Professor John Forbes AM has once again been named as one of "The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds" by Thomson Reuters.
A global collaborator in breast cancer clinical trials as Director of the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group, Professor Forbes has now been honoured with this accolade two years running. Professor Forbes is one of 103 Australian researchers on this list, and is the only Australian Oncologist in the field of clinical medicine.
This two-part study includes an 11 year assessment of research paper citations across 21 fields of science to rank the world's hottest researchers. Thomson Reuters have identified highly cited researchers who have published the greatest number of articles ranking among the top one percent by citations in their fields.More than 120,000 papers were assessed by analysts from a period between 2003 and 2013.
A clinical oncologist, Professor Forbes is aiming for a world free of breast cancer.
Over his 40-year career, Professor Forbes's pioneering breakthroughs have been credited with saving the lives of millions of women.An oncologist and academic, Professor Forbes is a member of the Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery and Information-Based Medicine.
Professor Forbes researches in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute's (HMRI) Cancer Program. HMRI is a partnership between the University, the Hunter New England Local Health District and the community.
HCRA would like to congratulate Professor Jim Denham, OAM for service to medicine and medical research. As a distinguished clinical researcher focused on cancer treatments, and Conjoint Professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, Prof Denham is dedicated to improving treatments for men with prostate cancer. His recent TROG 03.04 RADAR trial gave patients with newly diagnosed cancer a better chance of survival without increased long-term side effects.
Nick Zdenkowski is a medical oncologist and researcher based at the Calvary Mater Newcastle. He has just taken up a position as one of the inaugural Hunter New England Clinical Research Fellows. This scheme is an initiative of the Local Health District in collaboration with clinical departments and the University of Newcastle. It aims to build the skills of promising early career researchers, whilst allowing them to maintain a clinical practice. These fellowships, awarded across a number of health disciplines, demonstrate long term planning for integration of research into routine clinical practice in the region.
This fellowship will allow Nick to pursue his primary area of interest, breast cancer clinical trials. His focus is on decision-making about treatment of early stage breast cancer. His PhD, which is currently underway, includes a study testing a decision aid for women who have been offered neoadjuvant (pre-operative) systemic therapy for operable breast cancer. This study is recruiting patients at 4 sites in NSW and Victoria, including the Calvary Mater. Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (chemotherapy or endocrine therapy) is an option that some women with breast cancer may prefer, to shrink the tumour and therefore decrease the size of the operation. There are also two neoadjuvant clinical trials of novel treatment strategies recruiting at the Mater. For these reasons, among others, neoadjuvant therapy is increasingly used in the Hunter, but strategies to improve the implementation of this treatment strategy are required to give patients the opportunity to receive an evidence-based treatment that may benefit them.
Another project that is part of Nick’s Fellowship aims to optimise clinical trial recruitment in the region. This project, funded by a pilot grant by the HCRA, will survey patients across the region using a technique called a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). This study will identify how willing patients are to travel, change provider, or change hospital, in order to participate in a clinical trial. It will inform strategies to support patients’ participation in clinical trials.
Nick will also continue to see oncology patients, for clinical trials and in routine care, translating research to practice and vice versa.
Click Hereto view Dr Nicholas Zdenkowski's Research Profile
HCRA are very pleased to welcome Vivienne Moyle to our Operations Team as the Team Leader for Biobanking and Clinical Research within HCRA. Her role is to manage and support the clinical research and biobanking activities within HCRA including oversight of the Hunter Cancer Biobank (HCB). Vivienne has over 15 years’ experience working in health and human research in Australia and the United States including research governance and ethics and holds Masters degrees in counselling, education and political science. Vivienne will be based at the HCRA Office CMN Hospital site on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and at the HCB laboratory at HMRI on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Vivienne can be contacted via email: Vivienne.Moyle@newcastle.edu.au or phone: 4014 44764.
'Research uncovers link between contraceptive pill and reducing risk of ovarian cancer'
1233 ABC Newcastle, 17th February 2016 - A three-year study on tissues samples collected at John Hunter Hospital and led by HCRA member Dr Pradeep Tanwar has uncovered a link between the contraceptive pill and the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Read more...
