2025 Breast Cancer Trials Award Winners

Winners of the 2025 Breast Cancer Trials Awards were presented at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting in Hobart, Tasmania.

The awards and travel grants recognise the valuable contribution of BCT members to the Group’s clinical trials research program; provide professional development opportunities for members; recognise outstanding achievements by researchers, clinicians and scientists in their particular field; and help promote the research activities of BCT and encourage participation in them.

All BCT awards are at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

The Alan Coates Award for Excellence in Clinical Trials Research

The Alan Coates Award for Excellence in Clinical Trials Research recognises an individual member of BCT who has made an outstanding contribution to BCT’s clinical trials research program and aims to assist the recipient in their professional development.

The 2025 recipient is Professor Bruce Mann.

Bruce is the Director of Research at Breast Cancer Trials, is the Chair of the Breast Cancer Trials. Within his role, he oversees the development and implementation of our research strategy and provides strategic leadership within our research program.

He is the Study Chair of the BCT PROSPECTIVE Clinical Trial, which is investigating if surgery without radiotherapy will still be effective at stopping the cancer from returning and reducing the side effects, and the cost of standard treatment.

Professor Mann is also the national PI of the UK-led POSNOC clinical trial, which aims to find out if further axillary treatment is of benefit in women with macrometastases found in one or two lymph nodes. He is also co-chair of the expert advisory group for the ROSA (Roadmap to Optimising Screening in Australia) project of the Cancer Council of Australia.

The Robert Sutherland Award for Excellence in Translational Research

The Robert Sutherland Award for Excellence in Translational Research recognises Translational Researchers and their achievements and contributions to improved patient outcomes as well as scientific excellence.

The 2025 recipient is Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson.

Sarah-Jane is a consultant medical oncologist and Head of the Molecular Biomarkers and Translational Genomics Laboratory at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, with a joint appointment at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Cancer Research. As a clinician-scientist, she is internationally renowned for her pioneering work in circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and cancer genomics.

She is also the Study Chair of the BCT CAPTURE clinical trial, which is investigating if treatment with a PI3K inhibitor (alpelisib), in combination with fulvestrant, will improve outcomes for patients with oestrogen (ER) positive, HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer when compared with standard treatment.

Her research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of personalised cancer biomarkers and how they can be used to guide treatment, and her work continues to shape the future of precision oncology and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.

The John Collins Medal and Travel Grant

This grant was established to encourage potential academic breast surgeons to become involved in clinical trials research.

The 2025 recipient is Dr Sia Kim.

Sia is a Research Fellow at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse as is dedicated to advancing breast cancer research and surgical care.

Following the completion of her Clinical Fellowship in Breast Surgery, Sia has continued to build an impressive career in surgical oncology, with experience at leading institutions including Concord Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Her commitment to research is evident through her contributions, such as co-authoring ‘The Australian and New Zealand Perspective on Quality Breast Care’ and presenting at the Breast Cancer Trials ASM, RACS ASC 2025, and the Global Breast Cancer Conference 2025.

The Study Coordinator Prize

This award acknowledges outstanding commitment to BCT’s research program by a study coordinator at a participating institution.

The 2025 recipient is Ms Amy Wallace.

Amy is an exceptional study coordinator whose efficiency, attention to detail and commitment to patient care have made her an integral part of our research team.

Over the past few years, Amy has played a pivotal role in managing high-volume studies, most notably the CAMBRIA-2 trial. Her efforts in coordinating recruitment, managing patient visits – including for those travelling from out of town and ensuring timely data entry have been instrumental in keeping the study on track.

Amy has also led the coordination of the PATINA trial, working closely with investigators and the BCT team to resolve complex data queries to the highest standard.

Education Travel Grants

Our Education Travel Grants recognise study coordinators and junior clinicians who are unable to access institutional or other funding to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting.

2025 recipients are: Jenna Dean, Rebecca Dimovitis, Kathleene Dower, Natalie Duncalf, Katherina Farr, Monica Green, Shivani Kumar, Leah Lindrea-Morrison, Heather Rootes and Cindy Tan.

Trainee and Early Career Weekend Grants

Our Trainee and Early Career Weekend Grant is up to the value of $1500, which includes return economy class airfares, and accommodation for the duration of the weekend.

2025 recipients are: Anooja Abdul Salam, Emily Brown, Sarah Childs, Melissa Edwards, Harith Fernando, Eric Fong, Nancy Huang, Gayathri Nair, Dinushi Perera, and Victoria Rayson.