Pathologically Speaking

A forensic mortuary technician's perspective - meet Abby-Lee Honeysett

Forensic Mortuary Technician Abby‑Lee Honeysett takes you inside NSW Health Pathology's state-of-the-art Forensic Medicine facility at Lidcombe. She explains the day-to-day work of a forensic mortuary technician and how they support the work of Forensic Pathologists. Abby-Lee also talks about how she and a colleague have started a special service creating precious keepsakes for families grieving the loss of a child.She reflects on her own family’s experience with the NSW coronial system and how it inspired her to pursue a career in this field.A proud Wiradjuri woman, Abby‑Lee shares her journey of reconnecting with her Indigenous heritage and how a love of painting helps her to process the trauma she encounters at work and sustain compassion in the face of loss.
⚠️CONTENT WARNING: this episode includes discussion of autopsy procedures and issues surrounding stillbirth.

Caring for community with Forbes lab manager Robyn Seberry

In this episode of Pathologically Speaking, we sit down with Robyn Seberry, the long-serving lab manager and supervising scientist at NSW Health Pathology’s Forbes Laboratory.
Robyn talks about her passion for pathology and the joy of living and working in a close-knit regional community. She shares the variety that comes with her role, from working in the lab, seeing patients face-to-face in the pathology collections service, collaborating closely with the local health district and getting the best out of her “small but mighty” team of staff.
Robyn also reflects on some of the lab’s toughest moments, including the 2022 Central West floods, when the Forbes lab pulled together to keep vital testing services running safely and reliably, even as river levels rose and roads became inaccessible.

Forty years of leadership and service in the New England - Neil Horton

For four decades Neil Horton has been a driving force behind the quality of NSW Health Pathology laboratories across the New England region and beyond. A respected leader and mentor, Neil has dedicated his career to strengthening pathology services and supporting the people who deliver them.
In this episode, Neil reflects on what great leadership really looks like, how he brings out the best in his teams, and why embracing change has been essential to navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving profession. He also shares how his lifelong love of theatre has kept him deeply connected to the community he calls home.
A career that has helped shape pathology in regional NSW.

Supporting families through the coronial process with Danny Nugus

Meet Danny Nugus, Senior Forensic Medicine Social Worker here at NSW Health Pathology, based in Newcastle. Our team of specialist social workers provide a crucial service right across New South Wales when a death has been reported to the coroner. Danny and his colleagues support families navigating a sudden or unexplained death. They assist families in the early hours, days and weeks of their grief through the coroner’s and forensic medicine processes, providing information, advocacy and choice, and offering emotional and practical support and guidance, including the facilitation of viewings and identifications. 
Danny discusses how he helps families through the toughest of times, shares some of his hardest moments, and describes how providing culturally sensitive care can help with the grieving process.

The extraordinary life of regional pathologist Dr Wieslawa Wielebinski

Dr Wieslawa Wielebinski is NSW Health Pathology’s Local Pathology Director for Western NSW and Far West Local Health Districts. It’s a role that spans some of the most remote and geographically vast regions in the state, taking in Broken Hill, Dubbo, Orange, Cowra, Forbes, Mudgee, Walgett, Bathurst and Bourke.
But her story begins far from rural Australia. In this interview, Wiesia reflects on her childhood in Poland and the profound impact of growing up during the early years of WWII before her family emigrated to Australia, building a new life in regional Tasmania. She describes moving away to study medicine in Queensland and later in the UK, eventually settling in regional New South Wales with her own family.
A highly skilled generalist pathologist with more than 40 years of experience across public and private practice, Wiesia shares some of the challenges and rewards of delivering pathology services in regional NSW. She also explains why pathologists are essential to the health and sustainability of regional communities.

The future of pharmacogenomics with Professor Ron Trent

Pharmacogenomics is transforming the way we think about medicine. It explores how a person's genetic makeup affects the way their body responds to certain drugs, whether they will benefit from a treatment, experience side effects, or gain no benefit at all.
In this episode, we sit down with Professor Ron Trent, NSWHP’s Clinical Director at the Department of Medical Genomics at RPA to find out how this field of medicine is shaping personalised healthcare.
Ron shares stories from his remarkable career, from studying the ‘new genetics’ at Oxford in the early 1980s, to his work on the Human Genome Project. A fascinating discussion about how your genes can hold the key to safer, more effective treatments. 

The science behind bedbugs, ticks, maggots and more with Stephen Doggett

Bedbugs, ticks, maggots and mozzies. Sounds like the holiday from hell, right? Not for Stephen Doggett. The medical entomologist based at NSW Health Pathology’s Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead spends every working day with these tiny creatures and loves his work. In this episode, Stephen explains why bedbugs are making a comeback worldwide, what really happens when a tick bites, how maggots can help heal the most stubborn wounds and even how to appreciate the unexpected beauty of mosquitoes.

Fast testing for urgent care with Gayle Warnock

Meet Gayle Warnock – NSW Health Pathology’s Associate Director for Point of Care Testing.
As one of the largest providers in Australia, NSW Health Pathology has more than 850 Point of Care Testing devices in use at rural, regional and metropolitan hospitals around the state. Gayle talks about how this incredible technology is being used to help deliver pathology services 24/7 even when there’s no local laboratory, and to improve workflows and deliver instant results when an urgent diagnosis is needed, such as suspected heart attack and sepsis.
Gayle discusses her science journey, which began in rice genetics and has culminated in providing the best of care for patients, no matter where they live.

From regional roots to science at Oxford - Daniel Arnold

Meet Daniel Arnold, an early career scientist who has gone from collecting pathology samples at our Wagga Wagga laboratory to researching virology and pandemic preparedness at Oxford University in the UK. We chat with Daniel about growing up in regional NSW, studying at a local university during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking his studies overseas and eventually landing a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship worth $270,000 to study at Oxford. He discusses his plans to study bird flu and other emerging viral threats and his ambition to start his own research lab here in Australia. An inspiring conversation that proves big dreams can start in small towns.

Fascinating fungi - Dr Catriona Halliday

In this episode, NSW Health Pathology mycologist Dr Catriona Halliday shares her insights into the fascinating and sometimes dangerous world of fungi. From life-saving antibiotics to life-threatening infections, fungi play a complex role in human health.
Dr Halliday discusses emerging fungal threats like Candida auris, the challenges of diagnosing fungal infections, and why immunocompromised patients are particularly vulnerable.
With decades of experience in medical mycology, she offers a compelling look at how these often-overlooked organisms are becoming increasingly relevant in clinical settings.