Monday Lunch Live Stream

With Dr Keely Bumsted-O'Brien and Ms Katya Gray

20 June 2022

How can involving cancer consumers improve your research?

Join us for this special patient-powered Monday Lunch Live to find out what is meant by the term 'consumer' and how it's possible to work with consumers to ask better questions in cancer research. Also, discover the benefits of consumer-informed research and hear how it works in practice.

Dr Keely Bumsted-O'Brien is Head of the Scientific Education Office at WEHI and an Honorary Senior Fellow in the Department of Medical Biology at the University of Melbourne. She is also a cancer survivor and active participant in the WEHI Consumer Program. In 2016, Keely was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. This personal experience with cancer has motivated Keely to become an advocate for consumers and consumer involvement in research.

Keely will be joined by colleague Katya Gray, Manager of the WEHI consumer program and a consumer herself.

Katya Gray manages the innovative WEHI Consumer Program, a program that connects researchers and community members to improve research and health outcomes. She is also the coordinator of the WEHI Consumer Advisory Panel, which sets the policies for this consumer involvement. Gray has a long track record of consumer engagement across different areas of health including as an ambassador with Ovarian Cancer Australia and is frequently asked to speak at multiple consumer engagement forums around Australia. Gray is actively involved with many consumer engagement committees and groups where she shares her knowledge with those starting out in the consumer space.

Hear Keely's personal story and presentation on consumer contributions in research and learn how consumer engagement is managed and supported from the point of view of a Consumer Program Manager.

The presentation is followed by a panel discussion featuring researcher/consumer pairs who share their experiences of working together.