Local Organising Committee

SIOP 2027 Local Organising Committee Chair:

Dr Richard Mitchell B.Sc (Mol Biol), MBBS, FRACP, GAICD

Co-Director, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Dr Richard Mitchell B.Sc (Mol Biol), MBBS, FRACP, GAICD

Co-Director, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Dr Mitchell is a Paediatric Haematologist/Oncologist and Co-Director of the Minderoo Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital, where he leads a team of more than 250 people who dedicate their professional lives to caring for children with cancer and their families. Dr Mitchell is a pioneer in the field of paediatric bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy in Australia, including delivering the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell to a paediatric patient in NSW, and leading the team to deliver first in Australia experimental immunotherapy in paediatric cancer patients.

SIOP 2027 Local Organising Committee Members:

Professor Nick Gottardo

Director of Oncology, Perth Children’s Hospital, Western Australia

Professor Nick Gottardo

Director of Oncology, Perth Children’s Hospital, Western Australia

Nick Gottardo is the Head of the Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology/ Haematology Department and the Stan Perron Chair in Paediatric Oncology and Haematology at Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, Western Australia. He also co-leads the Brain Tumour Research Program at the Telethon Kids Institute.

Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly

Director Behavioural Science Unit, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales

Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly

Director Behavioural Science Unit, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales

Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly is a Cancer Institute NSW Senior Research Fellow, and Director of the Behavioural Sciences Unit, UNSW Medicine & Health, the largest research group dedicated to studying the psychosocial, ethical and behavioural aspects of in child/adolescent cancer in Australia. She is also a Clinical Psychologist at Sydney Youth Cancer Service, a multidisciplinary service that specialises in the care of adolescents and young adults aged 15-25 with cancer

Dr Sophie Jessop

Paediatric Oncologist, Women & Children’s Hospital Adelaide, South Australia

Dr Sophie Jessop

Paediatric Oncologist, Women & Children’s Hospital Adelaide, South Australia

Sophie Jessop is an early to mid-career paedaitric oncologist at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Adelaide, where she specialises in the treatment of paediatric solid and brain tumours. She has a Masters Degree in Palliative Care and also a strong interest in Indigenous Health. She is the primary investigator on several national studies, and study chair for an arm of an upcoming basket trial for novel therapies in high-risk childhood cancer. Dr Jessop is a clinical lecturer with the University of Adelaide and is on the national ANZCHOG paediatric oncology education committee.

Ben Felmingham

Academic Pharmacist, Murdoch Children's Research Institute , Victoria

Ben Felmingham

Academic Pharmacist, Murdoch Children's Research Institute , Victoria

Mr Ben Felmingham graduated with a bachelor’s degree of pharmacy from LaTrobe University, Australia in 2011. Mr Felmingham has worked clinically at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne in all areas of paediatric oncology with over a decade of clinical experience. Mr Felmingham is currently on secondment to the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute where he is working as an academic pharmacist with a budding research career in cardio-oncology and pharmacogenomics.

Dr Donna Drew

Clinical Nurse Consultant, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Dr Donna Drew

Clinical Nurse Consultant, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Dr Donna Drew is the Nurse Consultant for Paediatric Oncology and Palliative Care at the Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Australia.Dr Drew has been in this role for the last 30 years. Dr Drew’s role extends from the hospital out into the community. Her role liaises and engages with local services to assist patients and their families to stay at or be closer to home during the active treatment and/or the palliative care phases of care.

Dr Toby Trahair

Paediatric Haematologist/ Oncologist, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Dr Toby Trahair

Paediatric Haematologist/ Oncologist, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Dr Trahair is a senior staff specialist in Paediatric Haematology/Oncology at the Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, as well as the medical director of the Minimal Residual Disease Laboratory at the Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI). Dr Trahair’s translational research has focused on clinical management and outcomes of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and high-risk neuroblastoma. Dr Trahair is the Australian representative and coordinating investigation for SIOPEN clinical trials in Australia and has been on SIOPEN executive committee since 2023. Dr Trahair has been a member of the Advances in Neuroblastoma Research Association (ANRA) Steering Committee since 2018 and is the current President for 2025-27.

Karen Johnston

Nurse Practitioner, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Karen Johnston

Nurse Practitioner, Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, New South Wales

Karen Johnston is the Clinical Nurse Consultant for the Cancer Survivorship Program at the Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre . She has worked in Survivorship for almost 25 years and has been working in paediatric oncology since 1987. Ms Johnston is chair of the ANZCHOG Survivorship nursing committee, and Deputy chair of the ANZCHOG Survivorship & Transition Group.

Jennifer Clough

Finance/Administration Manager SIOP Oceania; Behavioural Science Unit, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales

Jennifer Clough

Finance/Administration Manager SIOP Oceania; Behavioural Science Unit, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales

Jennifer Clough is a Certified Practising Accountant with an MBA in human resource management. She manages finance and administration for SIOP Oceania and finance and human resources for the Behavioural Sciences Unit at UNSW Sydney. The Behavioural Sciences Unit is part of the School of Clinical Medicine and conducts research studies that cover all psycho-social and behavioural aspects of paediatric cancer.

Local Organising Committee

SIOP 2027 Local Organising Committee Chair:

Dr Richard Mitchell B.Sc (Mol Biol), MBBS, FRACP, GAICD

SIOP 2027 Local Organising Committee Members:

Professor Nick Gottardo

Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly

Dr Sophie Jessop

Ben Felmingham

Dr Donna Drew

Dr Toby Trahair

Karen Johnston

Jennifer Clough

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