Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Last night, the 2024 Peter Mac Awards lit up our Parkville campus as we celebrated the incredible achievements of our staff and volunteers. Hosted by Chief Executive Professor Jason Payne and Board Chair Professor Rosemary McKenzie, the event highlighted another stellar year in cancer care, research, and education. 🌟 With a record-breaking 130 nominations spanning every corner of Peter Mac, the awards recognised individuals and teams who truly embody Peter Mac’s values of excellence, compassion and innovation. 📋 See the full list of winners here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gGbFmtkR

Meet Michelle, Peter Mac’s Disability Liaison Officer, ensuring every patient feels supported and no one is left behind. This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we're celebrating inclusion and accessible care for all. Read Michelle's story: https://lnkd.in/g5CPUqrF #IDPwD2024 #IDPWD #inclusion #inclusionmatters

We are incredibly proud to share that five Peter Mac researchers have been named in Clarivate’s prestigious list of the top 1% most cited researchers worldwide for 2024. Their profound influence on their field, as evidenced by citation metrics in top-tier journals, highlights the global impact of their work and underscores Peter Mac’s commitment to advancing cancer research and care. Congratulations to A/Prof Paul Beavis, Prof Sherene Loi, Prof Ben Solomon, Prof Phillip Darcy and Professor Shahneen Sandhu. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eC-Za4Qz

Peter Mac is partnering with BreastScreen Victoria to bring a new breast screening clinic to our East Melbourne campus. Opening this week, free 10-minute breast screens will be available one day a week, increasing to three days a week in 2025. BreastScreen Victoria provides free mammograms for women and trans and gender-diverse people aged 50–74 without symptoms. Early detection saves lives, and now there's another convenient option in the heart of Melbourne. 📍 Location: Peter Mac’s East Melbourne campus, 2 St Andrews Place 📞 Book now: breastscreen.org.au or call 13 20 50 Read more: https://lnkd.in/g2wDY2fy #BreastScreenVictoria #PeterMac #CancerPrevention #BreastCancerAwareness #earlydetectioncansavelives

Dr Gerry Tonkin-Hill, Group Leader Computational Biology, has received a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant designed to help address the global issue of #antimicrobialresistance. Dr Tonkin-Hill’s research project aims to use a comprehensive framework to develop #genomic tools aimed at optimising #antifungal use, improving our understanding of #microbial transmission pathways, and analysing bacteria that decrease in abundance with an increase in fungal prevalence; this knowledge could aid in the discovery of greatly needed new antifungal agents.    Dr Tonkin-Hill’s research is important to our cancer patient population as new fungal pathogens from the Candida family are potentially a growing global health threat, with increasing resistance to crucial antifungal drugs. This is particularly dangerous for #immunocompromised individuals, including cancer patients and solid organ transplant recipients where fungal infections remain a major health risk impacting treatment outcomes and overall survival rates. Our ability to control this spread is hindered by limited genomic resources, especially in relation to Candida fungal infections. Read more about this, and other grants, hoping to tackle actimicrobial resistance: https://lnkd.in/gBXGiURM

Meet Daniel Tynan, a dedicated music therapist working at the Victorian Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Service here at Peter Mac. Through the universal language of music, Dan provides support, connection, and creativity to young people navigating the challenges of cancer treatment. For many adolescents and young adults, a cancer diagnosis disrupts a critical period of growth and self-discovery. Dan uses music therapy as a powerful tool to help patients express themselves, cope with their emotions, and regain a sense of control. Whether it’s writing original songs, playing instruments, or simply sharing favorite playlists, Dan tailors every session to reflect each individual’s unique tastes. #music #musictherapy #holisticcancercare

You'll know we recently joined forces with the University of Melbourne to open the Collaborative Centre for Genomic Cancer Medicine. Professor Sean Grimmond, the Centre’s inaugural Director, and A/Prof David Westerman, Peter Mac's Head of Haematopathology, joined Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)'s The Conversation Hour with Richelle Hunt to talk about the new centre's mission and future of genomic medicine. A fascinating listen!

Peter Mac has been named Australia's leading cancer research institute in The Australian newspaper's Research 2025 Magazine, reaffirming our position at the forefront of global cancer research and innovation. Peter Mac was also named the top research institute for Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy and Molecular Imaging, and four of our researchers were named as the leader in their field - Professor Michael Hofman, Professor Sherene Loi, Professor Monica Slavin & Dr Melanie Eckersley-Maslin. Professor Jayesh Desai, Acting Executive Director of Cancer Research, said the recognition highlights Peter Mac’s sustained excellence in groundbreaking discoveries and clinical advancements. “We are all driven by a singular focus, to make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer," he said. "Our researchers continue to push boundaries, delivering world-class innovations that improve patient outcomes.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gRbc8RZh

Pictured: WCMICS Chair & CEO Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Professor Jason Payne and WCMICS Clinical Director & CMO @ Peter Mac, Dishan Herath. Healthcare Leaders from WCMICS Member Health Services are gathered this afternoon to take part in our latest Strategic Consultation Workshop, watch this space for more updates and outcomes. #togetherforbettercancercare #serviceimprovement

📹 3 Minutes with Dr. Dish: Meet Peter Mac’s New CMO! Say hello to Dr. Dishan Herath - better known as Dish - our new Chief Medical Officer! 👋 With a background as a Medical Oncologist and Nuclear Physician, Dr. Dish stepped into the CMO role last month. Before that, he was leading the way as Acting Executive Director of Digital Healthcare Innovation. If you’ve used the Electronic Medical Record across the Parkville Precinct, you’ve seen Dr. Dish’s handiwork—he was instrumental in its rollout as Peter Mac’s Chief Medical Information Officer. His passion? Digital health and its power to transform cancer care. As CMO, this will be a major focus for him, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead! 🌟