Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Dr Martina Benešová-Schäfer
Radiochemist
German Cancer Research Center
Germany
Dr Martina Benešová-Schäfer
Martina Benešová-Schäfer leads the Junior Research Group Translational Radiotheranostics at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany. She studied Nuclear Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology at Charles University in the Czech Republic and earned her PhD in Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry from DKFZ. Her postdoctoral training was conducted at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen and at ETH Zürich in Switzerland.
Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the physicochemical and biological properties of alpha particle-emitting radionuclides. She specializes in the development of targeted radioligands for diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and theranostic applications. Martina Benešová-Schäfer has made contributions to the development of PSMA-targeting radioligands, including PSMA-617, PSMA-1007, and PSMA-ALB- 56. Driven by a strong commitment to personalized medicine, her work aims to expand treatment options and improve outcomes for patients with limited therapeutic alternatives.
Prof Alberto Briganti
Urologist & European Urology Editor in Chief
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy
Prof Alberto Briganti
Professor of Urology
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Alberto Briganti is Full Professor of Urology at Vita-Salute University San Raffaele, Milan, Italy where he also acts as deputy director of the Urological Research Institute (URI) and responsible for the Robotic Program in Urology. He is the Chair of the Prostate Cancer Clinical and Research program at Vita-Salute University, San Raffaele Hospital. He earned his MD in 2002 at Vita-Salute University where he also pursued residency.
He completed uro-oncological fellowship at the Cancer Prognostics and Health Outcomes Unit, University of Montreal in 2006. In 2016 he obtained his Ph.D in Clinical and Experimental Biotechnology in Urology. He is a member of the Scientific Congress Office of the EAU and current Editor in Chief of European Urology (2024 IF: 25.2). He is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancer (EMUC). He is a fellow of the European Board of Urology (EBU) and a Faculty member of the European School of Urology (ESU).
He is the 2016 EAU Crystal Matula Award winner. He has published more than 1,500 peer-reviewed publications. His main area of interests include urological oncology.
Prof Matthias Eiber
Nuclear Medicine Physician, Technical
University of Munich
Germany
Prof Matthias Eiber
University of Munich
Germany
Prof. Matthias Eiber, MD, is Professor of Nuclear Medicine at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and one of the internationally leading experts in molecular imaging of prostate cancer. His scientific work focuses on PSMA-targeted PET imaging and theranostic concepts, with a strong emphasis on clinical translation and patient-centered precision medicine.
Prof Louise Emmett
Nuclear Medicine Physician
St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
Australia
Prof Louise Emmett
Nuclear Medicine Physician
St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
Prof Louise Emmett is the Director of Theranostics and Nuclear medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Australia with a specialty interest in the imaging and therapy of prostate Cancer. She undertook her medical undergraduate training in Auckland, New Zealand, prior to completing her specialty training in Nuclear Medicine in Sydney, and a post specialty Nuclear Cardiology fellowship in Toronto, Canada. She commenced work in Nuclear medicine and PET at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney in 2012, initiating radio-pharmacy production of multiple new imaging and therapy peptides on the St Vincent’s campus for clinical and research evaluation. She is principal investigator in multiple phase I-II trials including the PRIMARY trial (PSMA + MRI in prostate diagnosis), PRIMARY2 (randomised phase III imaging trial), LuPIN trial (Phase I/II trial of Lu PSMA+ Idronoxil), ENZAp( phase II randomised trial of enza vs enza + Lu PSMA), in addition to running multiple phase I imaging trials in new theranostic agents.
Dr Brian Gonzalez
Health Services Researcher
Moffitt Cancer Center
USA
Dr Brian Gonzalez
He is an expert in examining patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients with prostate cancer. He also led development of the first PRO measure designed for use with patients receiving radionuclide therapy for prostate cancer. His research focuses on improving quality of life in cancer patients and survivors. He seeks to identify novel risk factors for worsening quality of life and develop interventions to improve quality of life in cancer patients and survivors.
Prof Andrei Iagaru
Nuclear Medicine Physician
Stanford
USA
Prof Andrei Iagaru
Since joining the faculty at Stanford in 2007, Dr. Iagaru has received several awards including the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) 2009 Image of the Year Award; AuntMinnie 2016 Best Radiology Image, American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) Mid-Winter Conference 2010 Best Essay Award; 2009, 2014 and 2015 Western Regional SNM Scientist Award; 2011 SNM Nuclear Oncology Council Young Investigator Award; the 2020 Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Distinguished Scientist Award, Western Regional SNM; the 2022 Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Trailblazer Award, SNMMI; the 2022 Distinguished Investigator Award, The Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research and the 2023 Presidential Award, SNMMI. Dr. Iagaru published more than 240 papers in peer-reviewed journals, as well as 9 book chapters and 1 book.
