HOW WE BEGAN

Lucie Leonard was 34 when she lost her seven year battle with a grade 3 astrocytoma in 2012. Her mother Robyn Leonard quickly became a passionate consumer advocate for brain cancer research and was inspired to create Australia’s first brain cancer biobanking consortium by the work of consumer advocates in the USA. Her vision was shared by leading brain cancer clinicians, researchers and biobankers across the country, who joined her pursuit to expedite researchers’ access to tissue samples and data by networking and harmonising the disparate brain cancer biobanking operations Australia-wide.

Our mission

BCBA is committed to supporting research performed by clinicians and scientists working in both the paediatric and adult brain cancer fields. The consortium has been established under the umbrella of the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO) with the goal of accelerating brain cancer research and the translation of that research into improved outcomes in patient care.

Our aims are to:

  • Build capacity in Australia for best-practice brain cancer biobanking procedures and protocols for the acquisition, handling, storage and distribution of biospecimens and the collection of associated data.

  • Facilitate increased biospecimen accrual rates Australia-wide.

  • Leverage and harmonise existing resources in order to increase the quantity and quality of available specimens.

  • Implement and maintain systems to provide biospecimens and associated clinical data to researchers in a fair, ethical and sustainable manner.

  • Facilitate the use of biospecimens in research projects with clear scientific and health benefit.

  • Enhance opportunities for national and international brain cancer research collaborations. Visit our charity website to view current projects


OUR charity - brain cancer collective

In 2018 we launched the Brain Cancer Collective, a fundraising arm of BCBA, with the exclusive mission to raise funds to support new projects and initiatives that will accelerate brain cancer research in Australia. LEARN MORE




Governance


BCBA is a not-for-profit group established in 2015 and operating under the umbrella of COGNO at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney. BCBA governance structure is composed of the consortium group, steering committee and operations group.




Consortium group

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Dr Kimberley Alexander

Research Scientist

Head, Brain Cancer Research, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse; Manager, Sydney Brain Tumour Bank, Sydney Local Health District; Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Sydney

A/Prof Michael Back

Radiation Oncologist

Director, Radiation Oncology, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

Mr Iwan Bennett

Acting Director of Neurosurgery

The Alfred, Melbourne

Prof Michael Besser

Neurosurgeon

Retired Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney

Prof Michael Brown

Medical Oncologist

Director, Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital

A/Prof Michael Buckland

Neuropathologist

Head, Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney

Ms Michelle Burke

Industry Advisor

Chair, AusBiotech; Principal and Director, Indigo Advisory

Prof Jennifer Byrne

Research Scientist

Director, Biobanking Services, NSW Health Pathology; Professor of Molecular Oncology, University of Sydney

Dr Lawrence Cher

Neurologist and Neuro-Oncologist

Austin Health, Melbourne

Dr Raymond Cook

Neurosurgeon

Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

Ms Danica Cossio

Manager

Cancer Alliance Queensland

Prof Bryan Day

Research Scientist

Head, Translational Brain Cancer Research Laboratory, Sid Faithfull Fellow, QMIR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital

Dr Jerry Day

Neurosurgeon

Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Wollongong Hospital

Dr Andrew Davidson

Neurosurgeon

Neurosurgeon, Lead, Victorian Gamma Knife Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; Deputy Director of Surgical Services, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Ms Lisa Devereux

Project Manager

Vice President, Australasian Biospecimens Network Association; Manager Tissue Bank, Peter Mac Melbourne

Dr Mark Dexter

Neurosurgeon

Head of Adult Neurosurgery, Westmead Hospital; Director of Neurosurgery, Southwest Area Health Service, Sydney

Prof Joanne Dickinson

Research Scientist

Principal Research Fellow, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, and Centre for Law and Genetics

Dr Roy Donnelly

Barrister

Sir Anthony Mason Chambers, Sydney

A/Prof Kate Drummond

Neurosurgeon

Director of Junior Surgical Training, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Prof Marion Eckert

