Our Team

Meet the MPCCC team. Click on a name to access a short bio.

Professor Melissa C. Southey OAM

Co-Director

Professor Melissa C. Southey, BSc (Hons, Pathology) PhD(Medicine), Grad Dip (Law), is a molecular geneticist (FHGSA) and a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science, Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia(FFSc, RCPA). She is Chair of Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health and Co-Director of the MPCCC. Professor Southey is also affiliated with the following organisations:

· Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria

· Victorian Heart Institute, Monash University

· Department of Clinical Pathology, The Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC

Professor Southey’s research program has a population-based focus that has been pivotal to the establishment of large genetic epidemiological research resources that are now being utilised to address key questions in cancer research. Melissa is best known for her work with multiple-case cancer families and heritable risk factors that has provided the evidence base for best practice guidelines for the clinical management of individuals at high risk of the disease.

Professor Southey has led multidisciplinary teams in diagnostic and research settings in Australia and internationally, supported by programmatic awards from the European Commission, the National Institutes of Health (USA), NHMRC and The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

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Professor Mark Shackleton

Co-Director

Professor Mark Shackleton (MBBS PhD FRACP) is the Director of Oncology at Alfred Health, a Professor of Oncology in the Department of Medicine at Monash University, the Chair of Melanoma and Skin Trials, and a Co-Director of the MPCCC.

After training in medical oncology at the Ludwig Institute in Melbourne, Prof Shackleton undertook PhD studies at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan, USA, with resultant publications in Nature, Cell, Cancer Cell and the New England Journal of Medicine.

He was awarded the 2006 Victorian Premier’s Award for Medical Research, a 2010 NHMRC Achievement Award, a 2011 Pfizer Australia Fellowship, and the Australian Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year in 2012.

Professor Shackleton’s main clinical interests are centred on patients diagnosed with skin cancer, including melanoma. His research interests include cancer biology, developmental biology, oncogenic signalling pathways and clinical trials.

Professor Roger Daly

Program Lead, Discovery and Innovation

Professor Roger Daly relocated his laboratory to Monash University in March 2013, where he is Co-Head of the Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program and Program Lead of Discovery and Innovation for the MPCCC.

Professor Daly is an internationally recognised expert in growth factor receptor signalling and its deregulation in cancer.

Over the last 10 years he has established cutting-edge technology platforms in mass spectrometry-based proteomics and kinomics. These have been successfully applied to the characterisation of cancer signalling networks with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Ms Lama Karroum

Program Manager

Lama is the Manager of the MPCCC Program dedicated to driving advancements in cancer patients outcomes and healthcare practices. Currently, Lama manages the end-to-end delivery of MPCCC's strategic goals and priorities.

This responsibility allows her to combine her passion for healthcare with strategic thinking to achieve impactful outcomes. Lama holds an MBA in Health Management, a Master's in Radiation Therapy, an Honours degree in Cancer Research, and a Bachelor's in Molecular Biology. These qualifications have empowered her to bridge the gap between research, healthcare and management.

She's held various previous positions in the oncology trials and psycho-oncology research spaces, including Clinical Trial Coordinator, Research and Database Development Manager and Project Manager.

These experiences have shaped her expertise in project implementation and management, clinical research design and conduct including registry-trials, research development and implementation.

Ms Sandra Azavedo

Communications Manager

Sandra is a Communications Manager with 15 years' experience working within the higher education sector, corporate and agency environments.

Over the course of her professional career she has proven success managing marketing communications portfolios across diverse industries and leading creative teams to develop and execute marketing campaigns and brand activations.

Sandra oversees the MPCCC's Media Relations, Communications and Event Management. She is dedicated to providing strategic communications guidance and maximising awareness.

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Ms Sudi Shrestha, PhD

Senior Project Officer

Sudi is a Senior Project Officer with more than 10 years of experience in clinical and translational research spanning across oncology and cardiovascular sectors.

Sudi graduated from University of Wollongong with a strong background in Biomedical Sciences and has a PhD from UNSW Sydney on the effects of lipid profile altering drugs in dyslipidemic patients in a phase I clinical trial.

Having worked from design to delivery of phase I-III Oncology clinical trials with key opinion leaders, investigators and consumers, Sudi brings her knowledge in protocol development, governance, database and clinical trial management to the MPCCC team.

Ms Sarah Larcombe, PhD

Research Partnership Manager

As MPCCC’s Research and Partnership Manager, Sarah manages a range of partnerships and initiatives across MPCCC’s stakeholder network, including with government, consumers, and collaborative partners.

Sarah holds a PhD in infectious diseases from Monash University, with experience spanning across discovery, clinical, and translational research. Her previous work within Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Development Coordinator, as well as her ongoing volunteer work as a disability advocate, have provided Sarah with a wealth of expertise in research, clinical, government, and community engagement.

She is passionate about using this diverse knowledge and experience in her work with MPCCC to advance cancer care for all Victorians.

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Ms Ellie Van Velsen

Project Coordinator (MTB)

Ellie graduated from Melbourne University with a Master of Genomics and Health. She has experience as a project coordinator and research assistant in genomic, rare disease, and disability sectors. She has 7 years of community-facing work, encompassing various roles in organisations focussed on health and disability support. She is passionate about science communication and education, and aims to utilise her MPCCC role to assist oncologists and other stakeholders to understand and utilise genomics to achieve greater health outcomes for their patients.

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Ms Sarah Mwaba

Administration Officer

Sarah brings exceptional organisational skills within the office administration and project management space.

Sarah's professional background spreads across a variety of industries such as wealth management, mining, ICT and language teaching.

Here at the MPCCC, Sarah provides valuable insights and supports while conceptualising and implementing process improvements that optimise operational efficiency of our team as we develop and deliver our project initiatives.

Ms Cassie Haynes

Consumer Liaison Coordinator

Cassie has over 15 years clinical experience as a Radiation Therapist. Prior to joining the MPCCC, Cassie worked with the Prevention and Wellbeing team at Peter Mac as Carer Support Project Officer. In this role, Cassie met with carers of cancer patients to understand their needs and provide tailored support, as well as facilitate a peer support group. Cassie has supported the development of the Peter Mac Supporting Carers Strategy and established the Carer Support Service at Peter Mac. Presently in her role as the MPCCC Consumer Liaison Coordinator, Cassie supports the Statewide Consumer-Led Research Program involving partner organisations. Cassie is passionate about involving people with lived experience in cancer policy, research, education, and clinical care practices to drive change in the cancer sector and ultimately improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.

Governance Group

MPCCC’s Governance group has been appointed to ensure policy alignment across the partnership, provide financial authority and prioritisation of programs and to review our deliverables. Current members include:

Professor Christina Mitchell AO

Academic Vice-President and Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University

Associate Professor Helen Cooper

Chief Executive, Peninsula Health

Ms Sue Williams

Chief Executive, Cabrini

Mr Adam Horsburgh

Chief Executive, Alfred Health

Professor Eugine Yafele

Chief Executive Monash Health

Adj. Professor David Plunkett

Chief Executive, Eastern Health

Consumer Network

MPCCC’s Consumer Network continues to play a critical role in our development, planning and governance. Current members include: