As the VCCC alliance embarks on a period of rapid expansion and development, success relies on our ability to create and implement better ways of working together to overcome cancer. Such a complex and ambitious task requires strong and dedicated leadership across all aspects of our comprehensive cancer agenda. We are delighted, therefore, to announce that Dr Kylie Mason has been appointed Chair of the VCCC Cancer Education and Training Advisory Committee (CETAC).
With qualifications and experience in cancer research, clinical practice and education, plus connections with many VCCC partners, Kylie was a stand out candidate for this important role.
Professor Grant McArthur, Executive Director of the VCCC said that Kylie brings the right skills and attributes at the right time to the alliance. “The stars really have aligned for this appointment. Our education team is firing on all cylinders to deliver an ambitious strategy that will position the VCCC as the national hub for cancer workforce education,” he said. “As new Chair of CETAC, Kylie will apply her extensive knowledge to guide our expert committee and VCCC staff team to support the development of a highly skilled, high calibre, sustainable workforce that is equipped to meet the future demands of cancer control in Victoria and beyond.”
Kylie is a dual trained academic haematologist (FRACP/FRCPA) with a clinical appointment in the Haematology Unit at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and a post-doctoral research fellow (NHMRC fellowship) at The University of Melbourne and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, She also completed a basic science PhD in cancer medicine at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. In addition, Kylie is actively involved in teaching medical students, basic and advanced physician trainees and nursing/allied health staff, and was recently appointed the subject co-ordinator for the basic haematology module of the post graduate Masters of Internal Medicine degree for the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney.
Kylie says she is committed to the vision of excellence shared by the VCCC partners and excited about the possibilities the role presents to contribute to cancer education in Victoria. “I am enthusiastic about the opportunities to expand education within the VCCC partners and beyond,” she said. “The VCCC is at a critical stage of its development, and education is a key component of its Strategic Research Plan 2017-20. I am looking forward to working with the staff and CETAC to deliver the programs and ensure we realise the potential of the alliance in this area.”
Chair of CETAC is an honorary position. The Board of the VCCC extends congratulations and gratitude to Kylie for taking up this key role in the alliance leadership team.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Kylie Mason is a Haematologist working with the Department of Clinical Haematology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a NHMRC Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Her PhD investigated the role of novel drugs in lymphoproliferative diseases in particular chronic lymphocytic leukaemia which in part led to the development of the new drug for this disease, Venetoclax. She is a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Economics Sub-Committee and the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Kylie has been recognised with numerous awards including the Premiers’ Award for Health and Medical Science and the L’Oreal for Women in Science Award. A survivor of childhood leukaemia, Kylie was also awarded the Young Victorian Achiever of the Year in 1996 for her work in advocacy and education for young people with cancer and chronic illness. Kylie has led a number of education initiatives including collaborative education with Haematologists in Vietnam and is a subject co-ordinator for the Masters of Internal Medicine degree with the University of Melbourne and University of Sydney.