Prof Amar U Kishan
Radiation Oncologist
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
Prof Amar U Kishan
Prof Phillip J. Koo
Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Prostate Cancer Foundation
Prof Phillip J. Koo
Prostate Cancer Foundation
Dr. Phillip Koo serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) where he oversees the medical and science programs for the organization. Since 1993, PCF has raised over $1 billion USD to help support research and education across the globe to end death and suffering related to prostate cancer.
Prof Tobias Maurer
Urologist
Martini-Klinik University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf
Germany
Prof Tobias Maurer
Faculty
Martini-Klinik and Department of Urology University of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
Martini-Str. 52 Gebäude Ost 46, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)40 7410-51300
Email: t.maurer@uke.de
Web: https://www.martini-klinik.de/klinik/team/faculty/prof-maurer
Educational and Professional Experience
Since 2018 – Faculty at the Martini-Klinik Prostate Cancer Center, University of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
2017–2018 – Senior Attending Urologist, Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Klinikum rechts der Isar, Germany
2011–2016 – Attending Urologist, Department of Urology, TUM, Klinikum rechts der Isar
2009–2011 – Urologist, Department of Urology, TUM
1997–2009 – Medical training and residency at the Technical University of Munich
Professional Memberships
European Association of Urology (EAU)
European Society of Urological Imaging (ESUI), Associate Member
German Urology Association (DGU)
Vereinigung Norddeutscher Urologen e.V. (VNU)
Clinical and Scientific Focus
Prostate cancer (imaging, surgery, medical therapy)
PSMA-PET imaging and PSMA-radioguided surgery
Honors and Awards
More than 30 national and international awards and stipends, selected:
2017 – Award for Research and Innovation in Urooncology, German Urological Association (DGU), for PSMA-radioguided surgery
2015 – EAU-AUA Scientific Exchange Programme Stipend (USA)
2011 – Award from the German Society of Immunotherapy (DGFIT)
2000–2002 – Stipend of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Reviewer Assignments
Reviewer for >40 peer-reviewed journals
Advisory Board, Nature Reviews Urology
Reviewer for grant applications including DFG, NWO, KWF, Wilhelm-Sander-Stiftung, King’s Health Partners R&D Fund, Cancer Research UK
Third-party Funding
Total > €1,000,000, including:
DFG (SFB 824, project B11, co-investigator)
EU FP7 (sub-investigator)
DFG (Graduate College 333 for doctoral thesis)
Clinical Study Experience
Co-Investigator on >30 clinical studies, Principal Investigator on 4, including 3 IITs:
• ProSTone (NCT04271579)
• BioPoP (NCT04324983)
• PräVAC (EUDAMED: CIV-12-07-008204; 2013–2018)
Publication List
285 publications (cumulative IF >1400); h-Index: 62
Selected publications:
• Knipper S et al. Eur Urol. 2022 Jun 16. [PMID: 35718637]
• de Barros HA et al. Eur Urol. 2022 Mar 23. [PMID: 35339318]
• Amiel T et al. J Urol. 2021 Jun. [PMID: 33535796]
• Knipper S et al. Eur Urol. 2020 Dec. [PMID: 33317857]
• Maurer T et al. J Nucl Med. 2020 Jan. [PMID: 31732677]
• Horn T et al. Eur Urol. 2019 Oct. [PMID: 30987843]
• van Leeuwen FWB et al. Nat Rev Urol. 2019 Jan. [PMID: 30644446]
• Maurer T et al. Eur Urol. 2018 Apr. [PMID: 29625755]
• Maurer T et al. J Urol. 2016 May. [PMID: 26682756]
• Maurer T et al. Nat Rev Urol. 2016 Apr. [PMID: 26902337]
A/Prof Alicia Morgans
Medical Oncologist
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
USA
A/Prof Alicia Morgans
A/Prof Tadashi Watabe
Associate Professor & Nuclear Medicine Physician
University of Osaka, Japan
A/Prof Tadashi Watabe
Prof Yao Zhu
Urologist & Chief Physician
Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center,
China
Prof Yao Zhu
Local Speakers
Prof Arun Azad
Medical Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Dale Bailey
Medical Physicist
University of Sydney
Prof Dale Bailey
Medical Physicist
University of Sydney
Dale Bailey is a nuclear medicine physicist who has had a career-long focus on quantification in emission tomographic imaging using both SPECT & PET. Dale is currently the Principal Medical Physics Specialist in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney and is a professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Health at the University of Sydney. Dale has published in excess of 230 peer-reviewed articles and mentored over 40 post-graduate students predominantly on the theme of developing accurate in vivo measurements in nuclear medicine imaging as well as editing four textbooks. Dale is a Past-President of the Australian & New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) from 2016-2018.
