Dr Alesha Thai is an early career clinician scientist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Austin Health. Her research is focused on head and neck cancer, with particular interest in a nasopharyngeal carcinoma which predominantly affects people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD).
Dr Thai is committed to addressing issues contributing to inequitable health care and is driven by her lived experiences as a second-generation immigrant as well as her clinical work managing patients with head and neck cancer.
Head and neck cancer can often affect patients who are from lower socioeconomic or CALD groups. She feels strongly that broad and concerted efforts are required to address the complex issues contributing to health inequity including recognizing institutional structures that perpetuate inequity.
Dr Thai also sits on the gender equity committee for Peter Mac’s research division.