Peter Mac’s Professor Sherene Loi has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

The Honour Roll is a Victorian Government initiative which recognises women who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and excellence in their field.

Prof Loi is Consultant Medical Oncologist that specialises in the treatment of breast cancer patients and lab head of Peter Mac’s Translational Breast Cancer Genomics and Therapeutics Laboratory, which spans from basic discovery science through to translational medicine and clinical trials.

Her scientific papers regularly rank in the top 1% by citations globally, placing her in the top echelon of Peter Mac scientists.

In 2021, Prof Loi received the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year in the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences’ Jian Zhou Medal.

She pioneered the counting of “TILs” - tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes - in breast cancer tissue as a way to optimize treatment and this has now become standard of care, as well as leading development of immunotherapy treatment for breast cancer patients.

Prof Loi is also a clinician who, as part of a busy breast cancer clinic at Peter Mac, directly treats and cares for breast cancer patients.

“I’m delighted to be part of this initiative which highlights the amazing achievements of women across a broad range of professional fields,” Prof Loi says.

“You can’t be what you can’t see, and my hope is that many more Australian girls and young women see in their future an exciting, rewarding and impactful career in science and medicine.”

In announcing latest inductees, Victorian Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins MP said: “Victoria is full of remarkable women who are leading the nation in their chosen fields and in their communities – these honours are about celebrating their achievements”.

“Congratulations to all of this year’s inductees in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women – every one of you have made significant and lasting contributions to our state and you help to inspire others to do the same.”

More than 700 women have been inducted since 2001 - each recognised for their personal achievements and for forging a brighter path for all women.

The late Hon Joan Kirner AC, Victoria’s only female Premier, created the Honour Roll to formally acknowledge women for their achievements and to encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

See the list of all 2022 inductees to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women