Tim Baker
Journalist/Consumer Advocate
Peter Maccallum, Monash University
Tim Baker
Peter Maccallum, Monash University
Tim Baker is the author of Patting The Shark ( Penguin, 2022) documenting his ten year journey with metastatic prostate cancer. He is a research fellow at Monash Universitys Prostate Cancer Research Group and runs a reading group at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre as a form of peer support and social prescribing. As a patient advocate, Tim is passionate about promoting better allied health support for people affected by cancer, particularly men on ADT.
Russell Briggs
Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Russell Briggs
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Russell Briggs is a registered nurse with 25 years’ experience. He has worked in health services both nationally and internationally and has experience in administration and management positions. Since 2018 Russell has been working in the field of Prostate Cancer initially as a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse in a public health service before joining Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia in the role of General Manager, Nursing program where he helps run a national specialist nursing program. Russell is currently studying a PhD exploring the unmet need of men undertaking active surveillance within the first 12 months following diagnosis.
Dr James Buteau
Nuclear Medicine Physician
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Louise Campbell
Director, PET & Nuclear Medicine Technology
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Louise Campbell
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Louise is the Director of PET Technology, Assistant Director of Nuclear Medicine Technology, Research and Theranostics Coordinator at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH). With a long tenure in the Nuclear Medicine profession, she has experienced significant advances in technology and the evolving role of the Nuclear Medicine Scientist.
Louise has worked across major public health services and private practice. She also spent three years as Operations Manager at the Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF), where she gained valuable experience applying MRI in a research environment, working as a PET specialist, and supporting early-career researchers to establish imaging projects across MRI, CT and PET.
She is also a sessional lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, teaching Nuclear Medicine to undergraduate Radiotherapy students and exploring the practical applications of PET in radiotherapy planning.
Passionate about education, innovation and workforce development, Louise is a member of the ANZSNM TSIG Workforce Advocacy Working Group. After more than 31 years in the profession, she remains highly motivated to contribute to the development and future of the Nuclear Medicine Scientist workforce.
Sebastian Casanueva Eliceiry
Nuclear Medicine Fellow
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Sebastian Casanueva Eliceiry
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Nuclear Medicine physician undertaking a Therapy Fellowship at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. He completed his specialist training at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, where he also remains affiliated through collaborative research.
His clinical practice focuses on theranostics and oncologic molecular imaging, with particular interests in prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours. He is actively involved in multidisciplinary care, radioligand therapy, and clinical research.
Committed to advancing evidence-based theranostics through clinical practice, research, and education. He has contributed to teaching medical students and specialist trainees, presented at national and international meetings, and serves as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.
Sarah Clements Holt
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Sarah Clements Holt
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Sarah Clements Holt has been a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Massachusetts USA since 2021. Prior to that she worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and performed clinical rotations at Massachusetts General Hospital. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelors of Science in Medical Radiation Science with a concentration in Nuclear Medicine Technology in 2019. She is heavily involved in the SNMMI, currently serving as the President of the SNMMI-TS New England Chapter, graduated from the 2023 SNMMI Leadership Academy, and was selected as an SNMMI “Ones to Watch” in 2023. She has multiple publications on theranostics in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, and one of her greatest passions is in continuing education efforts. At DFCI, she collaborated with nursing leadership to put out two 1 hour accredited CEU lectures on Nuclear Medicine for nursing staff across the entire institute, alongside presentations to fellow imaging technologists and physicians at SNMMI meetings and during Radiation Technologist Week. This conference will be her first time traveling to Australia, and she is honored and excited to present her perspective on theranostics in the United States of America.
Dr Alicia Corlett
Lead Nuclear Medicine Technologist – Total Body PET
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Alicia Corlett
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Alicia completed a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Melbourne University in 2003 and subsequently worked as a post-doctoral fellow for many years in the US and Europe where she was focused on understanding signal transduction pathways in neurology and oncology. She has since retrained as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist allowing her to bring her extensive research skills into the clinical Nuclear Medicine realm.
Alicia is currently employed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre where she is the lead Nuclear Medicine Technologist responsible for research conducted on the Total Body PET. Alicia has experience coordinating with clinical trials teams and other imaging societies such as ARTnet and SNMMI to qualify and maintain imaging equipment for research. She has also developed imaging protocols and been involved in numerous molecular imaging and radionuclide therapy clinical trials. Her passion is to expand the use of molecular biology to identify new biomarkers that can be exploited to create new radiopharmaceuticals to advance theranostics in oncology.