The ClinTrial Refer Oncology NSW application was released in November 2015 and supplies a list of currently recruiting Oncology trials across NSW. The app is the result of collaboration between the Clinical Cancer Research Network (CCRN) and the ClinTrial Refer platform. To date, 14 Clinical Trial Units have signed up to the endeavour. A total of 132 actively recruiting trials across the state are now listed.
Future work is aimed at continued timely updating of trial data, expansion to get 100% coverage of Trial Units throughout the state and determine impact the app has on recruitment and cross referral of patients.
The app can be downloaded on iOS and Android through their relevant app stores. Any comments or suggestions are gratefully received and can be directed to Dr James Lynam at: james.lynam@calvarymater.org.au.
HCRA's Publication of the Month
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Panel Testing for Familial Breast Cancer: Calibrating the Tension between Research and Clinical Care
Ella R Thompson, Simone M Rowley, Simone McInerny, Lisa Devereux, Michelle W Wong-Brown, Alison H Trainer, Gillian Mitchell, Rodney J Scott, Paul A James, Ian G Campbell.
Gene panel sequencing is revolutionizing germline risk assessment for hereditary breast cancer. Despite scant evidence supporting the role of many of these genes in breast cancer predisposition, results are often reported to families as the definitive explanation for their family history. We assessed the frequency of mutations in 18 genes included in hereditary breast cancer panels among index cases from families with breast cancer and matched population controls.
Please email the HCRA office: hcra@newcastle.edu.au if you would like your publication listed in our next edition of Connect and on our website homepage as Publication of the Month.
Visit the HCRA Newsroom to see what else is making news this month.
The HCRA Implementation Science Flagship Program Steering Committee is calling for applications for pilot, ‘proof of concept’ and literature review project grants for commencement in 2016. The primary purpose of this funding is to support HCRA member applications for nationally competitive grant schemes (e.g. NHMRC project grants) which are relevant to T3 Implementation Science in cancer control.
Proposals may be:
1. Pilot or 'proof of concept' studies of up to two years duration that are requesting a budget of up to $20,000 (one year project), or $30,000 (two year project).
2. Literature reviews are aim to either a) establish an evidence-practice gap; or b) synthesise evidence of strategies for closing an evidence practice gap. A budget of up to $10,000 may be requested for reviews (max. one year duration). Visit the HCRA website for further information
HCRA is now welcoming applications from HCRA members for the first round of funding available in 2016, for travel that will occur between January - June 2016.
Please note that HCRA is pleased to announce that MCRs (5-15 years post doc) are now eligible to apply for this funding.
The aim of the scheme is to support RHD students, ECRs and MCRs to present their research findings at conferences and scientific meetings. Interested applicants should read the guidelines found below before emailing completed application forms to HCRA@newcastle.edu.au along with supporting documentation. This round of funding will remain open until the allocated funds for this initiative are exhausted. Visit the HCRA website for further information
Cancer Institute NSW 2016 Grants – Change to Opening Dates and Introduction to GMS (A new way of applying and submitting applications to the Institute)
Summary of changes:
Schemes available using new online GMS - Early Career Fellowships (ECF) & Career Development Fellowships (CDF)
Schemes to be submitted using downloadable form – Research Equipment Grants
Please note there has been a change to the previously advertised opening dates for the 2016 Grants Calendar. The Early Career and Career Development Fellowships opened on Thursday 18 February. Applications for these schemes will be available on the Institute’s Grants Management System (GMS).
The Research Equipment Grants (REG) also opened on Thursday 18 February. This scheme is not yet available on the Institute’s GMS. Applications for the REG scheme should be submitted using the downloadable form.
The introduction of the GMS presents a new way of applying and submitting applications to the Institute. One significant difference is that applications will be submitted directly by the researcher not the Administering Institution. Once an application has been submitted an email will automatically be sent to the Administering Institution Contact. An application cannot be changed once it has been submitted as such it is important that researchers have sought the necessary internal approvals and checks before an application is submitted. We would encourage researchers to share their applications with relevant parties (e.g. AI contacts, research officers, collaborators) prior to submission.
2016 Hunter Cancer Research Alliance Symposium - SAVE THE DATE
Watch this space for upcoming details regarding this event.
Save the Date: 22nd-23rd September 2016
Sydney Cancer Conference
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.
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
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
