Keynote speech in May of this year at
the Brain Tumour Support Forum - Dr. Brindha Shivalinga
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You may wish to
read about a Sri Lankan girl who had to flee from Sri Lanka to Australia
in 1983 when she was just 11 years who has now become one of leading
brain surgeons in that country.
You can also
listen to her presentation with some of the information we need to know about
brain tumours.
She is a
S
ri Lankan refugee and appears on
the hospital show doing surgery on RPA'
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This is a keynote speech in May of
this year at the Brain Tumour Support Forum.
Brain
Tumours: An overview on current clinical care and research: Dr Brindha
Shivalingam
Published on
Jul 23, 2014
The Brain Tumour Support and Education Forum was an opportunity for people diagnosed with brain cancer and their carers and families to learn from the experts and ask questions about clinical care, treatment options, current research, clinical trials and support and community services.
Neurosurgeon Dr Brindha Shivalingam from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was the keynote speaker at the Sydney forum where she gave an overview of current research, clinical care and treatment options, and future research and clinical care directions.
Find our more and connect at:
http://www.curebraincancer.
FROM SRI LANKA
The Brain Tumour Support and Education Forum was an opportunity for people diagnosed with brain cancer and their carers and families to learn from the experts and ask questions about clinical care, treatment options, current research, clinical trials and support and community services.
Neurosurgeon Dr Brindha Shivalingam from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was the keynote speaker at the Sydney forum where she gave an overview of current research, clinical care and treatment options, and future research and clinical care directions.
Find our more and connect at:
http://www.curebraincancer.
FROM SRI LANKA
Dr Brindha
Shivalingam, 42, 'I've gone from war to land of opportunity'
From growing up in war-torn Sri
Lanka to working in one of Australia’s most competitive medical fields, this
inspiring neurosurgeon shares her amazing story.
Prevention
March 6, 2014, 10:52 am
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From war to a
land of opportunity
I was only 11 when the Sri Lankan
civil war started in 1983. One day, I was living a normal childhood, the next
there were riots and there was death everywhere. It was a horrific experience
but luckily my family and I managed to escape and spent time in a Sri Lankan
refugee camp until friends took us in. A year later, my parents applied to come
to Australia and we were accepted as refugees. Thankfully Mum and Dad’s
education was recognised and they found jobs, which helped our family start a
new life. I already spoke English so high school wasn’t too much of a culture
shock.. In fact, it was exciting, because I slowly realised how many more
opportunities there were for me here.
Realising my
medical dream
Even as a teenager I was
fascinated with how the brain works and thought I’d go into research. Once I
was in med school, though, I knew I had to be a doctor. But it was even more
challenging than I’d expected because 99% of the people studying—and all the
surgeons at the time—were men. I didn’t let it hold me back, even though some
of the older men had strong opinions about my place there. One even told me
that, if I wanted to be a mother, then I shouldn’t be a surgeon. I’ve never
been happier to prove someone wrong! I fell pregnant with my first child at 25.
I refused to compromise on either my career or motherhood, and had another baby
four years later.
Why the
future’s filled with hope
When I decided to specialise in
neurosurgery I discovered it was different and I was welcomed every step of the
way. These days, I’m still in the minority as women only make up 9% of
neurosurgeons in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. But despite the fact I
work hard, I’m driven by an unwavering passion and, without a doubt, love my
work as much as I ever did. I’m especially proud of establishing Brainstorm at
Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a program focused on brain cancer
research. It’s still early days but I’m hoping to make a real difference and
have never felt more optimistic about the future.
