Annual Education Event
Click here to watch all of the speakers
On the 10th of August The Brain Cancer Group (TBCG) hosted its 5th Brain Cancer Awareness Raising event at NSW Parliament House.
The Brain Cancer Group, Care2Cure (formerly Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group), was established in the year 2000. It is led by leading brain cancer specialists on the Royal North Shore Hospital Campus. The Group has established programmes under its 3 pillars of Research, Education and patient and carer Support.
This annual education event is open to the public and brings together patients, carers, brain cancer specialists, politicians and community leaders, to raise awareness of the challenges faced by brain cancer patients and families and update on progress of our programmes. This year’s topic was “Using improved molecular analysis of brain cancer to guide future therapy and research”. The event was hosted in association with Brain Tumour Alliance Australia (BTAA).
TBCG and BTAA have forged a strong partnership, bringing to the public and health professionals, informative education events, such as our recent Oligodendroglioma and Meningioma webinars. In October, TBCG will again sponsor BTAA’s Patient forum which will take place at the beginning of the Co-operative Trial Group for Neuro-oncology (COGNO) conference in Brisbane.
We look forward to working more closely with BTAA to bring more such events to the community. All are filmed and available on our website.
Our guests enjoyed refreshments at the Fountain Court followed by informative speeches at the NSW Parliament House Theatrette.
MC for the evening was Mr Richard Ryan, Director of The Brain Cancer Group and CEO at Castlecrag, Hunters Hill and North Shore Private Hospital for Ramsay Health Care.
Ms Sophie Cotsis, MP, Member for Canterbury, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, and Shadow Minister for Work Health and Safety was the Parliamentary Host for the evening and the TBCG Board would like to acknowledge and thank Ms Cotsis for her unwavering support over the last few years.
NSW Health Minister The Hon. Brad Hazzard sent his apologies and best wishes, and he was represented by Mr Justin Clancy MP, Member for Albury and Parliamentary Secretary for Health.
Keynote speaker was Clinical Associate Professor Michael Buckland, a Senior Staff Specialist and the Head of the Department of Neuropathology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He is the founder and Director of the Australian Sports Brain Bank, Co-Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Australia Brain Bank, and Head of the Molecular Neuropathology Program at the Brain & Mind Centre.
Second speaker was Dr Alexander Yuile, a Medical Oncologist/PhD Candidate with a keen interest in primary brain tumours. Dr Yuile gained his medical degree from the University of New England and is currently working in the oncology clinical trials unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. He is currently enrolled in a PhD in primary brain tumours focussing on targeting molecular pathways as a treatment avenue.
Dr Jackie Yim, the third speaker, is a radiation therapist and holds a PhD in health economics titled,
“Economic implications of anxiety and depression in cancer care.” He is passionate about research that seeks to improve patient outcomes and brings to the team his expertise in project management and analysing large datasets.
Dr Yim has worked across public and private radiotherapy settings and in both, led the development and implementation of new clinical practices. He joined the TBCG clinical research team as a project manager in March 2021.
Our final speaker for the evening was Associate Professor Michael Back, Director of Radiation Oncology for the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre at Royal North Shore Hospital and Director of The Brain Cancer Group.
He is also a visiting consultant in radiation oncology at the Central Coast Cancer Centre and for GenesisCare Private Centres across Sydney. He was appointed as an Honorary Consultant for Neurosurgery at the National Neuroscience Institute in Singapore. He subspecialises in Neuro-oncology with clinical and research interests in improving the outcome of patients managed for brain cancer through sophisticated tumour targeting and radiation therapy delivery. The aim of the research program is to develop treatment protocols that can optimise the amount of radiation delivered to a brain tumour, whilst protecting the surrounding normal brain tissue. The benefits of this research is directly translated to the patients managed in daily practice in Northern Sydney.
A/Prof Back has curated and leads The Brain Cancer Group’s newest clinical research initiative, the Brain Cancer Databank which includes an Australasia first Imaging Laboratory.
During the evening, The Brain Cancer Group revealed its new branding and website, a project delivered by the talented team from Workhouse Visual Communications, represented on the night by Michael and Pat Kalucy and Neryl Press. TBCG was rebranded, creating a fresh new look which extends to a new, easy to navigate website.
The TBCG board would like to thank Workhouse Visual Communications for donating a substantial amount of their time towards the creation of the website and Operational Partner Ramsay Health Care’s North Shore Private Hospital, sponsor of TBCG administrative expenses. Please visit at www.braincancergroup.com.au.
Media Contact
Dennis Tritaris
0423 825 905
