Our Team

Rael Rivers is the Chief Executive Officer of Respiratory Care WA, a role she assumed in 2025 after more than 15 years working across the public and community health sectors in strategic leadership, service development and program management.

Prior to joining Respiratory Care WA, she spent six years with WA Country Health Service, where she led initiatives to strengthen specialist training pathways for junior doctors in regional Western Australia. During this time, she also established telehealth enablement programs and coordinated medical education initiatives to improve access to healthcare and workforce development in rural and remote communities.

A passionate advocate for consumer-centred healthcare, Rael brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her leadership. As a person living with asthma and the parent of three children also diagnosed with asthma, she has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and families affected by respiratory conditions. She is deeply committed to improving respiratory health outcomes for Western Australians.

With more than a decade of involvement in respiratory research, Rael is committed to ensuring lived experience informs research, policy and service delivery. She is dedicated to translating evidence into meaningful outcomes, driving innovation and improving respiratory health for Western Australians.

Adele is a Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years’ experience across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors in Australia, the Cayman Islands and South Africa. Her career began in audit with PwC and has since spanned senior finance leadership roles across international organisations and community-based charities.

With expertise in financial management, governance, strategic planning and team leadership, Adele is focused on building strong financial systems and providing clear insights that support effective decision-making at executive and Board level.

As part of the team at Respiratory Care WA, Adele plays a key role in ensuring the organisation’s financial sustainability and operational effectiveness. Passionate about meaningful impact, she brings a practical, people-focused approach that helps the organisation continue delivering vital care and support to the community.

Urban brings more than 20 years of experience across the not-for-profit and commercial sectors, with a diverse background spanning building and construction, facilities management, technology, and business operations. His career has focused on supporting complex organisations within the health, aged care, retirement living, and early learning sectors, where he has developed extensive expertise in operational management, governance, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.

With a strong track record of optimising performance and delivering sustainable outcomes, Urban is skilled at strengthening operational systems, driving organisational efficiency, and supporting strategic growth. He is recognised for his collaborative leadership style, practical approach to problem-solving, and ability to build strong relationships with staff, clients, partners, and stakeholders.

Passionate about creating positive and lasting impact, Urban combines strategic thinking with hands-on operational expertise to deliver meaningful results. He is passionate about enabling organisations to thrive by strengthening operations, improving performance, and creating sustainable foundations for growth, innovation, and success.

Bernie is an experienced healthcare leader with a background in physiotherapy and a strong track record in clinical leadership, health service management and program delivery. His expertise spans clinical governance, operations, workforce development, stakeholder engagement and contract management, gained through leading multidisciplinary teams and health programs across the healthcare sector for organisations including Brightwater Care, Juniper Aged Care and St John of God Healthcare. He is also completing a Master of Business Administration at the University of Western Australia.

As the Health Services Manager at Respiratory Care WA, Bernie provides strategic and operational leadership across the organisation’s clinical and community health programs. Passionate about improving health outcomes, he is focused on expanding access to early intervention, strengthening service delivery and ensuring more Western Australians receive the care, education and support they need to better manage their respiratory health.

Siaw Chai is a marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement professional with more than 20 years of experience across the not-for-profit, tertiary education, arts and culture, design and public sectors. Her career has included roles with organisations including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth Design Week, The University of Western Australia, Hames Sharley and international design practice Hassell.

As Growth, Brand and Development Manager at Respiratory Care WA, Siaw leads the organisation’s growth, marketing, communications, fundraising and business development initiatives. She is

responsible for strengthening brand awareness, developing strategic partnerships, identifying new opportunities for growth and supporting long-term organisational sustainability.

With expertise in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and brand development, Siaw is known for building strong relationships and connecting people around a shared purpose. Passionate about social impact and amplifying consumer voices, she is dedicated to telling stories that inspire action, strengthen communities and improve health outcomes.

Aoife is a Respiratory Scientist with over six years’ experience in respiratory diagnostics, including lung function testing, sleep studies and a range of respiratory assessments. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Aoife relocated to Australia in 2024 and brings a strong combination of scientific expertise, technical skills and a passion for patient care.

At Respiratory Care WA, Aoife supports patients to better understand and manage their respiratory health through accurate testing, education and personalised care. Working across both adult and paediatric services has broadened her clinical experience and expanded her diagnostic skill set.

Passionate about learning and community engagement, Aoife enjoys connecting with people and has represented Respiratory Care WA at regional health events, community expos and professional conferences across Western Australia.

Jessica is a Registered Nurse with 18 years of experience across metropolitan, regional and remote healthcare settings throughout Western Australia. Her career has taken her from the Kimberley, Goldfields and Wheatbelt to Perth, providing a broad foundation in hospital care, emergency nursing, primary care and community health.

Passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people, she completed a Graduate Diploma in Child and Adolescent Health in 2022. Her diverse clinical background has shaped a holistic, patient-centred approach to care and a strong commitment to evidence-based practice.

Since joining Respiratory Care WA in 2023, she has played an important role in delivering high-quality respiratory care and support to patients and their families. Driven by positive patient outcomes and meaningful connections, she is proud to be part of a team dedicated to making a difference in the community.

Veen is a Registered Nurse with 17 years of experience spanning clinical care, education and public health. She holds a Master's Degree in Public Health and began her career as an Associate Professor at Saint Louis University in the Philippines, where she played a key role in educating and mentoring the next generation of nurses.

Her passion for respiratory health led her to clinical practice in the United Kingdom, where she worked as a Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse in the Respiratory Ward at University Hospital Southampton. After relocating to Perth in 2024, she continued her respiratory nursing career at Royal Perth Hospital before joining Respiratory Care WA in 2025.

With extensive experience in respiratory care, Veen is committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred support that empowers individuals and their families to better manage their respiratory health. She is proud to be part of a team dedicated to improving respiratory health outcomes and creating positive change across Western Australian communities.

Dr. Carroll has extensive international training and experience in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine. Originally from Canada, she has Canadian Royal College certifications in General Paediatrics, Paediatric Critical Care and Paediatric Respirology. She practiced as an Assistant Professor in Paediatric Respirology at the University of Alberta prior to moving to Australia, specializing in complex paediatric respiratory diseases and lung transplant, and leading their medical education programs. She practiced Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, from 2022-2024. She has recently completed a Master of Public Health in evaluation and implementation science at the University of Melbourne, evaluating clinical delivery of a complex national program.

Dr. Carroll has a long-standing commitment to child and family-centred care, ensuring that clinical interactions are child-focused and families are involved in decision making. She ensures that clinical information is understood by the family and a clear treatment plan is in place, using multidisciplinary teams as necessary. As a mother to two young children, one with asthma, she understands the practical challenges that children and families face with respiratory concerns.

Dr Carroll has special interests in seeing patients with asthma and pre-school wheeze, chronic cough and bronchitis, unexplained shortness of breath, chronic lung disease of prematurity and complex paediatric respiratory disorders (bronchiectasis, aerodigestive disorders).

Dr Stephen Oo is a Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Physician who works at Perth Children’s Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital and Respiratory Care WA’s Children’s Respiratory Hub, where he aims to offer comprehensive evaluation and care for children with respiratory and sleep difficulties.

A Perth local, Dr Oo obtained his medical degree from the University Western Australia in 2005 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians.

Dr Oo has three young children of his own and is sensitive to the needs and stresses of young families. He has a special interest in childhood wheezing and has published and presented at numerous national and international conferences on this subject. He continues to be involved in a number of national and state health committees with the aim of improving healthcare for WA children with asthma and wheeze.

Dr David Hancock is a paediatric respiratory physician who works at Perth Children’s Hospital and Respiratory Care WA. He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney, NSW in 2013 and MD from Flinders University, SA in 2016. He is a Fellow of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians as a specialist respiratory medicine physician. Dr Hancock takes a collaborative child- and family-centred approach to care and aims to empower children and families with the information to understand and manage their health challenges.

Dr Hancock is also a leading paediatric respiratory researcher in WA and runs the Advancing Innovation in Respiratory (AIR) Health team and Respiratory Clinical Trials Group at The Kids Research Institute Australia. His team aims to better understand how to diagnose and treat early childhood respiratory diseases such as asthma and cystic fibrosis to improve the lives of the children and families impacted by these conditions. Dr Hancock is passionate about education and is actively mentoring and supervising medical students, junior doctors, PhD students, and early career researchers. He also regularly reviews educational resources for the TSANZ Lung Learning Hub.

Dr James Gibbons is a children’s respiratory and sleep physician who completed his specialist training through Perth Children’s Hospital and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. In addition to his clinical work, Dr Gibbons has a strong interest in research, particularly in the long-term effects of preterm birth on lung health and he is currently completing his PhD on this area with the Kids Research Institute Australia. His findings are regularly presented at national and internal conferences, and he has a strong commitment to translating his findings into clinical practice to improve the lung health of this group.

Dr Rachael Marpole is a Respiratory Paediatrician and clinician scientist. She finished Respiratory Paediatric training at Perth Children’s Hospital in 2022 and is the recipient of a Cerebral Palsy Alliance PhD scholarship. She is completing a PhD using data obtained from the feasibility randomised control trial (RESP-ACT) to reduce respiratory hospital admissions in children with cerebral palsy.