Individual and team leadership have been recognised in the VCCC Alliance inaugural Leading for Impact Awards acknowledging exceptional leadership in improving outcomes for those affected by cancer.
Following a hotly contested nomination process, the awards were presented at the VCCC Alliance Research Conference dinner. Three categories were recognised: Outstanding Leadership by Example, Outstanding Team Leader and Outstanding Changemaker.
Congratulations to all the winners on this well-deserved recognition.
Outstanding Leadership by Example
Associate Professor Kaylene Simpson, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
A/Prof Simpson, the Head of the Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics at Peter Mac, was recognised in this award as an individual with positive influence, who commits to their own personal development, has strong ‘people-building’ skills and sees possibilities through the introduction of innovative practices and getting things done. She displayed these characteristics by bringing innovative new technologies to the Parkville precinct, which have benefited researchers. A mentor who inspires a new generation of scientists, she is a founding member of the Peter Mac Gender Equity Committee and was instrumental in establishing the Lea Medal, Peter Mac’s prestigious award for outstanding female research leaders.
Accepting her award, A/Prof Simpson said leadership was not only about the individual but the people around them.
“I’ve always believed that leadership is action by example and the journey is part of the process."
"I have had the enormous privilege of working with a vast number of students, postdocs and group leaders, in a highly collaborative way, but also in a more personal way. By the nature of my role, I’m often a sounding board for those who seek guidance and support.”
Outstanding Team Leader
Ms Narelle McPhee, Bendigo Health
Ms McPhee is the Research Manager of the Clinical Trials Unit at Bendigo Health Cancer Centre. She was recognised with this award which is given to someone who shows significant leadership skills, including leading staff members, developing employees’ talents, successfully managing an efficient and effective unit, team or organisation at the highest level and have worked to improve their unit, team or organisation. Ms McPhee organised a workshop on the team’s core values; training to build resilience; and developed team members to act as back-ups for each other. A testament to this group’s excellence, their site won the 2022 Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group Outstanding Site Award. She has engaged extensively with consumers.
Ms McPhee said she was honoured to receive the award, which her team nominated her for. “To be told that I had won this award came as a complete surprise,” she said in her acceptance speech.
"Whilst I am very grateful to my team for doing this, there is no ‘I’ in team. I work with a team of dedicated, hard-working, caring, passionate and fun individuals who make coming to work an absolute joy. I am so proud of the care they provide to our clinical trial participants and their contribution to cancer research.”
Outstanding Changemaker
Rare Cancer Leadership Team, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute
The Rare Cancer Leadership Team developed and established two clinical trials which resulted in highly effective immunotherapy to rare cancer patients across Australia. The outcomes have been published in six high-impact journals to date. Both clinical trials were developed in close collaboration with Rare Cancers Australia, the peak consumer group for this under-served patient population. One of the clinical trials targeted equitable access to treatment for regional patients, minimising the requirement for many regional Australian patients to travel to urban centres for treatment.
“The trial concepts have and will deliver potentially lifesaving treatment to a greater number of rare cancer patients in Australia, and likely the world,” the team’s award submission said.
Team members:
Dr Oliver Klein
A/Prof Andreas Behren
Mrs Kylie Wilkie
Prof Jonathan Cebon
Dr Jodie Palmer
Dr Jessica Duarte
Prof David Thomas
Dr Mandy Ballinger
Mr Keith Thornton
Mrs Vera Terry
Dr Zia Ansari
Prof Michael Brown
A/Prof Matteo Carlino
Dr Howard Chan
A/Prof Ian Collins
Dr Sam Harris
Dr Rosemary Harrup
Medical Oncologist Damien Kee
Dr Lam Wei-Sen
Dr Megan Lyle
Prof Michael Michael
Dr Gaik Quah
Dr Gordon Ratcliff
Prof Sabe Sabesan
Dr Javier Torres-Corredor
Dr Craig Underhill
Dr Wong Shu Fen
A/Prof Rob Zielinski
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