Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the Society for Melanoma Research
26 October 2018
In a double world-first, Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia, Professor Georgina Long, is the first woman and the first Australian to be President of the prestigious Society for Melanoma Research (SMR).
Professor Long has been inducted as SMR President at the 15th International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research in Manchester, England.
Her election as President is testament to her international standing as one of the world’ pre-eminent melanoma clinicians and researchers, with her ground-breaking clinical trials tripling life expectancy for some advanced melanoma patients, and essentially curing others.
‘It is a great honour to represent and lead this prestigious research society,’ Professor Long said. ‘Its members are leaders in the field of cancer research, and it was this group of researchers that lead the penicillin moment in cancer-therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
‘I am excited and humbled to receive the baton from Professor Keith Flaherty who has served as President for the last two years.’
Fellow Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia, Professor Richard Scolyer, said the history-making accolade is well deserved.
‘Professor Long has changed the face of melanoma treatment around the world and many thousands of people are alive today thanks to her intellect, determination and passion,’ Professor Scolyer said.
‘To be the first Australian and the first woman elected as SMR President shows Professor Long’s stellar international reputation. It is thanks to her research and global thought leadership that the world is now realistically looking towards advanced melanoma one day becoming a chronic disease rather than a terminal one.’
Founded in 2004, the US-based Society for Melanoma Research is the world’s largest association of melanoma researchers and scientists. Its multidisciplinary approach promotes international collaboration aimed at facilitating innovative solutions to the challenges faced by melanoma clinicians and researchers across the globe.
Only three years ago, Professor Long was the recipient of the Young Investigators Award at SMR, presented to an independent researcher in the early stages of their career who has surpassed all expectations in their contributions to melanoma research.
Professor Long leads the clinical trials team and laboratory at MIA, with a focus on targeted therapy and immune-oncology in melanoma. She is Principal Investigator on Phase I, II and III trials in adjuvant and metastatic melanoma, and is the Chief Investigator on research funded by the NHMRC that looks at tissue biomarker correlates of systemic therapy sensitivity and resistance.
Professor Long has authored over 200 publications in melanoma clinical and translational research, including in high-impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. She has presented at hundreds of international conferences.
In addition to her joint medical leadership of Melanoma Institute Australia, Professor Long is Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research at Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney. She is also the medical oncology lead for the Australian Melanoma Management Guidelines Committee, is on the editorial boards of several high-impact journals, and is a member of the Melanoma Expert Panel for AJCC Cancer Staging System 8th edition.
Amongst her numerous awards include the prestigious Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund Prize for Discovery in Medical Research in 2016, and last year the translational research team led by Professors Long and Scolyer received the award for Excellence in Translational Cancer Research at the NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research.
‘Professor Long’s election as President of arguably the world’s most prestigious association fostering international collaboration between leading melanoma researchers and clinicians is a proud moment for us all here at Melanoma Institute Australia,’ said Matthew Browne, CEO.
‘Hardly a week goes by without a melanoma patient or their family expressing their gratitude for Professor Long’s ground-breaking research and clinical trials which have afforded them or their loved ones valuable extra time, and in many cases, a new chance at life.
‘She is a true role model for all young Australians, particularly young women, who may be working towards a career in science and medicine,’ he said.
Winner of the SunSafe Student Ambassador Program announced
Belmont High School at Lake Macquarie has been announced winner of the 2019 SunSafe Student Ambassador Program video competition.
Community Fundraising November Wrap-Up
It’s time again to say thank you to our amazing community fundraisers!
MIA & MPA Patient Information Evening videos now available
Videos of the sessions at the recent Patient Information Evening co-hosted by Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and Melanoma Patients Australia (MPA) are now available for viewing.
MIA shines in poster session
MIA is well-represented in the poster sessions at the Society for Melanoma Research 2019 Congress in the USA, with four poster presentations being given by members of our translational research lab.
MIA Co-Medical Director opens SMR Congress in USA
Professor Georgina Long has today opened the Society for Melanoma Research 2019 Congress in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Highly Cited Researchers List names MIA Co-Medical Directors
MIA’s Co-Medical Directors, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, have both been named Highly Cited Researchers, according to the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers 2019 list.
MPA and MIA collaboration
Melanoma Patients Australia (MPA) and Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) have announced a new multi-year agreement to provide enhanced support services for melanoma patients nationally.
Community Fundraising October Wrap-Up
It is time again to say thank you to our incredible community fundraisers who are helping us get closer to our goal of zero deaths from melanoma.
Promising data for advanced melanoma patients
MIA has presented promising data regarding progression-free survival rates for advanced melanoma patients at the ESMO 2019 Congress in Barcelona.
Melanoma Information Forum
We
Community Fundraising September Wrap-Up
Another month has flown by and yet again we have a host of amazing community fundraisers who generously gave up their time to help us reach our goal of zero deaths from melanoma.
Notice for Supporters to Submit to PBAC
Comments in favour of giving patients with BRAF-positive melanoma access to first-line immunotherapy need to be submitted online prior to October 9, 2019.
Tune into Jay's Longest Melanoma March Channel 10 documentary
Jay's Longest Melanoma March documentary is screening this Sunday 22 September at 1pm (AEST) on Channel 10, capturing behind the scenes of the 2000km walk, Adelaide to Sydney in 50 days. Uniting to end melanoma.
Professor Georgina Long Co -Medical Director named Women of Influence in AFR Top 100 List
We are proud to announce that our Professor Georgina
Community Fundraising August Wrap-Up
It’s been a month since we highlighted some of our incredibly generous community fundraisers. We thought we’d have a look back at August and put the spotlight on more of the wonderful people who give up their time to fundraise for MIA, so we can continue to edge closer to our goal of zero deaths from melanoma.
From Lab Coats To Lycra - Australian Melanoma experts take on world Triathlon championships
They are a formidable team - in work and in play
Melanoma Institute Australia hosts SunSafe Student Ambassador Programs 2019
This week, Melanoma Institute Australia hosted the first of six
Australia at risk of falling behind USA and Europe in preventing deadly recurrence of Melanoma
Federal government urged
Team Melanoma smashes City2Surf
We want to thank every member of Team Melanoma and everyone who donated to them. With your help, we are moving closer to our goal of zero deaths from melanoma!
Ready to run over melanoma at City2Surf 2019
Lauren O'Brien tells us why she's running for a cause close to her heart