Post SNO 2024 Brain Cancer Update

Dr Sofia Mason is a medical oncologist at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, and PhD student at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. She is currently undertaking a basic science project exploring the role of androgen receptor signaling in glioblastoma supervised by A/Prof Christine Chaffer. Her clinical interests include neuro-oncology and breast cancer. Sofia has been involved in quality improvement and development activities with EviQ and the Co-operative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO).

Dr Claire Storey is a Research Officer in the Personalised Oncology Division at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. She obtained her PhD from La Trobe University in 2024, where she developed a novel model for Alzheimer’s disease. Claire has an extensive background in neuroscience having previously worked on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Since joining Professor Oliver Sieber’s group in 2021, her focus has been to establish a brain cancer organoid program for therapeutic discovery. Her work aims to improve the use of patient-derived tumour organoids as a preclinical model for translational brain cancer research.

A/Prof Hao-Wen Sim is a Sydney-based medical oncologist specialising in adult neuro-oncology and biostatistics. A graduate with Honours from the University of Melbourne (receiving the James Stewart Bequest for Surgery and a place on the Margaret Whyte Honour Board), he also holds a Master of Biostatistics from the University of Sydney, where he earned multiple prestigious accolades, including the Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia Star Graduate Award. He further honed his expertise with a neuro-oncology fellowship at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto.

A/Prof Sim plays key roles in advancing brain cancer research as Deputy Chair of the COGNO Scientific Advisory Committee, Chair of the International Clinical Research Subcommittee, and Clinical Lead for COGNO at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre. His clinical practice includes treating neuro-oncology patients at The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. His research focuses on the development and implementation of national brain cancer trials.

Dr. Jim Whittle is a Neuro-Oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Co-Head of the Brain Cancer Research Laboratory at WEHI. An emerging leader in Neuro-Oncology, he combines a deep understanding of basic biology with innovative drug development through patient-derived models and novel Phase 0 clinical trials.

Dr. Whittle holds multiple leadership roles, including Co-Director of Research Strategy at the Brain Cancer Centre, Management Committee Member as well as Chair of the Outreach and Education Committee for COGNO, and member of the research advisory committee for the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research. He is also dedicated to enhancing care and clinical trial enrolment for Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with brain tumours, and online survivorship and support initiatives like braintumoursonline.org (led together with Prof Kate Drummond at RMH).