Georgina Long

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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 (born 15 November 1970) is an Australian medical oncologist, clinical trialist and translational researcher, and works in drug therapy development. Long was the first woman and first Australian to be named president of the US-based Society for Melanoma Research. [1]

Contents

She was the joint recipient of the National Australia Day Council's 2024 Australian of the Year Award. [2]

Early life and education

Long had five siblings and grew up in Sydney's inner west. 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">Ludwig Cancer Research</span> Cancer-research organization

Ludwig Cancer Research is an international community of scientists focused on cancer research, with the goal of preventing and controlling cancer. It encompasses the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, an international non-profit organization founded in 1971 by philanthropist Daniel K. Ludwig. The Institute is headquartered in New York City, with a European office located in Zürich. There are currently three Ludwig Branches: Ludwig Lausanne, Ludwig Oxford and Ludwig Princeton. In addition, there are six Ludwig Centers at leading institutions across the United States of America. Together, the Institute, Branches and Centers are known as Ludwig Cancer Research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nodular melanoma</span> Medical condition

Nodular melanoma (NM) is the most aggressive form of melanoma. It tends to grow more rapidly in thickness than in diameter compared to other melanoma subtypes. Instead of arising from a pre-existing mole, it may appear in a spot where a lesion did not previously exist. Since NM tends to grow in depth more quickly than it does in width, and can occur in a place that did not have a previous lesion, the prognosis is often worse because it takes longer for a person to be aware of the changes. NM is most often darkly pigmented; however, some NM lesions can be light brown, multicolored or even colorless (non-pigmented). A light-colored or non-pigmented NM lesion may escape detection because the appearance is not alarming, however an ulcerated and/or bleeding lesion is common. Polypoid melanoma is a virulent variant of nodular melanoma.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Simons</span> American oncologist

Jonathan W. Simons is an American physician-scientist, medical oncologist, and leader in prostate cancer research. In August 2021, Simons was appointed the medical director and Chief Science Officer of the Marcus Foundation. Prior to joining the Marcus Foundation, he served a 14-year tenure as the President and chief executive officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Simons’ laboratories, partly funded by the Prostate Cancer Foundation, at Johns Hopkins University and Emory University made original contributions to understanding the molecular biology of prostate cancer metastasis and principles of “broken immune tolerance” via T cell based immunotherapy for prostate cancer. The Simons lab invented GM-CSF genetically engineered vaccines for prostate cancer in rodents and humans for these studies, and subsequently Simons’ clinical team took the biotechnology into the world’s first human gene therapy clinical trials for advanced prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins.

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">Wolfram Samlowski</span> Oncologist

Wolfram Samlowski is an American medical oncologist with Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada (CCCN) and a member of the Research Developmental Therapeutics and Genitourinary Committees for US Oncology. His research interests include translational research and development of novel cancer immunotherapy agents, translational drug development as well as gene therapy. His clinical interests are in developing more effective treatments for advanced stages of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, and renal cancer.

<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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. William Harbour</span> American ophthalmologist and researcher

J. William Harbour is an American ophthalmologist, ocular oncologist and cancer researcher. He is Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He previously served as the vice chair and director of ocular oncology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and associate director for basic science at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

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. He was joint 2024 Australian of the Year with Georgina Long.

Checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a form of cancer immunotherapy. The therapy targets immune checkpoints, key regulators of the immune system that when stimulated can dampen the immune response to an immunologic stimulus. Some cancers can protect themselves from attack by stimulating immune checkpoint targets. Checkpoint therapy can block inhibitory checkpoints, restoring immune system function. The first anti-cancer drug targeting an immune checkpoint was ipilimumab, a CTLA4 blocker approved in the United States in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Marais</span> Cancer researcher

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<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.

Oligoclonal antibodies are an emerging immunological treatment relying on the combinatory use of several monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in one single drug. The composition can be made of mAb targeting different epitopes of a same protein (homo-combination) or mAb targeting different proteins (hetero-combination). It mimicks the natural polyclonal humoral immunological response to get better efficiency of the treatment. This strategy is most efficient in infections and in cancer treatment as it allow to overcome acquired resistance by pathogens and the plasticity of cancers.

References

  1. ↑ "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.
  2. ↑ "Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO | Australian of the Year". Australian of the Year Awards . Retrieved 12 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 . 213 (1). doi:10.5694/mja2.50679. PMID   32623759 . 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 . 10 February 2022.
  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.
  24. ↑ "BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?". BBC. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
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