Our Team

Blair Hesp

PhD NZDipBus CMPP

Managing Director

Blair has a PhD in pharmacology, a diploma in business and is an ISMPP-certified medical publications professional with >10 years’ experience working in medical communications. In addition, Blair has experience working in international intellectual property law and served in the Royal New Zealand Navy for >10 years.

Blair has led Kainic to win the New Zealand Innovators Award for Marketing and Communications in 2013, beating finalists that included national heavyweights such as the Bank of New Zealand, and a regional Otago Business Award for Business Integrity in 2020.

As an active contributor to ISMPP and the Australasian Medical Writers’ Association, publication ethics are an area of interest for Blair, who was the lead author of ‘Applying the Good Publication Practice 3 Guidelines in the Asia-pacific Region: A practical guide’.

Medical writing 50% 50%
Quality control 20% 20%
Client liaison 20% 20%
Consultancy 10% 10%

Marissa Scandlyn

PhD PGDipEd CMPP

Editorial Team Leader

Marissa is an ISMPP-certified medical publications professional with >7 years international industry experience, including leading a team providing instructional design services and educational products for higher education blended learning environments. She has significant key account and product management experience and leads Kainic’s eLearning and medical education team.

Marissa has a PhD in pharmacology, focusing on preclinical investigations of malignancies, and has also completed a postgraduate diploma in education, specializing in eLearning.

Medical writing 60% 60%
Quality control 20% 20%
Client liaison 20% 20%

Yasmin Wilkinson

BBiomedSc(Hons)

Medical Writer

Yasmin has recently joined the team at Kainic, bringing several years of prior expertise as an editor for a global academic publishing company. She also has 4 years’ experience as a research scientist at the University of Otago, investigating the use of a cancer vaccine as an immunotherapy for bowel cancer.

Medical writing 85% 85%
Quality control 10% 10%
Client liaison 5% 5%

Erin Peebles

MSciComm

Medical Writer

Erin holds a Master’s degree in science communication specializing in non-fiction writing from the University of Otago. She also has 4 years prior experience working in scientific instructional design for an international laboratory technology company, focusing on physiology and anatomy education for healthcare professionals.

Medical writing 85% 85%
Quality control 10% 10%
Client liaison 5% 5%

Linda Buss

PhD

Associate Medical Writer

Linda completed her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Bonn, Germany, before returning to the University of Otago in Christchurch to complete a PhD in exercise oncology/immunology. She then worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Christchurch Heart Institute. Her background has given her a broad knowledge base across organ systems and disease conditions, which she now brings to Kainic.

Medical writing 85% 85%
Quality control 10% 10%
Client liaison 5% 5%

Russyl Gilling

MSc MScSoc

Editorial Assistant

Russyl has dual Master’s degrees in both Science and Science in Society. Her studies have included biomedical science, biotechnology, science communication and history of healthcare. The attention to detail and editorial skills that she has developed throughout her time studying and working in a law firm are routinely applied in her role, which focuses on ensuring that editorial style is routinely, consistently and accurately applied.

Medical writing 85% 85%
Quality control 10% 10%
Client liaison 5% 5%

Therese Featherston

PhD

Associate Medical Writer

Therese completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Auckland and has recently completed her PhD at the University of Otago in Christchurch in the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science. Her research on treatment-resistant melanoma and repurposing drugs has given her a vast understanding of cancer therapeutics, which she now applies to her new role at Kainic.

Medical writing 85% 85%
Quality control 10% 10%
Client liaison 5% 5%

Do you have what it takes?

At Kainic, we regularly receive enquiries about joining our team, but <5% of enquiries lead to an informal meeting and even less to a position being offered.

Why? Because our team are expected to impress our clients with their commitment, insight, creativity and attention to detail, so first you must be capable of impressing us.

Likewise, we sell our time to our clients, so the investment that we put in our team starts from the moment we start reading a curriculum vitae and continues throughout the duration of employment at Kainic via one-on-one mentoring, professional development, opportunities for career progression in New Zealand and abroad, and exposure to the international pharmaceutical industry.

If you think you have the skill set, experience, attention to detail and drive to make the grade at Kainic, please submit your curriculum vitae via the form provided.

Head Office (Dunedin)
Address: First Floor, 1 Bond Street,
Dunedin, NZ
Phone: +64 (21) 132 0854
Skype: kainicmedical

Christchurch Office
Address: 185 Manchester Street,
Christchurch, NZ
Phone: +64 (21) 132 0854

Email Kainic Medical