Join HSANZ
HSANZ has endorsed the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) VAD Guidelines, Section 2: Vessel Health and Preservation
The launch event will be on Tuesday 19 March 2023
In 2021, CNSA launched the first topic of the Vascular Access Clinical Practice Guidelines: Patency, occlusion prevention and management. These guidelines have been implemented in healthcare settings across the country.
Since then, CNSA's Vascular Access Device and Infusion Therapy (VAD & IT) SPN has been working hard to draft Section 2: Vessel Health and Preservation, which incorporates device selection and difficult intravenous access for patients with cancer.
We invite you to join us for the on-line launch event on Tuesday 19 March - click here to find out more.
Despite the Australian health workforce becoming increasingly diverse, women from culturally or racially diverse backgrounds continue to face barriers relating to both gender and racial and cultural background. These barriers contribute to their under-representation in the profession and ultimately negative disparate outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals.
As part of our Link and Grow pillar of activities, The Link at ANU is delivering a Mentoring Program in 2024 which aims to grow the careers of mid-career culturally diverse (non-Anglo Celtic) women in medicine. The inaugural pilot program has been developed in partnership with Franklin Women and facilitated by Seredis Leadership consultants. It will also support mentors to better understand the unique experiences of culturally diverse women in the workplace and to become inclusive mentors and leaders.
The Link and Grow Mentoring Program is a 6-month virtual program that combines informal mentoring sessions between mentees and mentors, with facilitated and structured workshops and events. The workshops provide career, mentoring and inclusive leadership development of mentees and mentors. They also provide a safe place for participants to network, and to share and reflect on the experiences of culturally diverse women in medicine and discuss the role of leaders in shifting culture within teams and workplaces.
Individuals who identify as culturally or racially diverse women, and who are at the middle stage of their career (~3-12 years post fellowship), looking for a mentor and peer-support community to grow their careers. We expect mentees will want to mentor within the program in future.
Individuals of any gender who are trained in medicine and who are now in leadership roles in the healthcare and health and medical research sector. This includes but is not restricted to clinician researchers, specialist medical practitioners or executives who are committed to inclusive leadership practices. Mentors are not required to identify as culturally diverse.
Applications are open to individuals who would like to participate in the 2024 Mentoring Program as either mentees or mentors until Friday 29 March 2024.
There is a participation fee for Mentees to take part in this 6-month, expertly facilitated mentoring program. If you are interested in taking part, please contact the Link via email at international.health@anu.edu.au for associated costs. There is no fee for mentors to participate
Following an excellent Blood meeting in Melbourne last week, we acknowledge all our Scholarship, Fellowship and Award recipients.
HSANZ LEUKAEMIA FOUNDATION NEW INVESTIGATOR PHD SCHOLARSHIPS 2023 FOR 2024
Helen Cashman
Helen Cashman completed dual haematology specialist training in 2022 in Sydney and has a strong interest in lymphoma biology and treatments.
Eric Wenlong Li
Eric is an early career haematologist who has completed his haematology specialist training in NSW. His personal experience with a blood cancer, and having benefited from a cure enabled by breakthroughs in genetic cancer research, has led him to pursue a career in haematology.
Eric’s project at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute will focus on improving our understanding of a recent breakthrough anti-cancer drug venetoclax. Venetoclax is highly effective against numerous blood cancers including Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). However, despite its ability to allow patients to enjoy longer periods in remission, patients invariably relapse. Current scientific evidence points to sophisticated genetic and epigenetic (cell environment where genes operate) causes of venetoclax resistance. This project will discover these causes using new and advanced techniques that can see genetic and epigenetic changes at a single cell level.
Damian D’Silva
Damian graduated BSc with Honours from WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) / Melbourne University, where he will undertake his PhD studies in the Strasser Lab, within the Blood Cells and Blood Cancer (BCBC) division.
Damian has a keen interest in programmed cell death and associated biological pathways in the context of blood cell derived cancers, as well as the development of novel, targeted anti-cancer therapeutics. The goal of this project is to advance the highly promising MCL-1 inhibitors in clinical trials for cancers like leukaemia – and ultimately – the clinical treatment of patients with blood cancers.
HSANZ Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation PhD Scholarship
Michael Ashby
Originally from Tasmania, Michael graduated from the University of Tasmania and subsequently completed physician and haematology training in Melbourne. He has a sub-interest in myeloid disorders including AML, MDS, MPN as well as ALL and bone marrow transplant. He is passionate about and aims to complete further work in translational research and development and management of clinical trials.
Michael’s PhD project at Monash University will study methods of preventing acute myeloid leukaemia relapse following allogeneic stem cell transplant. Bone marrow transplantation remains the best chance of cure for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Transplantation of cells from a compatible donor works by the new donor immune cells recognising the leukaemia cells as ‘foreign’ and eliminating them. Unfortunately, recurrence (relapse) of the leukaemia occurs within 2 years of transplant in up to one half of all patents and this relapse is usually untreatable.
HSANZ Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand PhD Scholarship 2023 for 2024
Paul Owaci – Malaghan Institute
Paul is a Masters of Clinical Immunology graduate from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, currently working as a research technician at Malaghan Institute of Medical research.