Dr Renu Eapen
Urologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Ms Brittany Emmerson
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Ros Francis
Nuclear Medicine Physician
University of Queensland
A/Prof Luc Furic
Head of Translational Prostate Cancer Research
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
A/Prof Luc Furic
A/Prof Mohammad Haskali
Chief Radiopharmaceutical Scientist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Michael Hofman
Director / Lead PET - Cancer Imaging
Prostate Cancer Theranostics and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC)
Prof Michael Hofman
Prostate Cancer Theranostics and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC)
Professor Michael Hofman, a Nuclear Medicine Physician, leads the Peter Mac's PET/CT program, the Prostate Cancer Theranostics and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC) and is a member of the Peter Mac Research Leadership Group. He was named as Australia's top researcher in the field of Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging ("The Australian" Top 250 Researchers) in 2024 and 2025. His groundbreaking research in PSMA PET and PSMA radioligand therapy has revolutionised prostate cancer imaging and treatment, resulting in FDA approval, Australian MBS funding, and a $2.1 billion investment by Novartis.
Michael’s passion for novel radiopharmaceuticals drives him to collaborate globally on Phase I, II, and III clinical trials, addressing unmet needs in oncology. As a key member of the Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network's scientific committee, he helped create a 10+ centre network across Australia, producing two landmark clinical trials published in The Lancet.
Professor Hofman has a leading academic track record for his specialty, with over 300 peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He has received numerous awards including the 2024 Saul Hertz MD Award, ACTA Clinical Trial of the Year Award 2021, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Image of the Year 2018 and awards for best scientific research at several international conferences. Elected memberships include Fellowship of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (2024),Singapore Radiological Society (2024), the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (2023), Nuclear Society of Singapore (2023) and the International Cancer Imaging Society (2015). He was a member of the oncology subcommittee of the Australian MBS Review achieving expanded equitable access to PET funding in Australia.
Dr Price Jackson
Medical Physicist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Price Jackson
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Price Jackson is a medical physicist with a background in applied image processing techniques. He has developed tools for image co-registration, pharmacokinetics analysis, and most recently the use of AI for image segmentation and response assessment. His research has led to developments in the use of of SPECT/CT for radiation dose assessment in targeted radionuclide therapies has been involved in a number of clinical trials across molecular imaging and radiotherapy disciplines at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Prof Grace Kong
President ANZSNM, Therapy Lead - Cancer Imaging
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Grace Kong
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Grace Kong is a Nuclear Medicine Physician at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Australia; Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology. She is the Lead of Radionuclide Therapy Unit at Peter Mac overseeing a high-volume clinical theranostics service. She is the Co-Chair of the Peter Mac Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) Service, a Centre of Excellence certified by the European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (ENETS). She is the current President of the Australian New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM). She has broad research interests, particularly in novel radioisotopes and advancing theranostics for multiple cancer types, with a focus on NET, prostate and thyroid cancer. She leads multiple active prospective national and international diagnostic and theranostics trials (Phases1-3).
Dr Louise Kostos
Medical Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Louise Kostos
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Louise Kostos is a Medical Oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and PhD candidate through the University of Melbourne. She obtained her medical degree with honours in 2013 at Monash University, and completed her advanced training in Medical Oncology in Melbourne in 2020. She has since undergone a fellowship in phase 1 trials and continues to work in the genitourinary cancer stream, with a particular interest in prostate cancer. Her PhD focuses on optimising outcomes for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with PSMA-based radionuclide therapy.
Dr Natalia Kovaleva
Nuclear Medicine Physician
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Natalia Kovaleva
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Natalia Kovaleva from Peter Mac in Melbourne; an exercise physiologist; and a phycologist,.
Dr Edmond Kwan
GU Medical Oncologist & Lab Head Eastern Health & Monash University
Dr Edmond Kwan
Dr Edmond Kwan is a clinician–scientist and genitourinary cancer medical oncologist at Eastern Health in Melbourne, Australia. He currently serves as Laboratory Head and Senior Research Fellow at Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, with a cross-appointment within the Biomedicine Discovery Institute Prostate Cancer Research Group.
After completing his specialist training, he pursued a PhD at Monash University, focusing on prostate cancer genomics. He then relocated to Vancouver, Canada, where he completed a genitourinary clinical fellowship at BC Cancer and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia. His postdoctoral research centred on developing tissue and circulating tumour DNA biomarkers to predict treatment outcomes in lethal metastatic prostate cancer, using samples collected from prospective clinical trials and large biobanks to explore disease biology and tumour evolution. In 2024, he returned to Australia to begin his independent research career.
His research interests encompass diverse disciplines, including molecular biology, bioinformatics, clinical trials, biobanking, clinical database development, and translational medicine. By combining expertise in cancer genomics and clinical oncology, his research team strives to understand how genomic and epigenomic alterations identified in both tumour tissue and blood can better guide therapeutic decision-making in patients with urological cancers.
Dr Thomas Handley
Postdoc
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Thomas Handley
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Thomas Handley, postdoctoral researcher in peptide and protein chemistry laboratory and co-chair of Florey Postdoctoral Association.
