This year the HCRA office will be closed from Wednesday 23rd December 2015 to Tuesday 5th January 2016. The office will re-open on Wednesday 6th January 2016.
On Friday 27 November HCRA hosted the Hunter Cancer Research Symposium #HcraSymp15 at Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) .150 delegates registered for this event. We had a wide range of presenters who reflected the commitment of HCRA to the translational cancer spectrum of Basic Science through to Implementation.
Particular highlights of this wonderful event included our two keynote speakers: Prof Stephen Fox and Prof Bogda Koczwara.
Stephen Fox is Director of Pathology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and an NHMRC Practioner Fellow. He spoke about the “Implementation of next generation sequencing for cancer into a diagnostic pathology laboratory: evolution or revolution.”
Prof Bogda Koczwara, a medical oncologist and a senior staff specialist at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, discussed "How context matters-a dissemination & implementation primer for cancer clinicians.”
We had 45 fabulous poster presentations which delegates were able to enjoy while socialising.
This year we introduced our Rapid Fire Poster Session which was a great way to end the afternoon. These impressive presenters were able to distil the essence of their poster into a two minute presentation and attendees were able to enjoy 10 speakers in the space of thirty minutes!
With so many high-quality presenters it was very difficult to nominate a best. Following a rigorous process of peer review prize winners in each category were announced. They are as follows: Pradeep Tanwar, Sebastiaan Goulooze, Callum Rigby, Gillian Gould, Melanie Predebon, Vahid Heravi Shargh.
In a research ‘tour de force’, Newcastle dominated at the recent Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Radiologists Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide (‘the ASM’). This ASM is the peak meeting for Radiation Oncologists in Australia and New Zealand. Four of our registrars were selected from a highly competitive pool of abstracts for oral presentations in the Varian Prize session. This is a hotly contested event, which is often seen as the scientific highlight of the ASM, and is strongly targeted by large capital city institutions as an opportunity to showcase their work. Even though Newcastle was the only non-capital to have representation at this forum the presence was strong, with 6 institutions having one presentation, one had two, and the Hunter standing out with four. Kate Martin, Yuvnik Trada, Michael Jones and Raymond Wu all did themselves and their institution proud with confident performances, often having to field some curly questions from the audience.
Capping off a great effort, Yuvnik Trada was awarded the Varian Prize for the best research presentation, only hours after hearing that he had won the Gold Medal for the best effort in the Phase 1 exam. Although it will be a tough act to follow, the Department of Radiation Oncology at Calvary Mater Newcastle is strongly supportive of our research culture, and confident that our national research profile will continue to grow from strength to strength.
Don’t forget to visit www.hcra.com.au and www.biobank.com.au for the latest updates on the research conducted across our membership, how to access samples in the biobank, funding opportunities and much more.
Cancer Council NSW Program Grants worth $4.4 Million
Two Hunter-based research teams from the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health have scored $4.4 million in Cancer Council NSW funding to improve cancer service and prevention delivery.
The Health Behaviour team has been awarded a five-year Cancer Council NSW Program Grant, worth $2.2 million, which will examine the effectiveness of a multifaceted, systems-based intervention designed to improve cancer survivors’ psychosocial wellbeing by overcoming evidence practice gaps in quality cancer care. Six oncology treatment centres from rural and urban NSW will be involved in the research. The innovative system will integrate cancer treatment with additional care strategies including emotional support, education and information resources, and relief from physical discomfort. It is expected to reduce the anxiety and depression that some cancer survivors experience and enhance their quality of life.
Chief Investigators:
Rob Sanson-Fisher (CIA)
Professor Phyllis Butow (University of Sydney)
Professor Martin Tattersall (University of Sydney)
Professor Cate D’Este (ANU)
Prof Chris Doran (HMRI)
Assoc. Professor Jarad Martin (HNELHD)
AIs: Prof Sally Redman (Sax Institute), Prof Sharon Strauss (University of Toronto), Dr Heather Buchan (ACSQHC), A/Prof Tony Proietto (HNELHD), A/Prof Frans Henskens, Mr Daniel Barker (University of Newcastle), Mr Allan Benson and Mr
Professor John Wiggers from the HNE Population Health unit and the University of Newcastle has been granted $2.2 million, also over five years, to run a community-based study aimed at reducing primary risk factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition and obesity.
Congratulations to both of these research teams, and to all of our HCRA members who were successful in the major funding rounds for 2016.
UoN 2015 Faculty of Health and Medicine Staff Awards
On Friday 27 November 2015 Professor Judith Scott presented the UoN 2015 Faculty of Health and Medicine Staff Awards. The event recognised 49 staff members and their achievements across teaching and learning, research, workplace health and safety, international and Indigenous collaboration, community engagement, and exceptional service by academic and professional staff. HCRA would like to congratulate the following members whose research excellence was recognised during the presentation.
Dr Lei Jin: Faculty of Health and Medicine Research Award. http://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/lei-jin
Prof Xu Dong Zhang: Faculty of Health and Medicine International Award.
You are invited to come along and celebrate a fantastic year of medical research at the HMRI Christmas Party
Date: Thursday 17th December Time: 3:00pm-6:00pm Venue: Please meet in the Level 4 Atrium of the HMRI Building RSVP: RSVP’s are essential, please RSVP by Thursday December 10th.
To ensure everyone’s safety, if you wish to consume alcohol at the Christmas Party you will not be permitted within the laboratories after the party.
Please note that this event is limited to HMRI-affiliated researchers only and due to size constraints plus one’s are unfortunately unable to attend.
January 2016
Call for Abstracts on Women's Health
The Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health will be hosting an inaugural scientific meeting in Newcastle from 3-6 May 2016 and is now calling for abstracts. Abstract topics can encompass any area of women’s health research, although presentations that encompass a life course perspective are most in keeping with the conference theme of Reaping the Benefits of longitudinal research.
On behalf of the Organising Committee, we would like to extend an invitation to all researchers and clinicians to join us at the 2016 Sydney Cancer Conference (SCC2016), being held at Australian Technology Park in Sydney on 22 & 23 September 2016. SCC2016will be the fifth Sydney Cancer Conference and for the first time will be co-hosted by the major NSW universities: The University of Sydney, UNSW Australia, Macquarie University, Wollongong University and Newcastle University.
SCC2016 will foster the development of our future generation of cancer researchers, and provide a forum to showcase emerging research and areas of strength in cancer research in NSW.
The theme of the conference is "Bridging research and practice", which reflects the various elements of cancer research along the translational research continuum. The program will feature all areas of cancer research - basic biomedical, public health, clinical, psychosocial and implementation science - making the latest information and research available to delegates. Confirmed Keynote Speakers
The Sydney Cancer Conference 2016 Organising Committee is very proud to announce our confirmed keynote speakers:
Professor Carlos Caldas - University of Cambridge, UK
Professor Caroline Dive - Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, UK
Professor Colleen McBride - Emory University, USA
Registration & Abstract Submission
Registration and abstract submission for SCC2016 will open on Tuesday 1st March 2016. Visit the Conference website to join our mailing list to keep up to date with Conference developments.
We are always looking for information and news items to share with our members. If you have any news, information or feedback, please send it to us at hcra@newcastle.edu.au
For more information on Hunter Cancer Research Alliance please refer to our website www.hcra.com.au
