Past Cancer Conversations

Professor Tracey O’Brien

Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Institute NSW

Professor Tracey O’Brien is a paediatric and adolescent haematologist and oncologist with more than 25 years of experience improving the outcomes of people with cancer in NSW, Australia and internationally.

Dr Kerry Chant 

Chief Health Officer and Deputy Secretary, Population and Public Health, NSW Health

Kerry has extensive public health experience in New South Wales (NSW), having held a range of senior positions in NSW Health since 1991.  She currently leads the Population and Public Health Division at the Ministry of Health and is responsible for a broad portfolio including communicable disease control, Aboriginal health, surveillance and epidemiology, prevention of chronic diseases, drug and alcohol, oral health, and voluntary assisted dying.

Prof Matthew Peters AM

Head of Respiratory Medicine at Concord Hospital and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Macquarie University

Professor Matthew Peters is Head of Respiratory Medicine at Concord Hospital and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Macquarie University. He has been active in Public Health, specifically tobacco control, for 30 years and that interest has evolved to address current issues of vaping. He has been an advisor to the Cancer Institute NSW on vaping public education campaigns. He is on the NSW Chief Health Officer’s vaping advisory group and served on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Committee that advised the Chair on the revised electronic cigarette statement. He is active in general public education and working with the education sector, teachers and students, as the community addresses these challenges.

Dr Bronwyn Milne

Paediatrician and Addiction Medicine Specialist, Clinic Lead for the CICADA Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Service, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network

Dr Milne is a General Paediatrician and Addiction Medicine Specialist who has been working with Adolescents for almost 2 decades. She has been instrumental in setting up the CICADA drug and alcohol service and is now the Head of the Department of Adolescent Medicine at Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. Bronwyn is passionate about helping young people improve their general health and wellbeing and fulfil their potential in every sphere of life

Kate Reakes

Program Manager, Cancer Prevention, Cancer Institute NSW

Kate has worked in population and public health since 2004, with a focus on areas of mental, drug, sexual and youth health as well as harm reduction, tobacco and skin cancer prevention.

Professor Sanchia Aranda AM
Sanchia Aranda Consulting

Professor Sanchia Aranda has worked in cancer control for more than 40 years, most recently as CEO of Cancer Council Australia (2015-2020). She has held prior roles in healthcare, government, and tertiary education and across the spectrum from prevention, through treatment and palliative care. 

For the last 28 years Sanchia has worked in international cancer control, with16 years on the board of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, including 4 as President (2006-2010). She was President of the Union for International Cancer Control (2016-2018) serving on the Board for 8 years. She is the inaugural Board Chair for the City Cancer Challenge Foundation and served on the Advisory Council for Cancer Australia for 8 years until 2015. 

Her contributions to cancer control have been recognized nationally and internationally, most recently through being awarded the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia Tom Reeve Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cancer Care in 2020. and in 2013 she was named the 4th Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Distinguished Fellow for her contributions to Cancer Nursing. 

She was recently appointed Board Chair for Scope Australia, the largest Victorian provider of NDIS services. Sanchia is Deputy Chair of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance, and a board director of The NSW Dust Diseases Authority and the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting.  

Sanchia holds a part-time appointment as a Professor of Health Services Research at The University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. 

Susan Jury
State-wide service manager | Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service

Susan leads the Victorian voluntary assisted dying navigator service, the first to be established in Australia, with legislation in place since 2019. The navigator service provides support to individuals and families, community, clinicians and health services in all aspects of voluntary assisted dying. This ranges from individual support to helping develop or review policy or procedures. Susan is a clinical nurse consultant, with a Master of Public Health degree.

Dr Wade Stedman
ICU staff specialist | Royal North Shore Hospital

Dr Wade Stedman is the Clinical Lead for the implementation of voluntary assisted dying in New South Wales, including development of clinical guidance, education and training and clinical pathways.

Wade is also a senior staff specialist in intensive care medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital, provides simulation education, and has a particular interest in long term psychological outcomes of patients who survive a severe critical illness.

Duncan Mackay
Medical administration registrar | Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

Duncan is a third year registrar with the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) and is currently working at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. As a part of this role, he has been the implementation lead for Voluntary Assisted Dying at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. This process has involved the establishment of an implementation committee, recruitment of a dedicated Voluntary Assisted Dying Liaison Officer, the development of policy and procedure, and preparation of the hospital’s medical workforce.

Mayra Ouriques, Clinical trials optimisation manager, SRI, Cancer Institute NSW

Mayra is a healthcare professional with 20 years of experience in oncology, clinical trials, and healthcare policy. 

She joined the Cancer Institute in 2019, after a decade of working in clinical trials in two large LHDs. 

