Derek is a Kiwi-born Taiwanese New Zealander who grew up in Hong Kong.  He has extensive experience in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Interventional Endoscopy, and works in Counties Manukau DHB as a Specialist.

He has a passion to help people and has established the company’s vision statement to be a social enterprise that provides multi-specialty and multi-cultural service to help all people. The aim of this is to help people in need and to equip them with the skills they need so they can be resourced to better their lives without relying on exterior funding. This has led to the establishment of the Miracle Tree charity which aims to help New Zealanders in several areas:

• Poverty – funding of projects using Greenlane Medical Specialists as a social enterprise
• Psycho-Social
• Health Promotion and education

Since returning to New Zealand in 2010 he has established himself in several areas to achieve this.

• Health Promotion
  • The Chinese Health Awareness Initiative New Zealand (CHAINZ) – co-founder, website with health resources in Chinese
  • The Auckland Chinese Medical Association (ACMA) – Community health initiatives
  • World Television – Health talks
  • Various Community Health Talks

• Medical Education
  • ACMA CME Co-ordinator
  • Deputy Chair, Specialist Training Committee Gastroenterology, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
  • Regular speaker at the Annual Rotorua GP Conference
  • Established Greenlane Medical Specialists, GP Peer Group CME Program, Annual Education Symposium

Areas of expertise:

• Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy (gastroscopy and colonoscopy)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and crohn’s disease)
• Coeliac disease
• Liver disease (Hepatitis B, C, Autoimmune)
• Functional bowel disease (functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome)
• Chronic diarrhoea
• Anaemia and GI bleeding (pillcam)
• Dyspepsia and reflux (pH and manometry)
• Hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease (ERCP and EUS)

Qualifications:

• MBChB (Otago) 1999, FRACP 2007

Current employment:

• Consultant Gastroenterologist, Middlemore Hospital 2010
• Deputy Head of Department, Gastroenterology, Middlemore Hospital 2019
• Transition IBD Clinic lead, 2015
• Training Lead, Endoscopy Users Group, Middlemore Hospital 2014-2016
• Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer University of Auckland 2010-2016

Additional language skills:

• Mandarin and Cantonese

Training:

• Undergraduate: Otago Medical School, University of Otago 1994-1999
• Basic and advanced training: Auckland region, Gastroenterology and General Medicine 2000-207
• Post Fellowship Training: Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy, Institute of Digestive Disease, Chinese University of Hong Kong 2008-2010

Committees:

• General Committee Member, Auckland Chinese Medical Association 2018-2019
• Immediate Past President, Auckland Chinese Medical Association 2017
• President, Auckland Chinese Medical Association 2015-2016
• Vice President Auckland Chinese Medical Association 2013-2014
• CME co-ordinator, Auckland Chinese Medical Association 2013 - current
• General Committee member, Auckland Chinese Medical Association 2011-2013
• Co-founder CHAINZ (Chinese Health Awareness Initiative New Zealand) 2014
• Pan-Asian Health Interest Group, Counties Manukau Health 2015
• Gastroenterology Specialist Advisory, Deputy Chair, Royal Australasian College of Physicians 2015 -
• Regional Upper GI Cancer Tumour Stream Member 2015

Memberships:

• New Zealand Society of Gastroenterologists
• American Gastroenterological Association
• European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation
• American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• Auckland Chinese Medical Association