ADHD, neurodevelopment and adolescent health

Minna is a consultant paediatrician whose special interests are ADHD, neurodevelopmental disorders and adolescent health. She is also one of the clinicians at Pandion who takes on the more complicated end of the referral list: children and young people with chronic or complex medical conditions alongside their developmental and behavioural presentation.

ADHD is rarely the whole picture. Autism, learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and in some cases an underlying medical or genetic condition either sit alongside it or account for the presentation outright. At Pandion these are screened as standard rather than treated as an optional extra, and where ADHD is not the right answer the family is told so clearly, with an explanation of what comes next.

She also sees young people for second opinions and for paediatric review where an earlier assessment has not settled the question, and works across multidisciplinary teams to coordinate care where several services are involved.

Background and training

Originally from Finland and raised in the United Kingdom, Minna graduated from the University of Cambridge and completed her medical training at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London before moving to Sydney. She pursued specialist paediatric training through The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, while raising three children.

She has worked as a consultant paediatrician across general paediatrics, genetic metabolic disorders and paediatric rehabilitation at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and in rural outreach through Sydney Children’s Hospital. She now works as a staff specialist paediatrician in the Medicare Mental Health Kids Hub on the Central Coast, alongside private practice.

That mix of metropolitan and regional work informs how she approaches families whose access to services differs sharply depending on where they live. Her clinical interests include adolescent health, ADHD, neurodevelopmental disorders and achondroplasia.

She is a member of the Australasian Society for Developmental Paediatrics, the member-led body for doctors with a specialist clinical or academic interest in developmental paediatrics.

Outside the clinic

Minna enjoys music, crafts, and exploring new places with her young adult children.