Following an international competitive process, Professor Linda Mileshkin has been appointed to the position of Medical Director, Medical Oncology.

Professor Mileshkin is a highly accomplished medical oncologist and clinician scientist and has been Deputy Director of Medical Oncology at Peter Mac since 2017. Since November last year  has acted in the role and has successfully led the team through some very challenging months during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

She has done much to improve the clinical model and to support and mentor her colleagues, trainees and junior faculty.

With 176 publications accepted in peer-reviewed journals including in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood, Cancer, Lancet Oncology and Nature, Linda’s research output is impressive. An investigator on 58 successful peer-reviewed grant applications, which have attracted funds of over $15 million, Professor Mileshkin has been chief investigator on seven National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants, nine Cancer Australia grants, and three Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grants. 

Her work leading academic clinical trials in the adjuvant therapy of endometrial and cervical cancer has changed clinical practice and international guidelines for recommended work-up and treatment. Last year, Professor Mileshkin presented what we believe was Peter Mac’s first Plenary session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting. There she presented the practice-changing outcomes of OUTBACK - a Phase III clinical trial that assessed chemotherapy plus standard treatment for women with locally advanced cervical cancer.

From 2018 to 2021 Linda was the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance (VCCC Alliance) Research and Education Lead for Gynaecological Cancer. She is the Research Lead for the gynaecological cancer stream within the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (PCCTU), and a Research Advisory Committee and Board member for the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG). She was also recently appointed as new Chair of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Gynaecological Oncology Group.

Linda has a particular interest in Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP). She runs Australia’s only specialist clinic dedicated to the care of people affected by CUP, and has established a national network of clinicians and researchers working on a suite of studies in this area. 

A Professor in the Department of Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne and an Honorary Member of the Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology at The University of Melbourne, Professor Mileshkin is also the Director of Physician Training at Peter Mac.