Georgina Long

Last updated

Georgina Long
AO FRACP FAHMS
Born15 November 1970
Sydney, Australia
Education University of Sydney
OccupationMedical oncologist
Employer(s) Melanoma Institute Australia
University of Sydney
Royal North Shore Hospital
Mater hospital
Spouse
Greg O'Dea
​
(m. 2000)​
Children3
Awards Australian of the Year 2024

Georgina Venetia Long is an Australian medical oncologist, clinical trialist and translational researcher, and works in drug therapy development. She was the joint recipient of the National Australia Day Council's 2024 Australian of the Year Award. [1]

Contents

Long was the first woman and first Australian to be named president of the US-based Society for Melanoma Research. [2]

Early life and education

Long had five siblings and grew up in Sydney's Inner West in the state of New South Wales, Australia. She also lived in Europe and America as a child. [3] She completed high school at Santa Sabina College in 1988. [4]

Long began studying a combined degree of science and law at the University of Sydney, but gave up law and graduated with a double major in pure maths and chemistry in 1993, before completing a PhD in organic chemistry, also at Sydney University, in 1996. [5] [6] She was a postdoctoral researcher at the Scripps Research Institute in California as a Fulbright Fellow, before returning to Australia to undertake her medical degree, graduating with an MBBS in 2001. [5] [6]

Career

Long is a medical oncologist specialising in melanoma. She has led numerous clinical trials, [7] focusing on targeted therapies and immuno-oncology in melanoma. She is the chief investigator on research into the molecular biology of melanoma. [8]

Long is co-director of the Melanoma Institute Australia with pathologist Richard Scolyer. Together they have been part of a team pioneering the use of immunotherapy treatment for melanoma, which Long then adapted for brain cancer when Scolyer was diagnosed with it in June 2023. [9] [10] He was the first brain cancer patient in the world to have pre-surgery combination immunotherapy. [11]

In June 2024, Long was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. [12]

Awards and honours

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanoma</span> Skin cancer originating in melanocytes

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEHI</span> Medical research institute in Victoria, Australia

WEHI, previously known as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, is Australia's oldest medical research institute. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, who won the Nobel Prize in 1960 for his work in immunology, was director from 1944 to 1965. Burnet developed the ideas of clonal selection and acquired immune tolerance. Later, Professor Donald Metcalf discovered and characterised colony-stimulating factors. As of 2015, the institute hosted more than 750 researchers who work to understand, prevent and treat diseases including blood, breast and ovarian cancers; inflammatory diseases (autoimmunity) such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease; and infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV and hepatitis B and C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cancer immunotherapy</span> Artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer

Cancer immunotherapy (immuno-oncotherapy) is the stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, improving the immune system's natural ability to fight the disease. It is an application of the fundamental research of cancer immunology (immuno-oncology) and a growing subspecialty of oncology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eureka Prizes</span> Annual prizes awarded by the Australian Museum

The Eureka Prizes are awarded annually by the Australian Museum, Sydney, to recognise individuals and organisations who have contributed to science and the understanding of science in Australia. They were founded in 1990 following a suggestion by science journalist Robyn Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ipilimumab</span> Pharmaceutical drug

Ipilimumab, sold under the brand name Yervoy, is a monoclonal antibody medication that works to activate the immune system by targeting CTLA-4, a protein receptor that downregulates the immune system.

The Cancer Institute NSW Premier's Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research are the premier awards ceremony for the cancer research sector in NSW. Now in its tenth year, the event honours the achievements of the individuals and teams that work across the cancer research sector to lessen the impact of cancer for the people of NSW.

James L. Gulley is an American cancer researcher and the Director of the Medical Oncology Service at National Cancer Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Hilton</span> Australian molecular biologist

Douglas James Hilton is an Australian molecular biologist. He is the CEO of CSIRO and immediate past Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. His research has focused on cytokines, signal transduction pathways and the regulation of blood cell formation (hematopoiesis). Hilton was the President of the Association of the Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) from 2014-16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centenary Institute</span> Australian medical research institute

The Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology, commonly referred to as the Centenary Institute or Centenary, is an Australian medical research institute located at the Camperdown campus of the University of Sydney, in Sydney, New South Wales. The research programs at Centenary focus on a diverse range of human health issues including cancer, cardiovascular disease, genetic diseases, immunology, infectious diseases and liver disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nivolumab</span> Anticancer medication

Nivolumab, sold under the brand name Opdivo, is an anti-cancer medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes melanoma, lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, renal cell carcinoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, head and neck cancer, urothelial carcinoma, colon cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, liver cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer. It is administered intravenously.

The Melanoma Institute Australia is a non-profit organisation based at the Poche Centre in North Sydney, Australia which focuses on the prevention of and cure for melanoma through research, treatment and education programs. The institute is affiliated with The University of Sydney and St Vincent’s and Mater Health Sydney. It relies on funding from individuals, organisations and government grants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trametinib</span> Anticancer medication

Trametinib, sold under the brand name Mekinist among others, is an anticancer medication used for the treatment of melanoma and glioma. It is a MEK inhibitor drug with anti-cancer activity. It inhibits MEK1 and MEK2. It is taken by mouth.

