Richard is a New Zealand trained General Surgeon who spent two and a half years at the Sydney Cancer Center specialising in Melanoma and Head and Neck surgery. Most of his time was spent at the Sydney Melanoma Unit, the largest treatment and research facility for melanoma in the world. During his time in Sydney he completed a Master of Surgery in Surgical Oncology at the University of Sydney. As a Surgical Oncologist Richard assesses and treats all forms of melanoma, skin and head/neck cancer. Richard has published in numerous academic journals, is a regular presenter at international conferences and is actively involved in research and clinical trials. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. Richard works in the multidisciplinary Melanoma Unit team, Waitemata District Health Board (Northshore and Waitakere), and is part of the Auckland Regional Head and Neck Service group with an appointment at Auckland City Hospital.