Meet the Team

Cathy Brunger
Bariatric Coordinator

Registered Nurse 1986 Midwifery 1987 (SANC)

Cathy joined the team in 2014 and has a proactive approach with both the team and our bariatric patients. One of her favourite interests is experimenting in the kitchen with a wide variety of recipes.

Dr Ian Marr
Surgeon

MBChB (Stell), FCS (SA)

Dr Marr is a graduate of the University of Stellenbosch. He did his postgraduate surgical specialist training as a surgical registrar at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, and qualified as a specialist surgeon in 2007. He spent a fellowship year in the breast and endocrine surgical oncology unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, before being appointed as Head of Department of Surgery at Victoria Hospital, where he was actively involved in surgical training.

He was invited into private practice in 2009 where he has pursued his interests in laparoscopic (keyhole), bariatric, hernia and thyroid surgery. He completed his 4 year bariatric accreditation in 2014, and now has has over ten years of experience in bariatric surgery. He has attended bariatric courses in Belgium, England and Turkey as well as locally. He is up to date with the latest innovations in bariatric surgery and attends local and international bariatric conferences.

Dr Marr hails from a proud medical family, being a fourth generation doctor, and second generation surgeon. He is married to Kim and lives in Hout Bay. They have three young children, Max, Eve and Holly. He is a competitive mountain biker and surf ski paddler, and is an active fisherman.

Gina Fourie
Dietician

BSc Dietetics (UND) 1995, BSc (Med) (Hons) Exercise Science (UCT) 2000

While at UCT Gina published research in ‘Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise’ and in the ‘International Journal of Sports Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism’ investigating the metabolic determinants of substrate utilisation and placebo effects of carbohydrate in exercise performance.

In 2018, Gina qualified as an accredited Translational Genomics practitioner taking a closer look at the genetic contributors of both health and disease. In Dec 2019 she became a SCOPE (Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education) certified practitioner. SCOPE certification is the only internationally recognised certification in obesity management from the World Obesity Federation.

Gina has worked as a consultant dietitian in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town since 2004 and specifically within the space of obesity management and cardio-metabolic care. In addition, Gina has years of experience with pathologies and surgeries of the GIT and hepatobiliary systems from the specialist GIT Unit at Kingsbury Hospital, having worked closely with the doctors, nurses and patients alike. Gina is married and has two young children and two fur babies. She has an interest in painting and enjoys hiking, camping and most recently stand up paddle boarding.

Claire McMahon
Dietician

BSc Med (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics (UCT) 1994

After lecturing at UCT for a few years, Claire left to work in the UK, where she gained invaluable experience working in multidisciplinary teams managing obesity and eating disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings. She joined a private practice at Kingsbury Hospital upon her return to South Africa. Claire has been a team member of The Cape Town Bariatric Clinic since its inception. Her interest in eating behaviour, experience in the management of eating pathology and eating disorders, and knowledge of the metabolic alterations brought about by obesity, have allowed her to help clients through the surgery process. “Working with the patients who come through the clinic is one of the most rewarding things that I do. The effects are life changing and rewarding beyond imagination”. Claire is married, has three sons and three beloved black Labradors, as well as a menagerie of other animals. She loves running, good food and on occasion some fine wine too.

Mandy Banks
Biokineticist

BA Human Movement Science BSc Biokinetics

Mandy is an experienced biokineticist with a special interest in functional and natural movement who loves to be in the great outdoors. She has been in private practice for over 15 years, after completing her undergraduate degree in Human Movement Science at the University of Stellenbosch, Honours in Biokinetics at The University of Zululand, and her internship through the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, where she continued to work for 3 years before opening her own practice. Mandy has been working with patients from The Cape Town Bariatric Clinic since its inception. 

Dr Hilton Kaplan
Endocrinologist

MBBCh (RAND) FCP (SA) MMED (UCT) Endocrinology and Metabolism (Cert)

Post-graduate course in Clinical Endocrinology: Harvard University-2002.

Clinical Atherosclerosis Master Class-2018.

Member of a number of medical societies within his areas of interest, and Life Member of The College of Medicine of South Africa.

He has attended many local and International meetings in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity.

Senior member of the Centre of Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Dr Kaplan has worked as a full time physician and endocrinologist in private practice since 1987.

His interests are in the areas of general endocrinology, diabetes, obesity, and non-interventional cardiovascular diseases including hypertension and atherosclerosis. He is GCP (good clinical practice) certified and has been involved in clinical trials for diabetes and obesity for over 30 years.  

He serves on the advisory boards of a number of pharmaceutical companies and has previously lectured extensively.

Dr Wayne May
Endocrinologist

MBChB (UCT) 1994, FCP (SA) 2002, Endocrinology and Metabolism (Cert) 2004

Past Executive committee member of the South African Society for the Study of Obesity and Metabolism (SASSOM)

Member of the SA Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SEMDSA). Past committee member

Cape Town Bariatric Clinic-International Accreditation

Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE)

Health 24 Diabetes Expert

Insulin Pump Centre

Dr May currently works as a fulltime endocrinologist and has been in private practice since 2004. He has a variety of interests including predominantly obesity and diabetes, as well as other endocrine disorders. Dr May is also an advisor to multiple pharmaceutical companies for various medications, and has presented locally and internationally.

