The VCCC Alliance is sharpening its focus on gynaecological cancers with the appointment of a Research and Education Lead and Deputy Lead in Gynae-oncology.
After a lengthy search, we are delighted to announce Associate Professor Sumitra Ananda as Lead and Dr Niveditha Rajadevan as Deputy Lead within the Distributed Leadership team.
A/Prof Ananda is a Medical Oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Western Health and Epworth Healthcare, with additional roles in research and clinical trials. Dr Rajadevan is a Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at the Royal Women’s Hospital and PhD candidate.
The new R&E Leads are charged with championing collaboration in a systematic way across the alliance and broader cancer sector by integrating cancer research, education and clinical care into continuously improving patient outcomes.
Working with the VCCC Alliance Executive Director Professor Grant McArthur and VCCC Alliance team, A/Prof Ananda and Dr Rajadevan will provide leadership, strategic direction and expert advice to the research, education and training aspects of the Distributed Leadership program’s gynae-oncology stream. The goal is to embed the latest research and evidence more quickly into routine clinical practice.
Prof McArthur said since the Gynae-oncology role was established in 2018, significant activity had been undertaken including a needs analysis, scoping, research and educational programs in endometrial and ovarian cancer.
“We are thrilled to appoint A/Prof Ananda and Dr Rajadevan to the Lead and Deputy Lead Gynae-oncology positions, respectively,” he said. “Their combined expertise, spanning clinical and research perspectives from both a medical oncologist and surgeon, will contribute enormously to our Distributed Leadership Program.
“I am looking forward to working with A/Prof Ananda and Dr Rajadevan as they build a roadmap to facilitate change across the complete cancer pathway, including research, knowledge translation, education, leadership, and advocacy.”
About Associate Professor AnandaA/Prof Ananda completed her medical degree at King’s College London and trained in Australia as a medical oncologist. She specialises in treating gynaecological and gastrointestinal cancers, and holds multiple clinical, research and education positions including:
A/Prof Ananda is currently Chief Investigator on a protocol looking at circulating tumour DNA in ovarian cancer, in collaboration with WEHI. She has collaborated with ANZGOG, writing a protocol for a trial with a novel agent, a ROR-1 inhibitor in both ovarian and endometrial cancer.
“My goals are to continuing to establish myself as a leading national clinician researcher in gynae-oncology and gastrointestinal cancers, and to be a strong advocate for research and education in the field,” A/Prof Ananda said. “In this role, I hope to enhance collaborations and bring together the VCCC Alliance partners to grow research and education.”
Before joining the Royal Women’s Hospital, where she previously trained, Dr Rajadevan worked as a gynaecological oncologist at Auckland City Hospital. She has been involved in several research projects, including as Principal Investigator on a research project investigating the Molecular Profile of Endometrial Cancer in Young Women in New Zealand. While training at the Royal Women’s Hospital, she was a Principal Researcher investigating the role of serum HE4 levels in endometrial cancer, with the results published in the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Her PhD through the University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is on Testing Therapies for Mucinous Ovarian Cancer in Novel Patient-Derived Models. “I believe that as evidence-based approaches should underpin all clinical care, all attempts should be made to enable strong collaboration across the VCCC Alliance,” she said. “This would ensure more integrated cancer research, education and clinical care, and ultimately help improve patient outcomes.”