Prue Lamerton
Clinical Lead Molecular Imaging and Therapy
Canopy Imaging
Prue Lamerton
Canopy Imaging
Prue received the ONZM in April last year for her services to Nuclear Medicine spanning nearly 5 decades. Prue started her career when rectilinear scanners were still around and was directly involved with the first PET scanner in New Zealand up to todays involvement with the first regional Moilecular Imaging and Therapy centre.
She has been heavily involved in ANZSNM committees both at International and National level as well as being on the NZ MRTB. Prue has seen a tremendous amount of technical advances over the years in Nuclear Medicine and now is experiencing further advances in her scope of practice with theranostics and the logistsics of it in NZ’s first Regional Molecular Imaging and Therapy Centre in Hawkes Bay with Canopy Imaging.
Prue was awarded the ONZM in April 2025 for her services to Nuclear Medicine, recognising a career spanning almost five decades.
Prue began her career when rectilinear scanners were still in use and has witnessed and contributed to the remarkable evolution of Nuclear Medicine ever since. She was directly involved in the introduction of New Zealand’s first PET scanner and continues to be at the forefront of innovation through her involvement with the country’s first regional Molecular Imaging and Therapy Centre.
Throughout her career, Prue has made significant contributions to the ANZSNM, serving on committees at both national and international levels, as well as contributing to the New Zealand Medical Radiation Technologists Board (MRTB).
Prue has experienced extraordinary advances in Nuclear Medicine and is now embracing a new chapter in her scope of practice, supporting the development and delivery of theranostics and the complex logistics associated with establishing New Zealand’s first regional Molecular Imaging and Therapy Centre in Hawke’s Bay with Canopy Imaging.
Prof Sze Ting Lee
Nuclear Medicine Physician
Austin Health
Prof Sze Ting Lee
Austin Health
Prof Lee is a Nuclear Medicine Physician at the Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy at Austin Health, Melbourne.
She is the Deputy Director and Director of Training in the department, and the PET Lead in Lymphoma Imaging and Theranostics Trials as well. Her clinical and research interests lie in the novel tracers and applications of Molecular Imaging and Therapy in Oncological diseases, from phase 1 antibody trials through to participating in multicentre phase 3 clinical trials in this space. She has an appointment as a Senior Clinician Researcher at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
Prof Lee is the Past President of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) and Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists (AANMS), the latter being the representative body for education, training, advocacy and governmental relations of medical practitioners in nuclear medicine. She was also on the Executive Board of the Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network (ARTnet).
Prof Lee chairs the AANMS Theranostics Committee, which developed the first Guidelines in Theranostics Practice in 2020. She is a member of the Australasian Training Site Accreditation Committee (TSAC). She is also the Chair of the Asian Nuclear Medicine Board (ANMB), examining and awarding Fellowships to over 500 Fellows around the world. She is the elected President of the World Association of Radionuclide and Molecular Therapy (WARMTH), and was the Secretary-General of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB) from 2014 to 2018.
Dr Sidney Levy
Nuclear Medicine Specialist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Sidney Levy
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Levy is a dual qualified Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Specialist with local and international postgraduate fellowship training in genitourinary, head and neck, neurological and musculoskeletal MRI and PET CT, and targeted radionuclide therapy. He maintains public appointments with Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Monash Health, and private appointments with I-MED Radiology Network and Cabrini Health in Melbourne. As a Senior Lecturer through the University of Melbourne, he maintains an active educational and research programme in genitourinary oncology, and regularly contributes to multidisciplinary tumour boards at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Simone Leyden
Senior Director Global Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy
Telix Pharmaceticals Limited
Simone Leyden
Telix Pharmaceticals Limited
Simone has more than 17 years in health advocacy and public policy, having co-founded NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia in 2009 after witnessing firsthand the huge disparity in treatment and support for rare and less common cancers. Simone’s pursuit for equitable access and investment in breakthrough treatments led to her current global role at Telix Pharmaceuticals, in which she covers co-investment opportunities with governments in sovereign manufacturing, public policy that improves access for patients, and ensuring a corporate culture of patients as partners within all aspects of drug development and delivery. Simone is Chair of the newly formed Nuclear Medicines Australia which has a principal purpose of bringing together industry experts to provide informed advocacy to key decision makers about creating a sustainable nuclear medicines ecosystem, and to support improved patient outcomes. Simone is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and in 2023 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) as part of the Kings Birthday Honours, for significant service to community health, particularly through neuroendocrine cancer organisations.
