Christobel Saunders

Last updated

Christobel Mary Saunders AO , FRCS , FRACS (born 16 January 1963) is a British-Australian oncologist and breast cancer specialist, who holds the position of Winthrop Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Western Australia. [1]

Contents

Education and career

Saunders completed her medical training at the University of London, taking her Bachelor of Science with Distinction in 1986. In 1987, she won a Royal Society of Medicine Travelling Scholarship, before becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1991. Her early career was spent at hospitals in London and south east England, including Newham and Whipps Cross Hospitals. From 1991, she developed a research specialism at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. In 1998, Saunders moved into teaching as senior lecturer and Consultant Surgeon at University College London Hospitals.

In 2002, she moved to Australia to take up the position of associate professor, University Department of Surgery, at Royal Perth Hospital and The University of Western Australia. In 2003, she became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. She was Consultant Surgeon, at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital from 2002 to 2011. [2]

Saunders serves as a Consultant Surgeon at Royal Perth Hospital and St John of God Hospital in Perth, Western Australia. She is president of the Cancer Council Western Australia and Deputy Head of the School of Surgery at the University of Western Australia. She was the inaugural director of the Western Australia Cancer and Palliative Care Network and designed the state's Health Cancer Services Framework. [3]

She is a member of the National Lead Clinician Group of Cancer Australia, a member of the Advisory Council of Cancer Australia, and a board member for the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). [4]

Professor Saunders leads a mentoring program for women students of surgery and is an active member of the Women in Surgery network. [5]

Research

In 2010, Saunders was honoured with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) Patron's Award for achievement in breast cancer research. Her research specialisms include minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, including TARGIT; endocrine treatments in breast cancer; managing menopause symptoms in women who have had breast cancer; breast cancer and fertility.

In 2015, she reported to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ on advances in 3D mammography, for improved accuracy in breast cancer screening. [6]

Publications

Saunders is a co-author of the books Breast Cancer—a guide for every woman and Breast Cancer: The Facts which was short listed for the BMA Book of the Year in 2010.

She has contributed chapters to a further 18 books and has published over 80 scientific papers and scholarly articles. [7]

Awards and recognition

Saunders’ awards include

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General surgery</span> Medical specialty

General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft tissue, trauma, peripheral artery disease and hernias and perform endoscopic as such as gastroscopy, colonoscopy and laparoscopic procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Western Australia</span> University in Perth, Western Australia

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital. UWA was established in 1911 by an act of the Parliament of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Podiatry</span> Medicine branch focusing on the human lower extremities

Podiatry, or podiatric medicine, also known as chiropody, is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the foot, and ankle. The healthcare professional is known as a podiatrist. The US podiatric medical school curriculum includes lower extremity anatomy, general human anatomy, physiology, general medicine, physical assessment, biochemistry, neurobiology, pathophysiology, genetics and embryology, microbiology, histology, pharmacology, women's health, physical rehabilitation, sports medicine, research, ethics and jurisprudence, biomechanics, general principles of orthopedic surgery, and foot and ankle surgery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital</span> Hospital in Perth, Western Australia

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) is a teaching hospital in Nedlands, Western Australia.

A medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. Examples include those branches of medicine that deal exclusively with children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), laboratory medicine (pathology), or primary care. After completing medical school or other basic training, physicians or surgeons and other clinicians usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple-year residency to become a specialist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's College Hospital</span> Hospital in Ontario, Canada

Women's College Hospital is a teaching hospital in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the north end of Hospital Row, a section of University Avenue where several major hospitals are located. It currently functions as an independent ambulatory care hospital. The Chief of Staff is Dr. Sheila Laredo and the physician-in-chief is Dr. Paula Harvey.

Ian Jeffrey Constable is an Australian ophthalmologist and the founder and director of the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, Western Australia. He was the Foundation Lions Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Western Australia, and the Foundation Director of UWA's Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science. He is now Patron of the Lions Eye Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Pestell</span> Australian oncologist and endocrinologist

Richard G. Pestell is an Australian American oncologist and endocrinologist who is Distinguished Professor, Translational Medical Research, and the President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Research Center at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. He was previously Executive Vice President of Thomas Jefferson University and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University. Pestell was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for distinguished service to medicine and medical education.

Richard Alan Fox was an Australian medical physicist. He was the son of Alan Fox, a businessman, and Rosalind née Morris.

