Dr Vanessa Obers
MBBCh, FFPath, FIAC
Specialty
Histopathology, Cytopathology
Phone number
03 9287 7451
Dr Obers completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1985 at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She went on to complete her Pathology Fellowship Examination at the College of Medicine of South Africa in 1991 and in 1995, completed her Fellowship Examination at the International Academy of Cytology.
During this time, Dr Obers held several appointments at a number of medical institutions. From 1986-87, Dr Obers was a Registrar in the Cytology Unit at the Department of Anatomical Pathology, School of Pathology of the South African Institute of Medical Research (SAIMR) and the University of Witwatersrand. Dr Obers went on to become Head of the Cytology Unit at Baragwanath Branch Laboratory, School of Pathology, SAIMR and the University of Witwatersrand, a position she held from 1987-1994. Between 1991-94 Dr Obers also became a Consultant and in 1993, was appointed Senior Consultant.
Dr Obers was appointed Practicing Pathologist in 1994 at Lancet Laboratories in Johannesburg where she remained until 2009, heading up the Cytopathology Unit. Here, she set up a Fine Needle Aspiration service providing rapid onsite diagnosis for both outpatients with palpable lesions and inpatients with deep seated lesions using radiologic guidance. This enabled accurate cytodiagnosis with the adjunctive use of immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and microbiological investigations where necessary.
From 1996-2005, Dr Obers was the Reviewing Pathologist for new cases entering drug trial protocols for the International Breast Cancer Study Group.
Dr Obers moved to Australia in February 2009 and joined Melbourne Pathology as a full time Histo and Cytopathologist.