Lisa Macfarlane
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Lisa Macfarlane
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Lisa is a senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist with over 30 years’ experience, working at centres across Australia and the UK. She joined Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) in 2010, as the Quality Improvement Manager in the Clinical Governance Unit, but after a short time wanted to return to the challenges and rewards of clinical responsibility. She joined the Molecular Imaging department as the lead NMT in Radiotherapy Planning, and is now the NMT Prostate Coordinator, significantly contributing to research and clinical care supported by the ProsTIC program. Lisa has presented at conferences in Australia and overseas, most recently giving an oral presentation at EANM24 in Hamburg Germany, an oral presentation at ANZSNM ASM2025 in Melbourne and presenting a poster at the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology 2026 in Cartagena Colombia.
Dr Claire Martin
Senior Study Coordinator
Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit
Dr Claire Martin
Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit
Claire is a senior study coordinator in the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit - MoncA team, specialising in genitourinary and neurology trials. She has a BSc(Hons) in biochemistry from the University of Otago, and a PhD in cell biology from the University of Sydney. Following laboratory-based post-docs in cancer research at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, she has been involved in clinical trial coordination since 2019. She has a strong interest in theranostics, and has experience in coordination of trials from phase 3 and registry studies through to phase 1 first-time-in-human trials.
Elizabeth Medhurst
Nurse Consultant
ProsTIC / Peter Maccallum Cancer Centree
Elizabeth Medhurst
ProsTIC / Peter Maccallum Cancer Centree
Elizabeth Medhurst has been specialising in genitourinary cancers for the past eight years and developed a keen interest in metastatic prostate cancer. Most recently, Elizabeth has been working as a PSMA theranostics nurse consultant as a part of the Prostate Cancer Theranostics and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC) at Peter MacCallum Cancer centre. Elizabeth has completed a Masters of Cancer sciences at the University of Melbourne. Elizabeth is keen to continue to explore the impact of nursing interventions and care pathways to improve the quality of life of men receiving these treatments
A/Prof Daniel Moon
Urologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
A/Prof Daniel Moon
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
A/Prof Daniel Moon is a Urologist with subspecialty expertise in robotic prostate and renal surgery. He served as the inaugural Director of Robotic Surgery at Epworth Healthcare 2012-2017 and is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at The University of Melbourne. He has performed over 2500 robotic procedures, published the first Australian series of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in 2008, performed the first Australian robotic cysto-prostatectomy in 2009, and established a robotic partial nephrectomy program at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, publishing the first Australian series of this procedure in 2014 and the largest Australian partial nephrectomy series in 2017. Amongst recent nuclear medicine research projects A/Prof Moon co-authored the PRIMARY trial and was one of the lead investigators for PRIMARY2.
Prof Declan Murphy
Director of Genitourinary (GU) Oncology and Director of Robotic Surgery
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Declan Murphy
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Declan Murphy is Consultant Urologist and Director of Genito-Urinary (GU) Oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, and Clinical Professor at the University of Melbourne.
Declan is an internationally-recognised key opinion leader in GU Oncology, prostate cancer in particular, and has many hundreds of peer-review publications to his name, with a h-index of 75.He specialises full-time in prostate cancer and is a high-volume radical prostatectomist.
He is Associate Editor of European Urology and has editorial experience with many other top journals. He is active on all social media channels, and co-hosts the top-rated GU Cast podcast and the European Urology Podcast.
Dr Katie Owen
Post Doctoral Fellow Translational Prostate Cancer Research
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Katie Owen
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Katie Owen is a postdoctoral researcher in the Translational Prostate Cancer Research group led by A/Prof Luc Furic at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Her work on tumour-intrinsic type I interferon signalling in bone-metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) led to novel immune-based combinatorial approaches that reverse epigenetic silencing of critical immune-regulatory pathways to decrease bone-metastatic outgrowth and enhance the effectiveness of systemic immune-activating agents that have underperformed in advanced metastatic disease (EMBO Reports, 2020). Stemming from this research, Dr Owen now works on enhancing radiotherapeutic strategies for novel therapeutic targets in advanced metastatic cancers in collaboration with the Prostate Theranostic and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC), spearheaded by nuclear medicine physician Prof Micheal Hofman. She leads the translational research arms of several clinical trials investigating early systemic biomarkers of response to targeted a- and b-particle therapies and combinatorial approaches to improve therapeutic durability for long-term elimination of metastatic CRPC. Dr Owen is a Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) Priority Impact Research Award Young Investigator (2021) and a PCFA Future Leaders Fellows (2022).
Prof Jason Payne
CEO
Peter Mac
Prof Jason Payne
Peter Mac
Professor Jason Payne joined Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre as Chief Executive in November 2023.
Professor Payne is a health professional with over 30 years’ clinical, management and leadership experience.
He has deep experience working with diverse stakeholders, strengthening relationships across the public health sector, and creating new connections in Australia and internationally.
With a passion for developing teams that excel, Professor Payne’s leadership is orientated towards continuous improvement. He is a champion for wellbeing, driven by a strong belief that people perform at their best when they feel engaged at work.