Cancer Nursing / Clinical Researcher

Director, Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre; Chair, Cancer Care Research Group, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia

Dr Lisa Eckstein

Lecturer in Law and Medicine

Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania

Dr Raelene Endersby

Research Scientist

Joint Head, Brain Tumour Research, Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth

Prof Sue Evans

Director

Victorian Cancer Registry at Cancer Council Victoria

Dr Pouya Faridi

Research Scientist

Head, Translational Antigen Discovery Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University

Ms Emily Galea

Biobank Manager

Alfred Brain Tumour Bio-databank, Melbourne

Prof Hui Gan

Medical Oncologist

Austin Health Melbourne; Snr Research Fellow, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

A/Prof Craig Gedye

Medical Oncologist

Director of Research (Medical Oncology and Haematology), Icon Group, Adelaide

Dr Guillermo Gomez

Research Scientist

Head, Tissue Architecture and Organ Function Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide

Dr Nick Gottardo

Paediatric Oncologist

Joint Head, Brain Tumour Research, Division of Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth

Prof Manuel Graeber

Neuropathologist

Barnet-Cropper Chair of Brain Tumour Research, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney

Prof Gilles Guillemin

Neuroscientist

Head, Neuroinflammation Group, MND Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney

A/Prof Georgia Halkett

Research Scientist

Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University

A/Prof Rosemary Harrup

Medical Oncologist/Hematologist

Head, Dept Medical Oncology/Hematology, Royal Hobart Hospital

Dr Bejamin Heng

Research Scientist

Research Fellow, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University

Dr Michael Hodges-Langford

Biobank and Clinical Laboratory Coordinator

Wesley Research Institute, The Wesley Hospital, Brisbane

A/Prof Lindy Jeffree

Neurosurgeon

Director of Neurosurgery Alfred Hospital; Professor, Department of Surgery, Monash University, Melbourne

Prof Terrance Johns

Research Scientist

Head, Telethon Kids Institute Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth

A/Prof Mustafa Khasraw

Medical Oncologist

Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Centre; Deputy Director, Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University, USA

Dr Ganessan Kichenadasse

Medical Oncologist

Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, Flinders University, Adelaide

Dr Eng-Siew Koh

Radiation Oncologist

Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney; Chair, COGNO

Dr Ben Kong

Medical Oncologist

Royal North Shore Hospital & Mater Hospital, Sydney; COGNO Clinical Research Fellow, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney

Dr Arian Lasocki

Neuroradiologist

Head of Radiology Research; Co-Head of MRI, Department of Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne

Prof Wendy Lipworth

Bioethicist

Bioethicist, Health Social Scientist, Department of Philosophy, Macquarie University, Sydney

Ms Robyn Leonard

Founder/Director BCBA

Consumer Representative, COGNO Scientific Advisory Committee; Deputy Chair, Cancer Trials Consumer Network

Dr Adrian Lee

Medical Oncologist

Network Director of Physician Training, Royal North Shore Hospital and Genesis Care

Dr Sherman Leung

Research Scientist

Head of Research Operations, Wesley Research Institute, The Wesley Hospital, Brisbane

Dr Louise Ludlow

Biobank Coordinator

Children’s Cancer Centre Tissue Bank, MCRI, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

A/Prof Zarnie Lwin

Medical Oncologist

Royal Brisbane Hospital & Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane

Dr Marion Mateos

Paediatric Haematologist/Oncologist

Sydney Children’s Hospital; Clinical Research Fellow, Children’s Cancer Institute Australia, NSW

Dr Andrew Moore

Paediatric Oncologist

Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital Brisbane; Director, Queensland Children’s Tumour Bank, University of Queensland

Dr Lenka Munoz

Research Scientist

Dept of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney

Dr Najmun Nahar

Radiation Oncologist

Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, Sydney

Dr Wayne Ng

Biobank Manager

Victorian Cancer Biobank

Prof Anna Nowak

Pro Vice Chancellor

Health and Medical Research, University of Western Australia

Prof Terence O’Brien

Neurologist

Program Director, Alfred Brain, Director of Neurology & Deputy Director of Research, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne; Head of Department of Neuroscience & Deputy Head of Central Clinical School, Monash University

