Mark Brooke, CEO Lung Foundation Australia

Mark Brooke has over 25 years’ experience leading a diverse range of medical research, consumer health and family support organisations, and is currently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lung Foundation Australia. LFA is Australia’s leading lung cancer charity supporting over 4000 people every year via its telehealth and face to face Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse Program. 

In 2022, Lung Foundation Australia was appointed by the Australian Government as the Health Peak Advisory Body advising the government on lung health and related issues. In the last decade, he has led the design and development of five Australian Government National Health Strategies for a wide range of health areas including asthma, congenital heart disease, lung conditions and, most recently, the National Silicosis Prevention Strategy. Mark is passionate about the role profit for purpose organisations play in the health sector, especially empowering patients to be their own advocates and aligning research with consumer-centred outcomes. 

As CEO of Lung Foundation Australia, he led the translation of research into programs and services to support people impacted by lung disease and lung cancer. Lung Foundation currently advises Federal and State Governments on lung health policy including the National Targeted Lung Cancer Screening Program implementation.

Sheetal Challam

With 20 years of experience behind her, both in multicultural and refugee sectors, Sheetal Challam has held various roles in the areas of policy development, stakeholder engagement, and government relations. 

Sheetal currently is working as Multicultural Program Strategic Advisor at the Cancer Institute NSW where she provides advice and support to Institute staff and stakeholders, and facilitates key partnerships to improve cancer outcomes culturally diverse communities. Prior to her stint in the government sector, Sheetal spent close seven years in the settlement sector coordinating programs for new and emerging communities in the Blacktown area. 

Sheetal as completed a Masters of Arts degree (School of Cultural Histories and Futures) on a scholarship, and holds a bachelors degree in Psychology and English Literature. She is particularly passionate about refugee health and keenly interested in ethics and social responsibility. Sheetal occasional dabbles in filmmaking and writing. 

Dr Jane Currie

Dr Jane Currie is Professor of Nursing at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. Jane's program of research explores the impact of health services on access to health care for underserved populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness. Jane is a veteran of the British Army and Australian Army, including operational tours of duty to Iraq and Indonesia, serving as a Nursing Officer. Jane has clinical experience in emergency and primary health care settings and currently practices as a nurse practitioner in homeless health.

Professor Charlotte Hespe AM, PhD, MBBS (Hons), DCH (Lon), FRACGP, FAICD,  GCUT (UNDA)

Charlotte Hespe is a GP and Practice Owner in Glebe. She also works as Head of GP and Primary Care Research for UNDA. Charlotte is a Board Director for CESPHN . Her PhD was completed on implementing Best Practice guidelines in the real world of Australian General Practice – using CVD preventive care as the topic for the opportunity to improve. Charlotte has been appointed a member of the order of Australia with recognition on the COVID-19 Honor roll.

Melissa Hobbs

Melissa Hobbs is Senior Manager of Population Health at Healthy North Coast (North Coast PHN), with over 25 years’ experience working in the health sector at the national, state and regional level. With a background in public health research and policy analysis, predominantly population and preventive health, Melissa is passionate about addressing the impact that the social determinants of health have on health outcomes for priority populations.

Damien House, Project Officer, Cancer Institute NSW

Damien House is a proud Aboriginal man from the inner city suburb of Redfern. Damien has worked in Aboriginal Health for over 10 years. Damien has been very successful in creating programs that benefit the Aboriginal peoples and communities across NSW. Damien was a part of the Parliamentary enquiry that supported bringing in new medications for Hepatitis C. Damien has also created a show called Two Men In Your Head that talks about Aboriginal Men’s Health on KOORI RADIO 93.7 FM Live & Deadly Monday night’s 8 –to 9 PM. Damien is currently studying a Bachelor of Health Science with Charles Sturt University and is in his second year. Damien joins CINSW as the Project Lead for CTG 715 Health checks. Damien hopes to create a healing house once his degree is completed that looks to support Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people who suffer from health conditions such as, OCD, PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety.

Professor Vivienne Milch, Medical Director, and Head, Clinical Policy Advice Branch, Cancer Australia
MBBS (Hons), MHPol, GAICD    

Professor Vivienne Milch is Medical Director and Head, Clinical Policy Advice Branch, at Cancer Australia. She provides strategic clinical policy advice and leadership to support Cancer Australia’s work to minimise the impact of cancer, address disparities, and improve the health outcomes of people affected by cancer.

Professor Milch is the medical advisor to the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care on cancer screening policy, and the Chair of the Expert Advisory Committee for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program. She holds professorial appointments at the Caring Futures Institute at Flinders University and the School of Medicine at University of Notre Dame, Sydney. 

Prior to joining Cancer Australia, Professor Milch was a General Practitioner and clinical researcher at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. 

Dr Gary Nicholls, Clinical Director Medicine / Primary Care, Justice Health NSW
MBBS(Lon), FRACGP, MRCGP(UK), MRCP(UK), DCH(RCPI), MA BA(Cantab)

Dr Gary Nicholls is a dually trained hospital physician and GP with more than 30 years experience as a doctor in the UK and Australia – where he has lived since 2001.

He has extensive experience in hospital medicine, community health and general practice in both the UK and Australia. He is especially passionate about developing ways to ‘join up’ services between primary and community care and hospital care – aiming to help all patients better navigate the health system.

Gary is Clinical Director of Medicine & Primary Care at Justice Health NSW – with multiple leadership roles that aim to improve clinical services across Justice Health and NSW Health in general. He contributes to the medicolegal support of Justice Health as a medical expert.

Gary also works part time as a General Practitioner in Double Bay, Sydney and enjoys the great variety of patients he sees in the Community. He is also a Board Director of the Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network and a Conjoint Senior Lecturer in Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital Clinical School, University of New South Wales.

