Speaker bios

To download and print a pdf of the complete Summit programme together with speaker bios and details of dermoscopy course click here. Should you experience any difficulty downloading the pdf please email melnet@melanoma.org.nz for a copy.

Melanoma Summit 2011    Speakers

Bruce Armstrong

Bruce Armstrong is internationally recognised for his epidemiological research into the causes and prevention of skin cancer, melanoma and other cancers. He received the award for a lifetime of achievement in basic research into melanoma at the 6th World Congress on Melanoma in Vancouver in 2005 and the inaugural New South Wales Premier’s award for Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year in 2006. Bruce is a Professor of Public Health at The University of Sydney and has a continuing research program into genetic and environmental causes of cancer and the quality of cancer services.
(Sponsored by Cancer Society of New Zealand)

Richard Kefford

Richard Kefford AM MB BS PhD FRACP is Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital. He is Director of the Westmead Institute for Cancer Research, and Co-Director of Research at the Melanoma Institute of Australia (MIA), incorporating Sydney Melanoma Unit. He is Chief Investigator on an NHMRC Program Grant researching the molecular biology of melanoma, with particular focus on regulation of senescence and emergence of resistance to MAPK inhibitors. He has been an investigator on over 30 Clinical Trials in melanoma and leads MIA’s involvement in a number of Phase I, II, III and adjuvant trials of targeted anti-melanoma drugs. He is author of over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and has served as consultant to a number of interstate and international cancer organisations and biotechnology companies.
(Sponsored by Genesis Oncology Trust)

Lisa McFadyen

Melanoma Patients Australia was established in 2006 and Lisa was appointed CEO in August 2008. Since then, mpa has grown from offering patient support & information in Brisbane (QLD), to offering patient support services across 4 states and territories and 17 regions of Australia. Prior to her work with mpa, Lisa managed the Disability Employment Services of the Cerebral Palsy League of QLD, a role she held for over 10 years. In 1998 she was diagnosed with a level 2 melanoma and was surprised to discover that, despite Queensland having the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, peer support services for melanoma patients did not exist anywhere in Australia. Today, through the efforts of founder Brent Grace and others, mpa is the only patient-focused, patient-driven organisation in Australia, highlighting the importance of providing patients with access to a national network of peer support, which offers much needed hope and inspiration to patients in their journey with melanoma.
(Sponsored by Melanoma Foundation of New Zealand)

Peter Soyer

An academic dermatologist from Austria with over 25 years in the field, Professor H. Peter Soyer was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Dermatology Research Centre by The University of Queensland in 2007. His specific clinical expertise lies in dermatopathology, dermatooncology and is recognised as a world leader in dermoscopy and clinico-pathologic correlation of melanocytic proliferations. In recent years his scientific activities have broadened to include teledermatology, teledermatopathology and teledermoscopy. Within the dermatology field Professor Soyer is considered among the pioneers of dermoscopy of pigmented skin lesions, a non-invasive diagnostic method, and was involved in the development of the morphologic classification system currently used worldwide.
(Sponsored by MelNet)