Professor Kefah Mokbel FRCS is the lead consultant breast surgeon at the London Breast Institute of the Princess Grace Hospital, Professor (Honorary) of Breast Cancer Surgery at Brunel University London, an honorary consultant breast surgeon at St George's Hospital. Kefah Mokbel is the founder and current president of Breast Cancer Hope; a UK-based charity "dedicated to improving the quantity and quality of life in women diagnosed with breast cancer". He was appointed as a substantive consultant breast surgeon at St George's Hospital NHS trust in February 2001. He was named in Tatler magazine's Best Doctors Guide as one of the featured "Top Breast Surgeons" in 2006, 2007 and 2013. In November 2010 he was named in the Times magazine's list of Britain's Top Doctors.

Gregory Bruce Mann is an Australian surgical oncologist.

Patricia Joy Numann is an American endocrine surgeon. She is the founder of the Association of Women Surgeons, former president of the American College of Surgeons, and professor emeritus at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University.

Susan Josephine Neuhaus is an Australian general surgeon and surgical oncologist with specialty interests in melanoma and sarcoma surgery. Neuhaus was one of three finalists for the South Australian nomination for Australian of the Year in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Western Australia School of Medicine</span> Medical school in Western Australia

The University of Western Australia Medical School is the medical school of The University of Western Australia, located in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 1957, it is the oldest medical school in Western Australia, with over 6000 alumni. Well known for its research and clinical teaching, the medical school is ranked 8th in the world and 1st in Australia by the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities in clinical medicine. The medical school is affiliated with various teaching hospitals in Perth such as Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. The medical school is also heavily affiliated with the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre and its various research institutes. The school has prominent researchers and clinicians amongst its faculty and alumni, including Nobel Prize laureates Barry Marshall and Robin Warren ; recipients of the Australian of the Year award Fiona Stanley and Fiona Wood; and cancer researcher Richard Pestell. The school has produced 11 Rhodes Scholars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifereimi Waqainabete</span> Fijian politician

Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji who served as Minister for Health and Medical Services in the FijiFirst government from 2018 to 2022. Before entering politics Dr Waqainabete was a general surgeon in Fiji and Associate Professor of General Surgery at Fiji National University, former President of the Fiji Medical Association, President of the Pacific Island Surgeons Association, and former Chairman of Fiji Medicinal Board. He was on leave from his academic and surgical duties to partake in the 2018 elections as a candidate for the Fiji First Party.

Patrick Stewart Boulter FRCS, FRCSEd was a general surgeon in Guildford, England. He developed a sub-speciality interest in breast surgery and was one of the pioneers in the UK of screening for breast cancer. He served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1991 to 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Challacombe</span> British urological surgeon

Benjamin James Challacombe is a British consultant urological surgeon at Guy's & St Thomas' Hospitals, and at King’s College London, who specialises in the treatment of kidney and prostatic disease using robotic surgery. In 2005, he was part of the team that published the results of a randomised controlled trial of human versus telerobotics in the field of urology and renal transplant, one of the first of its kind.

Emilia Dauway MD, FACS, FRACS is an American trained surgeon who is practicing general, breast and oncologic surgery in Australia. Dauway was co-inventor of the use of radioactive seeds in the breast to localise non-palpable breast cancers and the first in Australia to use magnetic seeds instead of radioactive seeds. This technique replaces hookwire or needle localisation improving patient safety, outcomes and satisfaction. The method was patented by the University of South Florida while Dauway was a fellow of surgical oncology. The method has been used since 1999 and has improved with the development of modern equipment. Dauway is also a Yoga Instructor, a Keynote speaker and is founder/director of Restore More, a non-profit initiative which provides education and funding to women in regional and geographically disadvantaged areas for breast cancer treatment and reconstruction.

Mark Emberton is a urologist and prostate cancer research specialist using novel imaging techniques and minimally invasive treatments to improve diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Jeffrey S. Tobias is a British professor of oncology at University College, London, and co-author of Cancer and its Management and Informed Consent in Medical Research. He is on the board at Cancer Research UK, and is a former president of the British Association for Head and Neck Oncology.

References

  1. "Christobel Saunders". The Conversation.
  2. "Staff Profile: Professor Christobel Saunders". UWA.
  3. "Winthrop Professor Christobel Saunders". WAMAS. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  4. "About Professor Christobel Saunders". Christobel Saunders website. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  5. "Women in Surgery".
  6. "Less diagnosis confusion with new technology". NZ Doctor. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  7. "Staff publications". UWA.
  8. "Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences" (PDF). Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. June 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  9. "WA Women's Hall of Fame Inductees - 2018". WA Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  10. "Professor Christobel Mary Saunders". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 12 September 2019.