Our Team

Our Doctors

Professor Robert Whitbourn

The team at Werribee Heart is led by Professor Robert Whitbourn, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at St Vincent’s Hospital and Director of Cardiology at St. Vincent’s Private Melbourne & Werribee. He was Interventional Cardiology and Research Fellow at Stanford University Medical Centre in the USA, and since 1997 has been a cardiologist at St Vincent’s Public and Private Hospitals and is also on staff at Werribee Mercy Hospital. Professor Whitbourn has an international profile, published over 140 papers in peer reviewed journals, presented at all major international cardiology scientific meetings and been principal investigator of over 50 medical device trials. His primary interest is interventional cardiology, leading numerous international trials of stents and novel cardiac devices. He also leads the TAVI team at St Vincent’s, implanting percutaneous Aortic Valves for severe Aortic Stenosis.

Professor Andrew Wilson

Spanning a successful career in clinical medicine, Andrew continues to practise as a cardiologist at St Vincent’s Health Melbourne, in the private sector and in rural Victoria. His clinical focus is on treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis. He has an academic appointment at the University of Melbourne and leads an active clinical research program supervising research students and fellows.

He previously worked at Stanford University Medical Centre where he was a NHMRC Research Fellow focusing on translational research in atherosclerosis.

Dr Alex McLELLAN

Dr Alex McLellan is a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist with expertise in all aspects of arrhythmia management. He is proficient in complex ablation procedures such as AF and VT ablation, and cardiac pacing including biventricular devices and defibrillator implant. He attends patients at St Vincent’s Public & Private hospitals, has appointments at the University of Melbourne and Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute.

Dr Arul Baradi

Dr Arul Baradi is a consultant clinical cardiologist who continues to be involved in clinical research. He has clinical appointments at Werribee Mercy and St Vincent’s Private Hospitals, Melbourne.

Dr Ben Pang

Dr Ben Pang is a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist. Ben graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery and a Bachelor of Medical Science with honours. He underwent a non-invasive imaging fellowship at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne focused on echocardiography. Ben has subsequently completed a pacing fellowship and PhD at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a cardiac rhythm management fellowship at Monash Heart. Ben has a special interest in arrhythmia ablation including supraventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation and ventricular ectopy/tachycardia and also implants pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and performs cardiac resynchronisation therapy for heart failure.

Dr Brendan Flaim

Dr Brendan Flaim is an experienced cardiologist, with expertise in echocardiology. Dr Flaim provides high level input to assessment of all heart and valve diseases through our echo and stress echo services. He has Cardiologist appointments at St Vincent’s Public & Private Hospitals, Melbourne.

Dr Candice Shields

Dr Candice Shields is a consultant cardiologist who completed her Medical degree at Monash University. After undertaking her cardiology training at Eastern, the Alfred and Western Health, Candice completed a cardiac imaging fellowship specialising in transthoracic, transoesophageal and stress echocardiography.

Dr Cengiz Cimenkaya

Dr Cengiz Cimenkaya is a general cardiologist and cardiac imaging specialist with specific expertise in the diagnosis and management of heart failure, valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathies. Cengiz graduated medicine from The University of Melbourne with honours, and subsequently completed a non-invasive imaging fellowship focusing on advanced echocardiography and cardiac CT at Monash Heart. Cengiz utilises this expertise in detailed assessment of structural heart disease, chest pain and shortness of breath. As well as providing a high standard of holistic and individualised care Cengiz prides himself on educating his patients on their condition to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes.

Dr Elizabeth Paratz

Dr Elizabeth Paratz is a consultant cardiologist undertaking her PhD from 2019 on the topic Optimising the genetic and forensic analysis of sudden cardiac death. Liz graduated from Melbourne University in 2010 with honours in her medical degree and gained fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians as a cardiologist in 2017. She travels annually to Timor-Leste as a medical volunteer with the East Timor Hearts Fund.

Dr Ian Matthews

Dr Ian Matthews completed his medical degree at the University of Queensland in 2008 after completing an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science. After completing his internship at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in 2009 he moved back to Melbourne and completed his residency and registrar years at St Vincent’s Hospital. He completed his cardiology training at Monash Medical Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital and Ballarat Base Hospital before commencing a two-year fellowship in cardiac implantable electronic devices at St Vincent’s in 2017 and 2018, implanting pacemakers, defibrillators and loop recorders as well as performing cardiac resynchronization therapy procedures. Ian is currently practicing at St Vincent’s Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Hospitals in both Fitzroy and Werribee. He has a special interest in cardiac electronic implantable device management as well as arrhythmia management, and also runs a pacemaker clinic monthly at Werribee Heart.

Dr Khoa Phan

Dr Khoa Phan completed training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Royal Melbourne Hospital and St. Vincent’s Hospital, being awarded recognition as a Specialist Cardiologist in 2015. He completed 3 years of further training in Interventional Cardiology, initially at Royal Melbourne Hospital, and subsequently in the United Kingdom at Royal Papworth Hospital, a member of the Cambridge University Health Partners Network. Upon return to Australia, Dr Phan has been appointed as an Interventional Cardiologist at St. Vincent’s Hospital and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, where he performs regular Cardiac Catheterisation Lists, and also participates in the Myocardial Infarction PCI On-Call Service.

Dr Tim Roberts

Dr Tim Roberts is a clinical and echo-cardiologist consulting at Werribee Heart. He is heavily involved in cardiac research and provides high level assessment of all heart and valve diseases through our echo and stress echo services. He has clinical appointments at St Vincent’s Public & Private Hospitals, Melbourne.

Mr Andrew Newcomb

Andrew is trained in all aspects of cardiothoracic surgery including heart failure, congenital, thoracic and aortic surgery as well as pace maker implantation. He has a special interest in complex aortic surgery including David procedure, and endovascular treatment of aortic dissections, coronary surgery, including all arterial revascularisation, pacing and high voltage devices, including Epicardial Left Ventricular lead insertion.

Andrew is also involved in research regarding cardiac stem cells and clinical aspects of cardiac surgery.

Andrew’s qualifications cover, a Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery through The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (July 2007), and in 1995 a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery University of Queensland. Andrews is currently the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.