacked itself. Unfortunately there was nothing and no one that could help him. Amidst all this, he persevered and stayed this long for us… because he loved us so much. He was the strongest person I knew.
My Mum and Dad loved him so much trying every avenue, researching and loving him amidst all of this something no parent should experience. They did absolutely everything to support him and are so positive in remembering all their beautiful moments together. Their love amazes me.
I don’t want my brother’s legacy to be for nothing. Australia has one of the highest incidences of eczema in the world. Please get behind this cause and donate for him.
Don’t ever judge a person, their life, their choices, their mental state because you have absolutely no idea what their battles are in life. Be kind. Be loving. Be patient. I love you my darling brother so so much. Be free with God. You’re finally in peace. Watch over your biggest love of all, Julian. He loves his Zio so much. Your loving sister, Michelle.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to:
https://www.eczema.org.au/product/donate/
The EAA received $5,000.00 in donations in loving memory of Dean.
We thank everyone for their kind donations and our hearts and best wishes go out to Dean’s family in their time of loss.