With international and local experience, Mayra has a deep interest in improving equitable access to healthcare, delivering solutions in both clinical and operational settings, and improving health outcomes for people affected by cancer. 

With on-the-ground experience and an understanding of hurdles in conducting research, she also works towards fostering workforce capacity and capability.

She led a project to co-develop resources to increase awareness and access to clinical trials by Culturally and Linguistically Diverse CALD communities. 

She is also involved in several other projects aiming to increase access to research by other underserved populations.

Dr Robert Zielinski, medical oncology staff specialist, Central Est Cancer Care Centre, Orange

Rob is a senior staff specialist in medical oncology currently practicing in regional NSW at the Central West Cancer Care Centre, Orange NSW. He is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Medicine, Western Sydney University. He is also the current Director of the Orange Hospital Clinical Trials Unit. He also is the clinical lead for the Rural, Regional & Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program which is aiming on delivering more trials to patients in their own postcode. He moved from Sydney to Orange in 2013 after completing his oncology training and a genitourinary fellowship at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver.

Rob’s sub-specialty interests are in genitourinary, skin, brain and lung malignancies but he remains a general oncologist at heart. Rob’s passion is improving the disparity in cancer outcomes between rural and metropolitan patients and has a particular passion for increasing access to clinical trials to rural patients. 

Research interests include implementation science, improving the patient experience and direct clinical research through involvement in investigator and sponsor led clinical trials. He also assists the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in preparation of basic physician training.

Megan Collett, Head of development operations, APAC, Catalyst

Meg has worked in the clinical trials industry for over 20 years and is extremely passionate about bringing new innovation to the community. Meg has a diverse background in clinical trials working in hospitals, general practice, pharmaceutical and biotech companies and contract research organisations. She has managed phase I-IV clinical trials across many therapeutic areas including medical oncology and haematology. 

In her current role, Meg heads the Asia Pacific operations for Catalyst Clinical Research. Catalyst is a niche Oncology CRO devoted to supporting biotechs and sites in bringing next-generation therapies to cancer patients in need. 

Before joining Catalyst Meg was the Executive Director of Clinical Trials for the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research and South Western Sydney Local Health District. In this role Meg is responsible for supporting clinical trial activities in South Western Sydney leading to extensive patient access to clinical trials across 5 major hospitals. She was actively involved in SWSLHD drive for diversity and remains dedicated to ensuring patients in Australia get access to clinical trials. 

Margaret McJannett, CEO, ANZUP Cancer Trials Group

Ms. Margaret McJannett is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for ANZUP Cancer Trials Group Ltd. Her professional background is in nursing with a post-graduate certificate in oncology nursing. Margaret worked as a clinical nurse consultant at The Sydney Melanoma Unit, a research coordinator at the Medical Psychology Research Unit, at Sydney University, and a project officer at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane. 

Ms McJannett more recently was the EO of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA) and Cancer Council Australia before taking up her role with ANZUP. She has facilitated and contributed to COSA's and CCA's expert committees, the national Cancer Co-operative Clinical Trials Groups, and COSA's collaborative role with key stakeholders including other NGO's Cancer Voices, Government agencies, and Industry partners.

Dr Michael Krasovitsky, Medical Oncologist, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre

Dr Krasovitsky is a medical oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital, St George Hospital and The Sutherland Hospital.  He specialises in geriatric oncology, as well as liver cancers, lung cancers and breast cancers.  His research primarily relates to ageism in cancer care, frailty measurements for patients with cancer, and systems of care for older individuals with cancer.  He is chair of the Geriatric Oncology Emerging Experts & Researchers (GOEER) group, and sits of the executive of the COSA Geriatric Oncology group.  He is passionate about cancer care in older individuals, as well as quality of life preservation for this population. 

Dr Shriya Mahatme, Geriatrician, South Eastern Sydney LHD

Dr Shriya Mahatme is a geriatrician with a special interest in geriatric oncology. She works in public and private practice in South-Eastern Sydney. She is the Secretary for the Australian & New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (NSW Division) and is actively involved in aged care advocacy. She is a member of the GOEER subgroup of COSA Geriatric Oncology.

Gauri Godbole, Specialist Pharmacist, Aged and Palliative Care Central Coast LHD

Gauri Godbole is currently practicing as a specialist clinical pharmacist in aged and palliative care at Gosford Hospital, NSW. A qualified dementia practitioner, she has a diverse experience in pharmacy practice including community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy and academia and is a subject matter expert on many state and national committees. Gauri has a keen interest in research and quality improvement and is a well published author, as well as a regular presenter, nationally and internationally. Gauri was awarded the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA), NSW State Achievement Award in 2022 in recognition of her contribution to pharmacy practice.

