Meet the team

Mr. Taz Singh

Thasvir (Taz) is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who completed his training in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and holds a Consultant post at Waikato Hospital. 

He grew up in NZ, and was fortunate enough to live in many parts of the country including the Bay of Islands, Palmerston North, Waikato, and Auckland, prior to moving to Dunedin to study. Taz graduated from Dentistry at the University of Otago before working in Middlemore and Greenlane Maxillofacial Units. After completing Medicine at the University of Auckland, he moved to Adelaide where he worked in various surgical disciplines including ENT, Orthopaedics, and Neurosurgery. On accepting entry into the Melbourne OMS Training program he underwent extensive training with a particular focus on Dental implant, Orthognathic, and Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery. During this time, he published numerous research articles and completed a Master’s degree (First Class Honours) focusing on Ameloblastoma tumours, immunohistochemistry, HPV, and PCR. He returned to NZ and completed his Maxillofacial training whilst working at Waikato Hospital, obtaining the ANZAOMS medal for the highest mark in the Final RACDS(OMS) Exams. 

Thereafter he was offered Head and Neck Cancer and Microvascular Reconstruction fellowships at St George's Hospital in London, and the Royal Derby Hospital, which were accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh). 

Currently Taz is working in both private and public practice. He is happy to consult on all oral and maxillofacial problems and surgical options

Mr. Chris Singleton

Chris is an Australia and New Zealand trained specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Chris grew up on Auckland’s North Shore before completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Auckland. He then made the move across the Tasman and completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of surgery at Deakin University in Victoria. 

Chris worked as a junior doctor in a number of Melbourne hospitals gaining exposure to a variety of surgical specialties including vascular surgery, orthopaedic surgery, general surgery, otolaryngology, cardiothoracic surgery, trauma surgery and neurosurgery. During his junior doctor years Chris gained exposure and interest in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and went on to work as a maxillofacial surgery resident at The Royal Melbourne Hospital the following year to gain further exposure to the field. During this time he completed a post graduate diploma in surgical anatomy from The University of Melbourne. Chris then returned to New Zealand to complete a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Otago. During his studies Chris was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. 

Chris was accepted into to maxillofacial training programme in Victoria and completed the first 3 years of his training at the major maxillofacial units in Melbourne. He then returned to his roots in Auckland to finish his surgical training. Chris has recently made the move to Hamilton to work as a consultant at Waikato Hospital and also gain further experience working under Mr Singh in oncology and reconstruction. Chris has interest in research and has published multiple papers during his training and is also actively involved in teaching junior doctors and registrars. Chris lives in Hamilton with his wife, 2 young boys and his dog

Mr. Jaewon Heo

Dr. Jaewon Heo is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive training and experience accumulated across New Zealand and Australia. Currently, he serves as a specialist surgeon at Waikato Hospital.

Born in South Korea and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. He pursued and completed both his Medical and Dental degrees at the University of Otago. Jaewon's career began in various hospitals across Dunedin, Wellington, Hamilton, and Auckland, where he gained extensive experience in multiple surgical disciplines including ENT, Orthopaedics, Plastics and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery.  

To further hone his expertise, Dr. Heo completed his specialist training in Melbourne, Victoria, where he was exposed to advanced techniques and complex cases that solidified his proficiency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

His commitment to continual learning led him to undertake further fellowship training in Orthognathics (corrective jaw surgery) and Facial Trauma, areas that have since become his main fields of interest. Through this specialized training, he has developed a keen aptitude for managing intricate cases involving facial structures, ensuring optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes for his patients.

Dr. Heo thrives in a team environment, where collaboration and shared knowledge are paramount. He finds great satisfaction in tackling challenging cases and is driven by the goal of providing the highest standard of care to his patients, whether in public or private practice. 

Dr. Tim Starkie

I have worked as a specialist anaesthetist since 2012.  I originally trained in England but in 2013 moved to Hamilton with my family and since then I have been privileged to call New Zealand home.  Working in both public and private health systems I enjoy a diverse range of clinical practice and strive to give my patients the best care possible.  My non clinical interests lie in quality improvement and training.

Dr. Peter Simmons

Peter is a specialist anaesthetist who has trained in Australia and New Zealand (FANZCA), before settling in the Waikato.

Having grown up in rural New South Wales, Peter relocated to study a Bachelor of Medicine (B.Med) at the University of Newcastle, which included a six month exchange to the University of Oslo, Norway. After rotating through various specialties as a Resident Medical Officer in Orange, NSW, he began his anaesthetic training working in numerous departments throughout NSW, including Westmead and Westmead Children’s Hospital. He then completed fellowships at Royal Perth Hospital and Waikato Hospital.

Currently, Peter provides anaesthesia for a wide range of surgical specialties, in both the public and private hospitals. He enjoys being a part of the OMS Waikato team, which has a patient centric focus and the opportunity to deliver personalised anaesthetic care.