Pamela J. Russell was an Australian academic researcher of immunology, bladder and prostate research. Russell was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) for her research on prostate and bladder cancer in 2003.

Michelle Haber is an Australian cancer researcher in the field of childhood cancer research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Coates</span> Australian clinical oncologist

Alan Stuart Coates is an Australian professor of clinical oncology, medical researcher and administrator. He was the inaugural CEO of the Cancer Council Australia (1998–2006), former president of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA), and co-chair of the St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference. He was also the first non-American to be elected to the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Christobel Mary Saunders 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.

The immune-related response criteria (irRC) is a set of published rules that define when tumors in cancer patients improve ("respond"), stay the same ("stabilize"), or worsen ("progress") during treatment, where the compound being evaluated is an immuno-oncology drug. Immuno-oncology, part of the broader field of cancer immunotherapy, involves agents which harness the body's own immune system to fight cancer. Traditionally, patient responses to new cancer treatments have been evaluated using two sets of criteria, the WHO criteria and the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). The immune-related response criteria, first published in 2009, arose out of observations that immuno-oncology drugs would fail in clinical trials that measured responses using the WHO or RECIST Criteria, because these criteria could not account for the time gap in many patients between initial treatment and the apparent action of the immune system to reduce the tumor burden.

Richard Anthony Scolyer is an Australian pathologist. He is a senior staff specialist in tissue pathology and diagnostic oncology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, co-medical director at the Melanoma Institute Australia, and Conjoint professor at the University of Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Coupland</span> Australian clinical pathologist

Sarah Coupland is an Australian-born pathologist and professor who is the George Holt Chair in Pathology at the University of Liverpool. Coupland is an active clinical scientist whose research focuses on the molecular genetics of cancers, with particular interests in uveal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, intraocular and ocular adnexal lymphomas and CNS lymphoma. Coupland is also an NHS Honorary Consultant Histopathologist at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Since 2006, Coupland has been head of the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group; from which she runs a multidisciplinary oncology research group focussing on Uveal melanoma, based in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine at the University of Liverpool. Her research laboratory is currently located in the Institute of Translational Medicine From April 2014 to December 2019, Coupland was also Director of the North West Cancer Research Centre, @UoL. In both 2019 and 2020, Coupland was included on the 'Pathology Powerlist' on The Pathologist website.

James Frank Bishop is an Australian doctor and the Chief Medical Officer of Australia between 2009 and 2011.

References

  1. ↑ "Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO | Australian of the Year". Australian of the Year Awards . Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "Being good as a role model does not depend on gender". ESMO Daily Reporter. European Society for Medical Oncology. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "The people behind the Professors". Melanoma Institute Australia . 29 March 2017. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "Queen's Birthday Honours" (PDF). Encompass: The Magazine of Santa Sabina College. November 2020. p. 7. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Georgina Long". Franklin Women. 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 Johnson, Alex (13 May 2024). "Great Minds". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  7. ↑ "Professor Georgina Long". Australian Academy of Science .
  8. ↑ "Prof Georgina Long". St Vincent's Private Hospitals.
  9. ↑ Thomson, Angus (3 June 2024). "Hayley's melanoma came back. Then scientists tried something different". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  10. ↑ Gore, Charlotte (25 January 2024). "Melanoma researchers Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long named joint 2024 Australians of the Year". ABC News. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  11. ↑ Sharma, Yashee; Branco, Jorge (25 January 2024). "Australians of the Year Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer call for tanning and melanoma overhaul". 9 news. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "Australian of the Year Georgina Long among new Academy Fellows". Lab+Life Scientist. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Professor Georgina Long AO". Melanoma Institute Australia.
  14. 1 2 "Previous Cancer Research winners". Cancer Institute of New South Wales .
  15. ↑ "2017 Research Awards". Cancer Institute of New South Wales.
  16. ↑ "Changing the future of melanoma". Cancer Institute of New South Wales. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  17. ↑ Swannell, Cate (8 June 2020). "Happy Birthday Honours list". Medical Journal of Australia . Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  18. ↑ "2021 Ramaciotti Awards for biomedical research announced". Lab+Life Scientist. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Professor Georgina Long AO receives Medal for Outstanding Female Researcher for ground-breaking melanoma research". Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) (Press release). 24 May 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "eet Outstanding Female Researcher Medal winner Professor Georgina Long". Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences .
  21. ↑ "Winner of the Wildfire Highly Cited Publication". Cancer Institute of New South Wales.
  22. ↑ "2023 Cancer Achievement Award Recipient Announced" (PDF).
  23. ↑ "Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long named Australian of the Year". Sydney Connect. Sydney Local Health District. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.