Dr Sarah Olson

Neurosurgeon

Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane

Dr Rebecca Ormsby

Biobank Coordinator

SA Neurological Tumour Bank, Flinders University, SA

Dr Jonathon Parkinson

Neurosurgeon

Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

A/Prof Mark Pinkham

Radiation Oncologist

Gamma Knife Centre of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Icon Cancer Centre, Brisbane

Prof Stuart Pitson

Research Scientist

Head, Molecular Therapeutics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Biology, University of SA

Dr Santosh Poonnoose

Neurosurgeon

Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide

Prof Leonie Quinn

Research Scientist

Head, Cancer Models, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra

Ms Emma Raymond

Research Business Manager

The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane

Prof Roger Reddel

Paediatric Oncologist

Director, Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI); Sir Lorimer Dods Professor, Sydney Medical School, USyd; Head, CMRI Cancer Research Unit; Director, CellBank Australia

A/Prof Peter Robbins

Pathologist

PathWest, QEII Medical Centre Perth; School of Pathology and Laboratory, UWA

Prof Mark Rosenthal

Medical Oncologist

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne; Director, Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit

Dr Jodi Saunus

Research Scientist

Breast Pathology, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), Brisbane

Prof Andrew Scott

Clinician / Scientist

Director, Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health; Head, Tumour Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Melbourne

Dr Brindha Shivalingam

Neurosurgeon

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney

Dr Hao-Wen Sim

Medical Oncologist

The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney; Clinical Lead and Group Coordinator, COGNO

Prof John Simes

Medical Oncologist

Senior Associate Director, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre; Medical Oncologist, RPA Hospital; Professor, Clinical Epidemiology, University of Sydney

Ms Heather Thorne

National Manager

kConFab, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne

Prof Claire Vajdic

Epidemiologist

Head of Cancer Epidemiology Research Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW

Dr Winny Varikatt

Neuropathologist

Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Sydney

Prof Clare Wakefield

Psychologist

Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital and School of Women’s Children’s Health, UNSW

Prof David Walker

Neurosurgeon

Faculty of Medicine, University of Qld; Wesley Hospital, Brisbane

Dr Helen Wheeler

Medical Oncologist

Northern Cancer Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

Prof Deborah White

Research Scientist

Director Cancer Research, SA Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide

Dr Sonia Yip

Translational Research Scientist

Translational Research Lead, Senior Research Fellow, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney

Dr Alex Yuile

Medical Oncologist

Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

Prof John Zalcberg

Medical Oncologist

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne; Head of Cancer Research Program, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne

Prof David Ziegler

Paediatric Oncologist

Haematologist, Bone Marrow Transplant Physician, Head, Clinical Trials Program, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick

A/Prof Haryana Dhillon

Behavioural Scientist

Senior Research Fellow, School of Psychology, University of Sydney

Ms Cassandra Griffin

Biobanking and Clinical Research Manager

Hunter Medical Research Institute, NSW

 

Ms Desma Spyridopoulos

Consumer Representative

Immediate past chair, COGNO Advisory Panel

Steering committee members

Prof Terence O’Brien

Neurologist

Program Director, Alfred Brain, Director of Neurology & Deputy Director of Research, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne

Dr Rebecca Ormsby

Biobank Coordinator

SA Neurological Tumour Bank, Flinders University, SA

Prof Leonie Quinn

Research Scientist

Head, Cancer Models, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra

Prof John Simes

Medical Oncologist

Senior Associate Director, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre; Medical Oncologist, RPA Hospital; Professor, Clinical Epidemiology, University of Sydney

Prof Claire Vajdic

Epidemiologist

Head, Cancer Epidemiology Research Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW



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