Dr Polly Dufton, Registered Nurse and Early Career Researcher, The University of Melbourne

Dr Polly Dufton is a registered nurse and early career researcher and holds both clinical and academic appointments. Polly is the inaugural chair of the CNSA Older Persons with Cancer Specialist Practice Network, a member of the COSA Geriatric group and the Geriatric Oncology Emerging Experts and Researchers. Polly currently leads the implementation and evaluation of a nurse-led, multidisciplinary model of geriatric oncology care at Austin Health in Melbourne, Victoria.

Adjunct Associate Professor Judith Lacey - Head of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse

A/Prof Judith Lacey is the Head of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Her primary interest is in the development and integration of supportive care interventions that include complementary therapies and integrative medicine, to keep people living well with cancer independent of prognosis or stage of disease. Her focus is in whole person care and works with other practitioners to maximize patient wellbeing. Her research interests and activities are in the field of integrative oncology, medicinal cannabis, and supportive care service development. Judith holds key leadership positions in the field of Integrative Oncology, Supportive Cancer Care and Medicinal Cannabis and is involved in research, teaching and service development at the local, national and international level.

Professor Kwun Fong (Thoracic and Sleep Physician, Prince Charles Hospital)

Professor Kwun Fong is a Thoracic and Sleep Physician at The Prince Charles Hospital and Professor with the University of Queensland.  He is Clinical Manager of the Pulmonary Malignancy Unit at TPCH and Director of the UQ Thoracic Research Centre and ACRF Lung Cancer Early Detection Centre. Following a PhD (molecular genetics of lung cancer) and post-doctoral Fellowship with the legendary lung cancer researchers Drs John D Minna and Adi F Gazdar, Professor Fong as a clinician-scientist remains fully focused on lung cancer prevention,  early detection and screening to enhance curative and personalised medicine approaches.

Associate Professor Mathew George (Director Medical Oncology, North West Cancer Centre, Tamworth)

Dr Mathew George is a medical oncologist and academic with over fourteen years’ experience as an Associate Professor at multiple Australian and overseas tertiary institutes.  Dr George has an exceptional reputation as a leading cancer specialist with a focus on geriatric oncology.  (Show more)

Professor Jacob George (Head, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Westmead Hospital)

Professor Jacob George is the Robert W. Storr Professor of Hepatic Medicine at the Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney and Head of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Westmead Hospital and Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Services for the Western Sydney Local Health District.  (Show more)
 

Professor Eva Segelov

Eva Segelov is Professor and Director of Oncology at Monash Health and Monash University and Honorary Associate of the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre. She is a recognised national and international expert in gastrointestinal cancer and neuroendocrine tumours. Professor Segelov has led multiple national and international oncology clinical trials, including international investigator-initiated studies.  (Show more)
 

Dr Lorraine Chantrill

Dr Lorraine Chantrill is a Senior Staff Specialist Medical Oncologist and Head of Department for Medical Oncology across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) and Director of Clinical Trials. (Show more)
 

Dr Katrin Sjoquist, Medical Oncologist

Staff Specialist, Medical Oncology, St George and Sutherland Hospitals

Senior Research Fellow/Clinical Lead – AGITG, GCCTI and MoST trials, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney

Dr Katrin Sjoquist is a Staff Specialist in Medical Oncology (FRACP 2010) at St George and Sutherland Hospitals, and a visiting Medical Oncologist at St George Private Hospital. She is also an active clinician researcher, with an appointment as Clinical Lead (Oncology Trials) and Senior Lecturer at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney. (Show more)
 

Associate Professor Robyn Saw

Head of Department, Melanoma and Surgical Oncologist

Robyn Saw is an Associate Professor in Surgery at The University of Sydney. She is a Surgical Oncologist with MIA and also a General Surgeon at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Robyn has a specific interest in the surgical management of melanoma and other skin cancers.

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Professor Georgina Long

Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research at MIA and Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney.

Prof Long leads an extensive clinical trials team and laboratory at MIA, with a focus on targeted therapies and immuno-oncology in melanoma. She is principal investigator on phase I, II and III clinical trials in adjuvant and metastatic melanoma, including trials in patients with active brain metastases. She is the chief investigator on NHMRC funded research into the molecular biology of melanoma, with a particular interest in clinical and tissue biomarker correlates of systemic therapy sensitivity and resistance.

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Professor Richard Scolyer

Senior Staff Specialist, Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney

Professor Richard Scolyer is Senior Staff Specialist, Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney; Co- Medical Director, Melanoma Institute Australia; and Conjoint Professor, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney.

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Professor Tom Marwick

Director, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute

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Professor Bogda Koczwara

Senior Staff Specialist in medical oncology, Flinders Medical Centre

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A/Professor Eng-Siew Koh

Senior Staff Specialist in radiation oncology, Liverpool Hospital

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