Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, today announced the appointments of the new Chair and Deputy Chair to the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Limited Board.
Professor Linda Kristjanson has been appointed as the Chairperson and Professor Robert Thomas OAM as Deputy Chairperson effective from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2020.
The Board will play a vital role overseeing the building of research collaborations between some of the brightest cancer researchers and clinicians in Victoria and will drive cancer education across the member sites of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre patients and staff last month moved into the state-of-the-art VCCC which aims to uncover the next generation of cancer breakthroughs and deliver the very best cancer care to patients.
The centre will feature 160 inpatient beds, 110 same-date beds, eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms and eight radiation therapy bunkers.
Professor Kristjanson, a leading academic and researcher, is currently the Vice-Chancellor and President of Swinburne University and is internationally recognised as a pioneer in palliative care research.
In an academic career spanning three decades across Australia, Canada and the United States, she has received more than $30 million in research funding and published more than 200 refereed papers.
She has extensive experience on boards including the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information, the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease and the International Centre for Radioastronomy Research, the Australian Synchrotron, AuScope and Australia’s Academic and Research Network.
Professor Thomas has served as the Chief Cancer Advisor to the Victorian Government since 2009 and was recently also appointed as Chair of Cancer Australia’s Advisory Council.
He has been instrumental in cancer reform and designing Victoria’s world leading system of care for cancer patients. During his career, he has been the Director of Surgical Oncology and Interim CEO at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, has published over 100 scientific papers and was awarded the Order of Australia in 2008 for service to medicine.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy
“In Victoria, we are home to some of the world’s leading cancer experts whose remarkable work is changing the lives of cancer patients.”
“Professor Kristjanson and Professor Thomas are both highly-esteemed world leaders in cancer research and care, whose passion, skills, knowledge and expertise will help guide the VCCC and its work into the future.”
“I thank the outgoing Chair and Deputy Chair Professor Richard Larkins and Dr George Morstyn for their hard work and commitment to making the vision of the VCCC a reality.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020