Prior to joining Peter Mac, Professor Payne served in a series of executive roles at Austin Health, then at Mercy Health, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive of Health Services.
Dr Laura Porter
Early Career Research Fellow
Monash University
Dr Laura Porter
Monash University
Dr Porter is an Early Career Research Fellow at Monash University in the Prostate Cancer Research Group, a team with a strong translational focus dedicated to improving urology and oncology clinical practice through a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive prostate cancer. Her research expertise centres on developing and applying patient-derived models to investigate tumour biology and evaluate preclinical therapeutic strategies. Using these clinically relevant preclinical models, her postdoctoral work explores the mechanisms underlying treatment resistance and sensitivity to CAR T cell immunotherapy and radioligand therapy, with a key interest in tumour heterogeneity and the tumour microenvironment. Through this work, Dr Porter’s overarching aim is to optimise therapeutic approaches for patients with prostate cancer.
Dr Robert Raposio
Nuclear Physicist
ANSTO Health
Dr Robert Raposio
ANSTO Health
Robert Raposio is the Process Performance Manager at ANSTO Nuclear Medicine, bringing more than 25 years of experience in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement within highly regulated technical environments. Throughout his career at ANSTO, Robert has held a range of operational and leadership roles across multiple nuclear medicine product streams, where he successfully led teams to achieve demanding delivery, quality, safety, and compliance objectives.
In his current role, Robert focuses on improving process performance, strengthening operational robustness, reducing risk, and driving continuous improvement through data-driven decision making and collaboration across manufacturing, quality, and technical functions. He is passionate about building sustainable systems that enhance efficiency, reliability, and patient outcomes.
Robert's leadership is founded on a commitment to learning, innovation, and developing strong professional relationships. He enjoys mentoring teams, fostering a culture of accountability and improvement, and helping individuals grow their technical and leadership capabilities.
Complementing his extensive industry experience, Robert holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics and a Master of Management. He has also completed extensive training in GMP compliance, radiation safety, quality systems, leadership, and process optimisation, enabling him to combine scientific expertise with practical operational leadership.
Prof Shahneen Sandhu
Consultant Medical Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Prof Shahneen Sandhu
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Professor Shahneen Sandhu Consultant Medical Oncologist Professor Shahneen Sandhu is a medical oncologist and researcher at Peter Mac, where she leads a translational research program in prostate cancer, melanoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma. She is also the Research Lead for the Melanoma Medical Oncology Service and a key member of the Prostate Theranostics and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC). Her research integrates laboratory science and clinical trials to develop new treatment strategies and uncover biological mechanisms driving treatment resistance. She is the lead investigator on multiple practice-changing studies and collaborates with national and international partners to advance cancer research. Prof Sandhu has published more than 230 peer-reviewed articles and is regularly invited to present her work at major international conferences.
Sally Sara
Director of Nursing
Prostate Cancer Foundation of
Australia
Sally Sara
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Adjunct Professor Sally Sara is Director of Nursing for the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia (PCFA), leading a team of over 120 specialist prostate cancer nurses in every state and territory in Australia. A clinician researcher and PhD candidate with nearly 40 years of nursing experience, 28 of which were spent working in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network where she established the first Commonwealth funded prostate cancer specialist nursing position in South Australia.
With many years of experience caring for men with prostate cancer Sally has seen firsthand the physical, psychological, financial and social challenges living with prostate cancer brings to men and their families. She is an elected Councillor, and the Australia and New Zealand Urological Nurses Society representative on the Coalition of National Nursing and Midwifery Organisations and represents the Australian College of Nursing in the Cancer Australia Intercollegiate Advisory Group.
Sally is an Adjunct Professor in the University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Health Research, and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Technology Sydney.
Prof Andrew Scott
Director, Department Of Molecular Imaging And Therapy
Austin Health
Prof Andrew Scott
Austin Health
Prof. Andrew Scott is Director, Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health; leads the Tumour Targeting Laboratory at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute; and is Professor, University of Melbourne and La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Prof Scott's clinical and research interests are focused on developing innovative strategies for targeted therapy of cancer, and molecular imaging and theranostics in oncology. There have been 7 therapeutic antibodies developed in his laboratory that have been licenced to Pharma and Biotech, and four have progressed to Phase I/II/III clinical trials. He has led multi-centre clinical trials leading to regulatory approvals for PET in oncology, and has played a major role in advocacy for access to imaging at a global level. Prof Scott has published over 530 peer reviewed papers and 28 book chapters, is an inventor on 26 patents, and has received over $60 million in peer reviewed grant funding.
Prof Shankar Siva
Radiation Oncologist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Joseph Van de Garde
Radiopharmacist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Joseph Van de Garde
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr. Joseph Van de Garde is a Radiopharmaceutical Scientist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, and a sessional academic at the Australian Catholic University. He earned his PhD in Radiopharmaceutical Science from the University of Melbourne.
