Co-Chairs

Prof David Wiesenfeld
Honorary Clinical Professor The University of Melbourne; Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, The Royal Melbourne Hospital 

With over 40 years clinical experience in oral cancer care and research, Prof Wiesenfeld is the former Director of the Head & Neck Tumour Stream in Parkville. He was also the former Research and Education Lead of the Head & Neck Tumour Stream at the VCCC Alliance, where he mapped opportunities to develop expert networks, deliver educational programming, improve research data sharing, and implement multi-partner studies to accelerate translation of new research into routine clinical practice.

Prof Wiesenfeld established the ACCORD Head & Neck Cancer Registry at the RMH, the first Victorian registry to collect comprehensive clinical, treatment and outcome data on head and neck cancer patients. He is co-investigating an Organoid-informed Precision Medicine Program for oral squamous cell carcinoma in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, to identify new treatment options. Prof Wiesenfeld has published over 100 articles and contributed to five textbooks, and has held Visiting Professor positions at universities in Bristol, Texas, Nebraska and Ohio.

Prof Ben Dixon
Professor of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery; ENT Surgeon and Director of the ENT Head  & Neck Department, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne; Research and Education Lead (Head and Neck Cancer), VCCC Alliance

Professor Ben Dixon is the Garnett Passe & Rodney Williams Professor of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Melbourne and the Director of ENT Head & Neck Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. He is the Head & Neck Research and Education Lead for the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance.

Prof Dixon has a PhD in surgeon-computer interface design and continues research into the integration of technology into the operating theatre. His areas of expertise and clinical research include Head & Neck and Skull Base malignancy, including combining robotic and endoscopic surgical management with open techniques.

Speakers

A/Prof Arutha Kulasinghe
Principal Research Fellow and Clinical-oMx Lab Lead, Frazer Institute, University of Queensland

Dr Arnulf Mayer
Radiation Oncologist, Physiologist and Research Scientist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Dr Alesha Thai
Head & Neck Medical Oncologist and Clinician Scientist, Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Felicity Megee
Speech Pathologist, The Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Anand Ramakrishnan
Director, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital

Kerrie Treseder
Head & Neck Oncology and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Liaison Nurse, The Royal Melbourne Hospital