National Integrative Oncology and Wellbeing in Supportive Cancer Care Symposium. Moving the field forward, together.

National Integrative Oncology and Wellbeing in Supportive Cancer Care - Moving the field forward together 

Join us in Sydney on Wednesday May 1st 2024 for this exciting 1 day event: Not to be missed!!!

Only limited places still available : please contact hosts or add name to waitlist if unable to get a seat and we will get back to you. 

This event is an Inaugural National Symposium hosted by Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre on behalf of the National Integrative Oncology and Wellbeing Alliance.

The aim: To bring together leaders in the field, enthusiastic and innovative thinkers and researchers to explore the current landscape, advances in research, evidence and implementation of integrative oncology, lifestyle medicine, exercise oncology and wellbeing programs into standard comprehensive cancer care. We will hear from global and national leaders, including Cancer Australia, health service leaders, researchers and consumer advocates.

Who should attend: Medical, nursing and allied health professionals working in the field of oncology; general practitioners; healthcare professionals working in Integrative Oncology; complementary medicine professionals, researchers, health service managers and consumer advocates.  

Symposium highlights

Keynote speakers :

• Dr Santosh Rao, MD President of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) the peak global organisation for  Integrative Oncology. He is a Medical Oncologist and Medical Director of Integrative Oncology, UH Connor Whole Health, Cleveland. He will provide an overview of Integrative oncology globally today and the role and work of SIO. 
• Prof Lorenzo Cohen, Head of department MD Anderson, Integrative medicine, author of Anticancer Living and the cofounder of the SIO. Speaking on Lifestyle medicine and Integrative oncology with a focus on thriving with and beyond cancer. 
• Models of Care: leaders in the field presentation and panel: Speakers from major cancer hospitals nationally will outline different models of integrative oncology and wellbeing programs currently in Australian hospitals. Speakers will include Prof Fran Boyle (Medical Oncologist, Past President of COSA. Mater, Sydney), A/Prof Judith Lacey (Head of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, SIO Australian Ambassador), Dr Ashley Bigaran, PhD, AEP (Operations Manager, Wellness and Supportive Care and Clinical Lead of the Exercise@ONJ Centre, Austin Health), Prof Geraldine McDonald (Director of Patient Experience and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), Dr Suzanne Grant (Research fellow NICM and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse) and Dr Shelley Kay, Senior Accredited Exercise Physiologist (Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, leader in exercise oncology) and many more. 
• Cancer Australia, The peak national body for implementing the Australian Cancer Plan, will talk about how integrative oncology, exercise oncology and other programs potentially fit into the new Australian Cancer Plan. 
• Exercise in Supportive cancer care: the evidence, implementation research and the integration of exercise oncology into holistic patient care.
• The Consumer and lived experiences of integrative oncology and wellbeing initiatives.
• How can we implement guidelines into comprehensive standard cancer care: SIO/ASCO endorsed guidelines for integrative oncology for symptom management will be presented. 
• Rapid fire sessions will provide a snapshot of Australia's cutting-edge integrative oncology and exercise oncology research. 

Date: The symposium will be held at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Wednesday 1 May 2024

THIS IS A FULLY CATERED EVENT. For all dietary concerns, please let us know.

The date coincides with the Exercise & Sports Science Australia Conference in Sydney on May 2-4, 2024. As such, we have included exercise oncology research as a highlight. 

For more information and registration, contact ashley.bigaran@austin.org,au

Speakers include :

LORENZO COHEN, PhD, is the Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cancer Prevention and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is the former vice-chair of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health and is a cofounder and past president of the Society for Integrative Oncology. Dr. Cohen leads a team conducting research and delivering clinical care of integrative medicine practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, music therapy, acupuncture, massage, diet, exercise, and other strategies aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life and clinical outcomes. His research simultaneously assesses psychological, behavioral, and physiological factors in an attempt to better understand the cancer process As most cancers are preventable, Dr. Cohen is also conducting research to demonstrate that lifestyle factors can influence cancer outcomes. Dr Cohen has published over 200 scientific articles in top medical journals, has edited two books on integrative medicine for cancer care, co-edited the book entitled The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care, and is co-author of an evidence-based book for the general public Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six. 

Dr. Santosh Rao is the Medical Director of Integrative Oncology for UH Connor Whole Health, part of the Integrative Medicine team. Dr. Rao is a board-certified Medical Oncologist specializing in GU Malignancies, and a board-certified Integrative Medicine Provider. He served as the Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Arizona from 2014 to 2022, as well as the Director of Supportive Oncology since 2021, where he led a distinguished program including massage, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, diet and lifestyle direction, and integrative oncology. Dr. Rao has been recognized as a “Top Doc” for Integrative Medicine in Phoenix for four years.

Dr. Rao’s interest in Integrative Medicine began in college and was a significant influence on his decision to pursue a career in the medical field. After studying biophysics at the University of Michigan, he went on to obtain his medical degree at the University of Michigan as well. Dr. Rao then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He completed an Associate Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in 2006 as a Bravewell Fellow.

Dr. Rao is passionate about incorporating Integrative Oncology and Cancer Prevention in cancer care. He previously studied Hematology and Oncology here at University Hospitals and is excited to be back in the Cleveland area where his practice is integrated at UH Seidman Cancer Center. Dr. Rao also serves as the President of the Society of Integrative Oncology.

A/Prof Bobby Cheema is an Associate Professor of Sport & Exercise Science at Western Sydney University. He has an extensive background in clinical exercise research and practice and is currently involved in a study at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse which aims to investigate endocannabinoid system responses to acute exercise in chemotherapy patients. Dr. Cheema holds research affiliations with the National Institute of Complementary Medicine and the Translational Health Research Institute, as well as accreditation with Exercise & Sport Science Australia. He completed his formal education and training in Canada and Australia, and has previously worked as an academic in New Zealand. 

Dr Hannah Wardill is a Hospital Research Foundation Fellow at the University of Adelaide, and Head of the Supportive Oncology Research Group at South Australia’s flagship medical research institute, SAHMRI. Since completing her PhD in 2016, Hannah has established a diverse program of research focused on improving the health and wellbeing of people affected by cancer. Central to her work is understanding and mapping the microbial changes that occur after cancer therapy and their relationship with treatment outcomes.

Hannah has published >90 peer reviewed articles in top tier journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and received funding from Cat1 funders such as NHMRC and MRFF to test and develop new microbial therapies for use in cancer care. Of note, Hannah led Australia’s first trial of faecal microbiota transplantation in people with blood cancer and she has since partnered with Australasia’s largest stool bank, BiomeBank, to test new microbial therapeutics in people with cancer.

In recognition of her contribution to supportive oncology and microbiome science, Hannah has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the largest supportive care organisation in the world (MASCC), was named the International Investigator in 2023 and the International Qiagen Microbiome Award winner in 2019.

Prof Fran Boyle is a Medical Oncologist based at the Mater Hospital in North Sydney and is a Professor at the University of Sydney. Her main area of practice is in Breast Cancer Care. She chairs the Supportive Care Subcommittee of Breast Cancer Trials, fostering new research proposals. Fran helped to develop and supports the management of the Kay Van Norton Centre for Wellbeing at the Mater.