Dr Graham Alexander
Psychologist

PhD Clinical Psychologist

Dr Graham Alexander qualified as a clinical psychologist at the University of Cape Town and immediately co-developed with Professor Daniel Le Grange, the first specialist eating disorders unit in the private psychiatric sector. Between 1995 and 2016, he was director of the Kenilworth Clinic and Crescent Clinic Eating Disorders Unit while also maintaining his private practice.

He has been team psychologist on the Cape Town Bariatric Clinic since its inception. While maintaining a busy private practice from his home in Stonehurst Mountain Estate he has also completed doctoral research in the application of schema therapy for the treatment of eating disorders.  He is an internationally accredited advanced schema therapist and holds an interest in schema couple therapy and group therapy. His wife, Dr Vicky Alexander, is also a psychologist. He has a 10-year-old daughter, two spaniels and their home is fast approaching farmyard status as his daughter’s rabbit count steadily increases. He is a keen gardener and enjoys trail running, almost as much as sitting in coffee shops.

Dr Kim Ragsdale
Psychiatrist

MBChB (UCT) F.C. Psych (SA)

After completing her internship at Groote Schuur Hospital, Dr Ragsdale worked in general practice for three years and then specialised in psychiatry. She has worked as a psychiatrist in private practice since 1998 doing general adult psychiatry with a special interest in psychotherapy. Dr Ragsdale has been the consultant psychiatrist of the Cape Town Bariatric Clinic team since 2005.

Dr John Turner
Physician

MBChB MMed MD (UCT) FCP (SA) FCCP Dip Pall Med (UCT)

John Turner studied medicine at the University of Cape Town, qualifying in 1980. He did his internship at Victoria Hospital in Wynberg and then trained in Internal Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital, obtaining his FCP specialist qualification in 1988. Following this, he did full-time Intensive Care in the Respiratory and Surgical Intensive Care Units at Groote Schuur Hospital, and at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. He has a Masters degree and a Doctorate from UCT, and has published a number of research papers and chapters in books.

He went into private practice at the Kingsbury Hospital in 1995 as a Physician and Critical Care Specialist. He is also on the part-time staff of the Department of Medicine at Victoria Hospital. He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer and Consultant in the Department of Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital and Honorary Visiting Consultant at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. He is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.

He has a daughter who is studying Medicine and who is teaching him everything afresh. He loves reading and is a keen trail runner and hiker, abusing his joints to the fullest extent.

Dr Alex Landau
Plastic Surgeon

MBChB (UCT) FCS Plast Surg (SA)

Dr Landau is a specialist Plastic Surgeon based at Kingsbury Hospital in Cape Town. He has practiced as a specialist Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgeon both locally and in the UK.

He obtained his degrees at UCT and pursued additional advanced specialist fellowship training in London, during which time he had the opportunity to work with world-renowned Plastic Surgeons who had built their cosmetic practices on a career in complex reconstructive surgery. He learnt new approaches and techniques in a broad range of plastic surgical challenges including post-bariatric body contouring.

On his return to South Africa in 2011, he joined the bariatric team at Kingsbury Hospital and developed his main areas of interest and expertise in post bariatric body contour surgery. He lectures widely on the subject and is considered an expert in the field.

Dr Landau is an avid artist and enjoys spending leisure time relaxing with a canvas and oil colours. He is happily married and a father of four beautiful children. His approach to family, friends and patients is based on sincerity, honesty and discipline.  Performing an operation on someone is a huge responsibility and privilege that requires the total trust and confidence from the patient, and he tries to treat each patient as if he/she were one’s own family.

Dr Spencer Burke
Anaesthetist

MBChB (UCT) DA (SA), FCA (SA)

Dr Burke qualified as specialist anaesthesiologist in 1996 at UCT and Groote Schuur Hospital. He has worked as an anaesthetist around the world, but particularly in London, England, Vancouver and British Columbia. He is registered with the South African Society of Anaesthetists and the UK General Medical Council Specialist Register. He is married with three children.

Dr Burke has been working in private practice in Cape Town with Cape Anaesthetics Inc. for 21 years and has been the team anaesthetist for the Cape Town Bariatric Clinic since 2005. He also has special interests in orthopaedic bone cancer reconstructive surgery, intensive care, cosmetic flaps and reconstructive surgeries as well as paediatric surgery. Dr Burke has been part of the non-profit Operation Smile surgical team, which travels to various rural areas to assist in the repair of children born with cleft lip and cleft palate.

Celia Smith, Thania Enous, Shannon Baxter, Genevieve Williams and Faaiqah Toffar
West Physiotherapy

BSc Physiotherapy

The practice has a long-standing relationship with the bariatric team, with a special interest in early post-operative rehabilitation.