COGNO Board

Clinical Professor Harrup FRACP FRCPA completed dual fellowships in Medical Oncology and Clinical and Laboratory Haematology in 2000. She has been a full-time clinician at RHH for 24 years and is Director of Cancer and Blood Services. She has a passionate interest in clinical research, particularly in the areas of Neuro-Oncology, Malignant Haematology and Late Effects. She is an experienced investigator across Phase I, II and III clinical trials. Prof Harrup has been a member of the Trial Management Committee for several Australian collaborative trials group multicentre clinical trials, including trials run by COGNO, ANZUP, and AGITG, and is Chair of the ALLG APML5 Trial Management Committee. She has more than 10 years’ experience as a Board Director of several NFPs and is passionate about fostering early career researchers.

Selected Professional Memberships
Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology Member, 2007-present (Deputy Chair 2021-)
Australian Brain Cancer Mission Strategic Advisory Group 2021-2024
Australian Brain Cancer Mission Expert Advisory Panel 2024- present
Australian Tele-trials National Steering Committee 2022- present
Australian Institute of Company Directors 2013-present
Medical Oncology Group of Australia Member 2001 -present (Chair 2014-2016)
Australian Tele-trials National Steering Committee 2022-present

A/Prof. Koh is an academic Radiation Oncologist, working as a clinician researcher at Liverpool Hospital, NSW and Conjoint Associate Professor, University of New South Wales. A/Prof. Koh has over 20 years sub-specialty expertise in neuro-oncology and haematological cancers. A/Prof. Koh major research directions include brain tumour research in adult and paediatric patients as well as cancer survivorship research.

A/Prof. Koh has received research support of over $62 million (CI involvement) in competitive funding, including over $60 million in brain tumour-related projects and $2.2 million in cancer survivorship research. She holds CIB status for the MRFF-funded COGNO trial precision oncology LUMOS2 trial in adult recurrent lower grade glioma, currently recruiting to novel drug interventions across Australia and Canada.
She is co-lead for the largest multi-centre FIG study (FET-PET in Glioblastoma), a MRFF funded trial involving TROG, COGNO and ARTnet.

Her role as the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO) Chair, she leads a collaborative network of brain tumour trial sites across Australia, working to develop and deliver both investigator-initiated trials across the collaborative trials landscape as well as working with industry partners. A/Prof. Koh has played a key role across the COGNO trial portfolio includring MAGMA, VERTU and NUTMEG. She has involvement with ASNO as well as RANZCR Asia-Pacific Radiation Oncology Special Interest Group with outreach activities in the Asia-Pacific.

A/Prof Georgia Halkett is a Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University. A/Prof Halkett is co-lead for the Cancer Domain in the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute and Director of Graduate Research for the Curtin School of Nursing. She recently completed a Cancer Council of WA Research Fellowship at Curtin University. A/Prof Halkett practiced as a radiation therapist before moving into research. Her program of research focuses on understanding and addressing cancer patients and carers’ psychosocial and information needs, communication between health professionals and cancer patients, survivorship, return to work and research in radiation therapy. A/Prof Halkett led the Care-IS trial which consisted of providing a nurse-led supportive care intervention to carers of people diagnosed with high grade glioma. She has developed expertise in using different research methodologies including RCTs, mixed methods studies and qualitative studies.

A/Prof Georgia Halkett has been on the COGNO management committee since 2007. She is currently a member of the inaugural Board of COGNO. She is also a Board member for the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of The Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group.

Larissa Brown has over 20 years’ experience in company administration with significant experience in corporate and regulatory management, ASIC and ASX corporate compliance, share registry management, shareholder communications, annual report preparation.

Dr Vino Pillay has a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and more than 15 years of postdoctoral experience as a cancer researcher, with a focus on the development of novel therapeutic strategies to achieve better clinical outcomes for patients with brain and colorectal cancers. She held appointments as a Senior Research Fellow at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, the Hudson Institute for Medical Research and St Vincent’s Institute for Medical Research, among other cancer research positions. Her skills also encompass strategic program management at a leadership level, where Dr Pillay worked as a Program Manager for the innovative Distributed Leadership Program (for Cancer Research and Translation) at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Alliance with a focus on research and educational initiatives, followed by a senior leadership role as Program Manager of the Victorian Integrated Cancer Services (VICS) Optimal Care Summits. She is experienced in academic, healthcare and commercial settings and has led multi-site and multidisciplinary projects and research collaborations (at both national and international levels). She has a very strong passion for enabling the rapid translation of research into clinical practice by developing and implementing innovative system changing programs to improve the lives of patients with cancer.