HSANZ New Investigator Clinical Fellowships 2023 for 2024 with support from Janssen and Novartis
Aditya Tedjaseputra –Adi’s Clinical Fellowship will focus on molecular and MRD in AML at the Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Guy’s Hospital at King’s College London. He plans to integrate cutting-edge, multi-omics techniques for baseline diagnostics and MRD monitoring into the Australasian context upon his return.
Kenneth Lim – Kenneth’s Clinical Fellowship will focus on determining the prognostic impact of 1q21 gain and amplification (1q21+) in Multiple Myeloma (MM) patients treated with Anti-CD38 antibodies at the Mayo Clinic.
HSANZ / SNOWDOME MID-CAREER AWARD
Ross David, for his work with the Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) research group in the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), who have been world leaders in showing that around half of carefully selected patients with CML can safely stop their chemotherapy treatment and remain in remission long-term.
ALBERT BAIKIE MEMORIAL MEDAL AND AWARD
Jamie Kuzich
Life Members:
Ruth Spearing CNZM
Michael Harvey
HSANZ Mentorship in Haematology Award
Devinder Gill
HSANZ Leadership in Haematology Award
Phoebe Joy Ho AM
Pitney Fellow 2023-2025
Prof Paula Marlton
Carl De Gruchy medal and oration
Prof Andrew Roberts AM
HSANZ NURSES GROUP AWARDS
Best Presentation: Priscilla Gates
First Time Presenters: Catherine Vassili
Best Poster: Tracy King
HSANZ Nurses Travel Grants
Sarah Murray
Madeline McKeague
Elise Toyer
Kari Mudie
Lauren Brennan
Gisha George
Congratulations on behalf of all HSANZ to the following members who were honoured recently:
Professor Erica Wood AO from Monash University for distinguished service to transfusion medicine and haemovigilance, to haematology, and to national and international organisations,
Professor Harshall Nandurker AM from Australian Centre for Blood Diseases at Alfred Hospital for significant service to medicine, particularly as a haematologist
Dr Ruth Spearing CNZM for services to haematology. Ruth offered a few words following acceptance of her honour.
I feel as if I am accepting this on behalf of all the NZ haematologists. It was great being the NZ PI for most of the UK studies, especially AML ( though initially also CLL/MM etc) after Mike Beard stepped down in 1993. We managed to get our dreaded Pharmac to agree to pay for the mylotarg in 2015 for AML19 which meant we could take part in that trial which was probably my biggest single achievement! I was very active in medical politics here in NZ for close on 20 years
I feel as if I am accepting this on behalf of all the NZ haematologists.
It was great being the NZ PI for most of the UK studies, especially AML ( though initially also CLL/MM etc) after Mike Beard stepped down in 1993. We managed to get our dreaded Pharmac to agree to pay for the mylotarg in 2015 for AML19 which meant we could take part in that trial which was probably my biggest single achievement!
I was very active in medical politics here in NZ for close on 20 years
HSANZ Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards
HSANZ continues to work with charity and industry partners to offer a range of Scholarships and Grants which are open This year we are offering:
3 x HSANZ / Leukaemia Foundation PhD Scholarships
1 x HSANZ / Arrow Foundation PhD Scholarship
1 x HSANZ / Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand PhD Scholarship
2 x HSANZ Clinical Fellowships
1 x HSANZ / Snowdome Mid-Career Award
1 x Baikie Award
All above programs close 20 August 2023
1 x HSANZ /ASH Abstract Achievement Award - closes 1 August 2023
All the details are here https://www.hsanz.org.au/scholarships-and-awards/
NHMRC Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies Webinar 5 July 2023
The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, speakers will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how key advances are addressing the current challenges in stem cell transplantation. The second webinar of 2023 features Professor Robert Zeiser, who is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Tumour Immunology at the Department of Haematology, Oncology and Stem-Cell Transplantation at the Medical Center, University of Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany. His research group has focused on utilizing a range of cutting edge imaging techniques to monitor the fate of different cell types in living animals, leading to several publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, Science Translational Medicine, Blood, Nature Communications and the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Professor Zeiser has over 250 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to 14 book chapters. In this webinar, Professor Zeiser will outline the translational pathway of promising, novel therapies for graft vs host disease from murine models into clinical practice. Flyer
Speaker:
Professor Robert Zeiser – University of Freiburg, Germany
When: Wednesday 5 July 2023, 5pm AEST
Link to webinar:
Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:
At the recent very successful HSANZ New Zealand branch meeting in Palmerston North an AGM was held at which there was a discussion about paying tribute to contributors to haematology in NZ. It was agreed to name a session at the annual branch meeting after them in their respective field. It was decided after a vote that the morphology session could be re-named every 10 years after a respected colleague. Edward Theakston who died recently, was to be the new memorial session. An obituary by Anna Ruskova was included in the last HSANZ newsletter.
As New Zealand councillor, Annette Neylon was asked to write a letter to his widow explaining this and HSANZ Council endorsed the proposal unanimously.
The Fellowships are open to researcher and clinicians who are
Full eligibility criteria and application details can be found on the Leukaemia Foundation website
https://www.leukaemia.org.au/research/current-funding-opportunities/research-fellowships/
Make new connections and get your clinical questions answered at Highlights of ASH® in Asia-Pacific this March! Our small meeting is the ideal environment to meet your future colleagues and collaborators. Join us for:
You are cordially invited to attend the HSANZ New Zealand Annual Branch Meeting from 2-4 April 2023.
The program and registration information is attached or click www.spconferences.co.nz/hsanz-2023
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