I am pleased to start this newsletter with exceptional news – we are delighted to welcome Bendigo Health as our second Associate Member of the VCCC Alliance. This follows the appointment of Albury Wodonga Health earlier this year. We are committed as an alliance to improving outcomes for all Victorians who experience cancer, and the addition of two regional cancer centres marks a pivotal milestone in our ongoing journey towards achieving excellent outcomes for all.
Bendigo Health has worked closely with the alliance for some time, as many regional cancer centres have, including Albury Wodonga Health. A highlight was the Consumer Engagement Forum held in partnership with, and at Bendigo Health, in December 2024 (along with Loddon Mallee Integrated Cancer Service). Our Research and Education Lead, Regional Oncology, Dr Sam Harris also hails from Bendigo Health, and we are grateful for the expertise he is bringing to this role – including with his involvement in a national program, the Regional Cancer Forums. We are excited about the possibilities these news memberships are offering to our alliance as a whole, all of our members, and the patients who will ultimately benefit from the collaborations that will emerge as a result.
Continuing the good news theme, it is my pleasure to introduce you to our newest Board member, Melissa le Mesurier. Melissa, who is also Chair of our Cancer Consumer Advisory Committee, is the first consumer appointed to our Board. Her appointment is indicative that consumers are truly at the heart of the alliance, from governance to project implementation. I’m extremely proud of the leading work our alliance has done in this space – the appointment has been driven by a foundational consumer engagement strategy, that has simultaneously opened doors for consumers to be involved in research and education, as well as supporting consumers to maximise their participation. We are honoured to have Melissa engaged in this way to share her valuable consumer perspectives at a governance level.
Don’t miss our Lung Cancer Screening Symposium, 23 May. The calibre and multidisciplinary breadth of speakers is truly exciting, with representatives from Cancer Australia (including Medical Director Vivienne Milch), the Victorian Department of Health, clinical specialists, consumers bringing their lived experience, experts on reaching diverse communities, and how the program can be delivered to the furthest flung corners of our country – such as the Heart of Australia trucks that will roll across the nation offering mobile screening. A key highlight will be the session dedicated to building a person-centred culturally safe model of care for First Nation communities, featuring national leaders in cancer control including A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths (Flinders University) and A/Prof Lisa Whop (Australian National University). One of the Program Chairs, and our Lung Cancer and Lung Cancer Screening Research and Education Lead, A/Prof Gavin Wright discusses the importance of this event in this edition.
Many of you would have joined us for the second Data Connect Showcase held at the VCCC on 31 March and attended by the Health Minister, The Hon Mary-Anne Thomas MP. More than 150 people packed Level 13, including a who’s who of health data specialists. This is foundational program of the Alliance and the research that is emerging is critical to innovation in cancer control (24 projects to date) through the powerful opportunity to link primary care, hospital and cancer registry data and study the continuum of cancer care. Further funding is essential to continue this program, and we have been working extremely hard to secure it – investment in this program that will provide the evidence-base to improve outcomes for people affected by cancer in Victoria and beyond.
Congratulations to our members who have been recognised in the NHMRC Research Excellence Awards. They are awarded annually to top-ranked researchers and teams following peer review of applications to NHMRC's highly competitive grant schemes.
Professor Laura Mackay, University of Melbourne and The Doherty Institute
NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Awards - Basic Science (Leadership)
Professor Marie-Liesse Asselin-Labat, WEHI
NHMRC Fiona Stanley Synergy Grant Award
Associate Professor Louise Cheng, University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
NHMRC Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award
Prof Prue Francis, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Vincents Hospital and University of Melbourne
Featured in 10 of the best NHMRC research projects for her landmark work on “Global collaborative trials lead to better outcomes for young women with breast cancer"
Finally, please join me in congratulating Associate Professor Shom Goel from Peter Mac and University of Melbourne who has been awarded the highly prestigious Gottschalk medal, and Prof Jane Visvader from the WEHI, awarded the Ruby Payne-Scott Medal and Lecture - both from the Australian Academy of Sciences.
The recognition of so many outstanding cancer researchers from Victoria reminds us all how privileged we are to work in cancer research, care and education in our state.
