Vice-Chancellor to chair Victorian cancer centre board

Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Linda Kristjanson has been appointed the new Chairperson of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Board.

Victorian Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, announced Professor Kristjanson’s appointment at the opening of the new VCCC on 17 July 2016. She also announced the appointment of Professor Robert Thomas OAM as Deputy Chair of the Board.

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 guide cancer education across the member sites of the VCCC.

The state-of-the-art centre aims to uncover the next generation of cancer breakthroughs and deliver the very best cancer care to patients.

Pioneer in palliative care research

Professor Kristjanson is internationally recognised as a pioneer in palliative care research.

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 Kristjanson says she is honoured to be appointed to oversee the development of research platforms and clinical services that could make a real impact on the lives of cancer patients.

“The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre is a powerful alliance that offers confidence that we are well placed to reduce the burden of cancer for people living with the disease and their families,” Professor Kristjanson says.

“We will embrace the challenging work of creating shared research platforms, streamlined clinical services, building new capabilities in genomics, proteomics, immunotherapy, general practice, psychosocial and supportive care and health services research,” Professor Kristjanson says.

Purpose-built facility for research, treatment, education and care

The centre will feature 160 inpatient beds, 110 same-day beds, eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms and eight radiation therapy bunkers.

Within the VCCC partner institutions there are around 1400 cancer researchers and 1200 people in training in cancer disciplines at any time, including more than 360 PhD students.

Professor Kristjanson thanked outgoing Chair, Professor Richard Larkins, who guided the formative years of the VCCC partnership and congratulated Professor Jim Bishop, Executive Director on the notable achievements to bring the VCCC to fruition.

The 13-storey VCCC, located in the heart of Melbourne’s biomedical precinct in Parkville, was funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments.

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