His interdisciplinary research focuses on the translation of peptide drug candidates into targeted Theranostics. He specializes in the research and development of targeted radiopharmaceuticals, specifically investigating macrocyclic peptides targeting the ROR1 oncoprotein. Dr. Van de Garde has made key contributions to the development of novel peptide therapeutics, including patentable mRNA display peptides. Driven by a strong commitment to advancing translational medicine, his work aims to accelerate the journey of novel radiotracers from the bench to the clinic to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Oral Abstract Speakers
Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili
Nuclear Medicine Specialist
Fiona Stanley Hospital
Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili
Fiona Stanley Hospital
Dr Zeyad Al-Ogaili is a dual-trained Consultant Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia, and a PhD Candidate at The University of Western Australia. His research focusses on theranostics, molecular imaging and translational oncology, with particular interest in radioligand therapy optimisation, fibroblast activation protein-targeted imaging, and the integration of novel imaging biomarkers into early-phase clinical trials. Dr Al-Ogaili established the first dedicated Nuclear Medicine Clinical Trials Unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital and leads a portfolio of investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored trials spanning prostate cancer theranostics, mesothelioma, and advanced solid tumours. He serves as Chief Investigator and Principal Investigator across multiple active studies, including the RENOGUARD, MESO-FAP and LuMIERE trials. He has authored 19 peer-reviewed publications and presented at national and international nuclear medicine meetings.
Dr Mevan Ekanayake
Postdoctoral Researcher
Peter Maccallum Cancer Centre
Dr Mevan Ekanayake
Peter Maccallum Cancer Centre
Dr Mevan Ekanayake is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Anna Trigos Lab (Multi-omic Evolution and Ecosystems Lab) at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he develops and applies deep learning and AI approaches to understand cancer evolution and treatment resistance through the integration of large-scale molecular, clinical, and imaging data, with a particular focus on prostate cancer. He completed his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Monash University, in 2025, where his research explored how AI can extract clinically meaningful information from medical imaging to support precision medicine. Dr Ekanayake has published in leading journals, including CiBM, BSPC, and JDI, and has presented his work at major international conferences such as ISMRM, ISBI, WACV, MICCAI, and MICCAI. Despite being at an early stage of his career, he has contributed to several successful national and international research grants, including the ANZUP Below the Belt Grant, the PCFA Priority Impact Research Award, the NCMAS High Performance Computing Grant, and the IMSUT International Joint Research Grant. His research and science communication achievements have been recognised through multiple awards, including the ISMRM Summa Cum Laude Merit Award, the Hannah Brown Innovation Prize, the Monash Engineering Postgraduate Publication Award, the Monash Biomedical Imaging Student Excellence Award, and the Monash VYT Award.
Joel Noble
Student
The University Of Western Australia
Joel Noble
The University Of Western Australia
Joel Noble completed his Bachelor of Science, majoring in Physics, at The University of Western Australia in 2022. A desire to see physics principles put into action for the direct benefit of the community drew him to medical physics, in which he completed his Masters at the end of 2024. During his Masters, Joel saw the opportunity to ride the rising wave of AI, putting his fledgling coding ability to the test with the development of Deep Learning models for synthetic CT generation to expedite palliative radiotherapy.
After his Masters, Joel was fortunate to be offered a research associate role by his supervisor, Dr. Jake Kendrick, to investigate AI-enabled personalised medicine approaches in metastatic prostate cancer. He is currently pursuing this research further as a PhD alongside the role.
Beyond day-to-day software development, Joel relishes opportunities to communicate and share his research in varying settings, including at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, where his research group is based, as well as helping to guide other students delving into medical AI applications.
Joel also writes and performs music, having played both solo and in multiple bands, particularly in Walyalup (Fremantle), which he considers his adopted creative home.
Dr Katherine Morel
Postdoctoral Researcher
Adelaide University
Dr Katherine Morel
Adelaide University
Dr. Katherine Morel is a Research Fellow in the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) at the University of Adelaide. in 2017, Dr. Morel was awarded her PhD from Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. Her doctoral research was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Pamela Sykes and focused on investigating the use of the anti-inflammatory compound parthenolide in the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer. Following the completion of her PhD studies, Dr. Morel continued her training as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. At DFCI, Dr. Morel's research interests focused on genetic drivers of aggressive prostate cancer and identifying and utilising novel therapeutic approaches to target these genetic perturbations. This research utilised unique GEM and 3D organoid models of prostate cancer together with the latest techniques in genomics and proteomics. In 2022, Dr. Morel returned to Adelaide to continue her research into prostate cancer at the University of Adelaide.
More speakers to be announced
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