ANZGOG members were recognised for their outstanding contributions to improving outcomes for everyone with a lived experience of gynaecological cancer during the ANZGOG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting conference dinner.
The ANZGOG Recognition Awards are a chance to recognise members who have made a significant and outstanding leadership contribution to ANZGOG over a sustained period of time. Join us in congratulating these members for making a genuine impact on ANZGOG’s research and on the lives of many in the community.
MICHAEL FRIEDLANDER AM AWARD
Winner: Dr Nicola Meagher
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Dr Meagher was recognised as an emerging leader in ovarian cancer research. During her PhD, Nicola made significant contributions to the clinical guidelines for diagnosis of a rare histological subtype of ovarian cancer – mucinous ovarian cancer. Nicola was also awarded the ‘Best Pre-clinical Poster Award’ later in the conference.
Nicola is a Research Fellow at the University of Sydney and within the Daffodil Centre, she is a member of the Equity Working Group, and leads mentoring initiatives for higher degree research students and early career researchers. She works at a national and international level to improve outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer.
RESEARCH PIONEER AWARD
Winner: Professor Anna DeFazio AM
This award acknowledges innovative research that has made a vast difference in gynaecological cancer. ANZGOG congratulates Professor Anna DeFazio AM for deservedly winning this award.
Anna is a renowned translational researcher who heads the Gynaecological Oncology Research Laboratory at the Centre for Cancer Research, the Westmead Institute for Medical Research. She holds the position of Sydney-West Chair in Translational Cancer Research, at the University of Sydney, at Westmead Hospital, and has a long-standing commitment to translational research with an emphasis on improving treatment outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
Anna is Chair of ANZGOG’s TR-ANZGOG Steering Committee, a translational research initiative that will add value to important clinical trials in women with gynaecological cancers by supporting the collection and use of biospecimens for further research. She is also a member of ANZGOG’s Research Advisory Committee, Ovarian Tumour Type Working Group and OASIS Steering Committee, and has been an influential figure in ANZGOG’s membership for many years.
ANZGOG CHAIR’S COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER AWARD
Winner: Ms Wanda Lawson
This award identifies a remarkable community volunteer who goes above and beyond to improve outcomes for women affected by gynaecological cancer. ANZGOG recognises Wanda Lawson for her significant contributions as a consumer, volunteer and research advocate on ANZGOG’s board, committees, and in the community for over 12 years.
Wanda is the former Chair of ANZGOG’s Consumer Research Panel, where she led a small team of women with a lived experience of gynaecological cancer to effectively represent the needs and expectations of gynaecological cancer consumers and helped set general research directions and priorities and shape research for ANZGOG.
She continues to be a passionate advocate for ANZGOG, WomenCan, and gynaecological cancer research.
CLINICAL TRIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Winner: Associate Professor Alison Davis
The Clinical Trial Achievement Award acknowledges someone who has led practice-changing gynaecological cancer research. Congratulations to Assoc Prof Alison Davis for winning this award and for the recognition as a true leader in ANZGOG’s community. Alison has been involved with ANZGOG for many years, she is currently a Board Director and the immediate past Chair of the Research Advisory Committee (2017 – Feb 2023). She is held in high regard by many in the gynae oncology world.
Alison is a Senior Staff Specialist in Medical Oncology at The Canberra Hospital and Conjoint Senior lecturer at the Australian National University. Her subspeciality clinical areas include gynaecological and breast cancer and she is actively involved in clinical research in both areas. Her main research focus is QoL and End of Life care in women with gynaecological malignancies. She is highly committed to ensuring ANZGOG performs high quality research with the goal of improving outcomes for all women with gynaecological malignancies.
OUTSTANDING CLINICAL TRIAL SITE AWARD
Winner: Auckland City Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai
This award recognises an outstanding ANZGOG clinical trial team that advocates for ANZGOG studies, delivering cutting-edge treatment and trial opportunities for gynae cancer patients. The award was accepted on stage by Dr Michelle Wilson and Maddy Williams, but many members from the site (pictured above) were at the awards to celebrate together.
Over the last five years, the Te Puriri o Te Ora Research team at the Auckland City Hospital has actively strived to open as many ANZGOG trials as possible to enable increasing opportunities for those with a diagnosis of a gynaecological cancers. They have sort additional grants and explored new funding models with grants achieved for ICON9, ATTEND, ADELE, STRIVE and PARAGON II. They are currently working towards opening the DOMENICA and XPORT trials. Their research unit has also been the first to achieve a decentralized trial model to enable wider access across Aotearoa with a trial in ovarian cancer. They are currently working to open satellite sites for ADELE and PARAGON II.
ANZGOG applauds the entire Te Puriri o Te Ora research team for their outstanding efforts and contribution to advancing gynaecological cancer research.
Join us in congratulating the winners for their outstanding achievements.
ANZGOG also thanks its 1,300 members working in the gynae cancer space who continue to advance lifesaving gynaecological cancer research. Thank you for your ongoing support.
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