Shaping the Research Strategy in Radiation Oncology
26 October 2023
Associate Professor Susan Harden has been appointed to the role of Lead, Radiation Oncology Research (formally known as the Associate Director) in the Department of Radiation Oncology and will provide strategic direction and leadership for all research conducted by the department.
Professor Sandro Porceddu, Director of Radiation Oncology at Peter Mac said Associate Professor Harden has impressive leadership qualities and is very well qualified for the role with a wealth of experience in the area.
“She was appointed as the first oncology clinical lead for the UK National Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma Audits back in 2016,” he said.
“She was also selected as a clinical lead for the National Cancer Registrations and Analysis Service, Public Health England with research focusing on the national radiotherapy dataset.
“We are truly excited about the strategic direction Associate Professor Harden has in mind and her approach to this role,” Professor Porceddu said.
Associate Professor Harden said she was excited to the lead the research direction of Australia’s largest and most academically active radiotherapy treatment centre.
Associate Professor Harden conducted her medical training at Oxford University and completed her specialist training in Cambridge.
She specialises in thoracic, unknown primary and urologic malignancies, and is a senior research fellow for the Cancer Registries Research Programme at Monash University.
“I was awarded a Doctorate in Medicine for translational research undertaken at the John Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore focusing on the low-level molecular detection of lung, prostate and head and neck cancers,” Associate Professor Harden said.
“In this role I hope to further promote the incredible research conducted at the Peter Mac Radiation Department which specialises in phase I to III clinical trials using radiotherapy as combined or single modality treatment.”
The interventions used range from stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy, brachytherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies and advanced medical imaging techniques.