He holds Membership and Fellowship of a number of Medical Colleges and Professional Associations locally and internationally. He has published widely in quality use of medicines and regularly presents at local and international conferences in his areas of expertise.

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.

Prior to her appointment in July 2022 as the NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor O’Brien was the Director of the Kids Cancer Centre at the Sydney Children’s Hospital for six years and Director of the Transplant and Cellular Therapies Program for 18 years, leading a team of more than 200 clinical and research staff. Professor O’Brien was instrumental in driving the vision for Australia's first Children's Comprehensive Cancer Centre at the Randwick Precinct and the Zero Childhood Cancer Precision Medicine Program.

Professor O’Brien has held numerous national and international executive and advisory board positions, including Chair of the Cancer Australia Advisory Board, Vice Chair (Asia, Africa and Australia) Advisory Committee of the Centre for International Bone Marrow Transplant Research, Vice Chair and Board Director, Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology and Oncology Group (ANZCHOG), Board Director, Australian & New Zealand Transplant and Cellular Therapies, and Board Director, Children’s Cancer Institute.

Professor O’Brien is a Conjoint Professor in Oncology within the School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, and has authored more than 110 publications on leukaemia, transplant, cellular therapies and health system research.

In addition to her medical qualifications and roles, she holds an MBA and Master of Law (Health). In 2019, Professor O’Brien was named one of the top 10 Australian Women of Influence, winning the Innovation category.

Dr Abhijit Pal

Abhi Pal is a medical oncologist who works as a staff specialist medical oncologist in South Western Sydney and has a special interest in early phase cancer clinical trials and also treating thoracic and genitourinary malignancies.  He completed a fellowship at the internationally renowned Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute for Cancer Research in the United Kingdom from 2019 –to 2020 and worked in the Drug Development Unit. He has recently been awarded a PhD through The University of Sydney (supervised by Professor Frances Boyle), looking at ways to improve the representation of patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) on to cancer clinical trials, and he was funded by an NHMRC Postgraduate Research scholarship to complete this work.  South West Sydney is one of the most diverse populations in Australia and he has a strong academic and clinical interest in the care of patients from CALD backgrounds, and in particular, their ability to get on to cancer clinical trials.

Karen Price, Deputy CEO ACON

Karen Price has over 25 years experience working in senior Federal and State Government roles, and in the not for profit sector. She has lead significant health program areas; including HIV and LGBTQ+ health, mental health, aged care, and drug and alcohol. Karen has a strong track record in service innovation, policy development and implementation, strategic partnerships and community engagement. She is currently the Deputy CEO of ACON; a member of the NSW Women’s Advisory Committee and a number of governmental policy implementation committees; and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales.   

Associate Professor Nicole Rankin,Head, Evaluation and Implementation Science Unit, Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne

Qualifications: BA(Hons), MSc, PhD (Behavioral Science in Relation to Medicine)

Overview of areas of specialisation: Implementation Science, Lung Cancer, Cancer Screening and Early Detection, Survivorship, Psycho-oncology, Multidisciplinary Teams and Models of Care, Health Services Research

A/Prof Nicole Rankin is an implementation scientist with an active portfolio of translational ‘evidence into practice’ research that impacts directly on practice and policy. A significant focus of A/Prof Rankin’s research program is in lung cancer, extending from screening and early detection through to multidisciplinary care, palliation, and survivorship. Her research program extends into other cancers (head, neck and breast) and psychosocial aspects of cancer control. A/Prof. has expertise at the nexus of cancer policy and program implementation and is committed to embedding equity in preventative health programs and practice in the Australian health system. 

A/Prof Rankin is Chief Investigator (CIA) on two lung cancer screening grants (NHMRC Ideas Grant) MRFF Improving Diagnosis in Cancers with Low Survival Rates). She is CI on a Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (GACD) and New Zealand Health Research Council grant to optimize lung cancer screening invitation processes for Māori communities [$2M], and CI (implementation science lead) on eight Category 1 grants worth more than $14M, including an Australian trial integrating smoking cessation within lung cancer screening to improve primary prevention and screening outcomes. 

A/Prof Rankin led two consultancies to prepare evidence reviews on lung cancer screening for Cancer Institute NSW (2019) and Cancer Australia (2020) and was a key leader in lung cancer screening feasibility scoping work for Cancer Australia alongside colleague Dr Claire Nightingale (2021). 

She was awarded the prestigious Leslie (Les) J. Churchill Fellowship (2020) to explore strategies used to engage disadvantaged communities in international lung cancer screening programs. A/Prof Rankin contributed her expertise to Lung Foundation Australia as Chair of the Blueprint Reform reports which have been instrumental in influencing policy change in lung cancer care at national and state levels. 

A/Prof Rankin was previously the Director of Sydney Health Partner’s Implementation Science Program at University of Sydney (2019-22) and was instrumental in establishing the T3 evidence into practice program at Sydney Catalyst Translational Cancer Research Centre (TCRC). Her career has spanned working across government cancer agencies (2001-2006), charities (2017-2019), and academia (2006-2009, 2012-present).

Associate Professor Emily Stone

Associate Professor Emily Stone is a respiratory physician and clinician-researcher at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and the University of NSW.  Her research interests include lung cancer screening, tobacco control and the impact of multidisciplinary team care.  She has served as past Chair of the IASLC Tobacco Control Committee and TSANZ Tobacco Control SIG.  She is the current Deputy Chair of the Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology Clinical and Research Reports.  She is committed to equity of access in lung cancer screening, integration of smoking cessation into lung cancer screening programs and to universally available, high-quality multidisciplinary lung cancer care.