King's Birthday Honours for Associate Professor Rohan Ameratunga

IDFNZ Congratulates Associate Professor Rohan Ameratunga, who was honoured in this year’s awards,

becoming an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to immunology.

The King’s Birthday Honours recognise the unique achievements of New Zealanders from all walks of life.

Associate Professor Rohan Ameratunga has played a pivotal role in developing clinical services for patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders (PIDs) in New Zealand.

Associate Professor Ameratunga formally established the Starship Hospital immunology service for children in 1991, which now receives funding to provide comprehensive services for children with immunological and allergic disorders.

Realising older PIDs patients needed care from specialist adult immunologists, he lobbied for funding for the Auckland Hospital and a specialised service was created in 1995 with two fulltime specialists.

He has been a qualified specialist immunopathologist and the clinical lead of the diagnostic immunology laboratory at Auckland Hospital for 30 years.

Upon discovering gene tests were sent to overseas laboratories for testing which took several months, he established a PID diagnostic genetic service in LabPlus, Auckland Hospital in 2004. Under his leadership, the team have adopted new technologies including Next Generation Sequencing and advanced flow cytometry tests which are not available elsewhere in Australasia. With his team, he has discovered two new gene mutations causing CVID-like disorders.

Associate Professor Ameratunga was Vice Chair of the Immune Deficiency Foundation of New Zealand (IDFNZ) from 2002 to 2010.

Many of our PID members have been patients of Associate Professor Ameratunga and so appreciate first hand, his outstanding service to the PID patient community.

Well done on achieving this prestigious award in recognition of this sterling contribution to New Zealand.