Chair

Associate Professor Geri McDonald

Director Patient Experience & Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

A/Prof McDonald brings a wealth of experience and expertise in patient care, cancer support, and wellbeing initiatives. With an extensive career spanning across government, health services, corporate, not-for-profit, and medical research sectors, she has become a pivotal advocate for improving patient experiences in cancer care.

In 2017, A/Prof McDonald was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, which enabled her to explore patient navigation models in cancer care through travels to the USA and UK. Her findings from this research have been shared at national and international conferences and continue to shape the landscape of cancer care in Australia.

In addition to her work at Peter Mac, she has been instrumental in raising awareness about integrative oncology and wellbeing services. In 2019, she was nominated in the Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence, and she was also a recipient of the Pro Bono Australia Impact 25 Award in 2020, recognising her as one of the top 25 people of influence in the social sector.

A/Prof McDonald's leadership extends beyond her direct roles in cancer care, as she is a member of the NACCHO expert cancer working group and contributes to the COSA Council. Her work has been central in the development of the Inaugural White Paper on Integrative Oncology and Wellness Centres in Cancer Care, and she continues to provide guidance and expertise to both national and international organisations focused on cancer wellbeing centres. She also holds an Honorary adjunct Associate Professorship role at the University of Melbourne Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Speaker

Sally Hasler

Chief Executive Officer, Women's Health Victoria

Sally brings more than 15 years' leadership experience in gender equality and health organisations as an executive, non-executive director and volunteer. Most recently, Sally was a Director in the Office for Women in the Victorian Government.

She has also held leadership roles with the Commonwealth Government, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and The Women's Foundation Hong Kong. Sally has implemented major government programs and strategies, facilitated multi-sector partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and led philanthropic and business development strategies.

Sally brings expertise in gender and health policy, strategy, inclusion and intersectionality, stakeholder partnerships and business development.

In her role as CEO, Sally is a member of the Victorian Government Women's Health Advisory Council, the Victorian Cancer Advisory Committee and the Mental Health Ministerial Advisory Committee.

She has been an active volunteer with St John Ambulance since a young age and is currently a non-executive director of Lifeline Direct.

Speaker

Dr Sianan Healy

Evidence and Capacity Building Manager, Women's Health Victoria

Sianan (she/her) leads Women's Health Victoria's research, evaluation and capacity building programs across our priority areas of mental health, sexual and reproductive health and cancer. She has more than 10 years' experience in research and research translation, training, policy and advocacy in the university and not-for-profit sectors.

At WHV, Sianan oversees research partnerships and health promotion activities, including our award-winning website The Labia Library, and working with the Victorian government and health services to develop gender-responsive care resources for the cancer sector. Sianan also chairs WHV's Reconciliation Action Plan, work which aligns strongly with her commitment to First Nations gender justice. She is passionate about collaborating with government, the health sector and communities to improve the health and wellbeing of women and trans and gender diverse people.