Tracey O’Brien: An honor to attend the launch of the NORTH Sydney Trials and Research Van Norton Poche

Tracey O’Brien shared a post by Anthony M. Schembri, on LinkedIn, adding:

“An honor to attend the launch of the NORTH Star VPN. Through a partnership with Northern Sydney Local Health District and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center the aim is to accelerate cancer clinical trials, reduce barriers and improve access for all people no matter where they live.

Congratulations to Anthony M. Schembri and Bruce Robinson, Bob Li, Gilbert Lorquet for their leadership. Particular congratulations to the dedicated cancer clinicians and researchers across the campus, public and private, who work tirelessly under enormous and increasing pressure and who will ultimately be responsible for delivering on this vision. No one centre, no one state, no one country can take on the enormity of curing a disease that kills over 10milllion people worldwide every year.

In NSW, despite having some of the best in the world outcomes, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 10 mins and someone dies every 30 minutes. Collaborative partnerships and networks are needed to improve access to clinical trials for people no matter who they are or where they live. This is another stella example of generous philanthropy being the catalyst for great change in cancer.”

Quoting Anthony M. Schembri’s post:

“I was incredibly proud to welcome Her Excellency Governor General Sam Mostyn AC for the launch of NORTH Sydney Trials and Research Van Norton Poche (NORTH Star VNP). More than 200 people from across Australia, USA, Vietnam, NZ, Singapore and Indonesia attended our historic launch, including local, national and international clinicians, researchers and partners.

North Star VNP will be Australia’s premier cancer clinical trials centre based at Sydney North Health Innovation Precinct with Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital.

Cancer is a global problem requiring global solutions which is why our partnership between Northern Sydney Local Health District and the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York is fast tracking access to innovative clinical trials, offering hope to patients and their families across the country and bringing tomorrow’s medicine, today.

NORTH S.T.A.R. VNP was made possible by an extraordinary $20 million gift from the late Kay Van Norton Poche and her husband Greg. It was Kay’s vision to establish a world-leading clinical trials centre to ensure equitable access to the very latest treatments for all Australians, especially those in rural, regional and Aboriginal communities. We are so grateful to Kay and Greg for their support and vision.

I would like to thank everyone involved in establishing NORTH STAR VNP and thank you again to Her Excellency Governor General Mostyn and to Ambassador Kevin Rudd, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy U.S. Embassy in Australia and Minister for Health Ryan Park for your messages of support and all the support of our partners especially our philanthropy partner the NORTH Foundation.”

Source: Tracey O’Brien/LinkedIn and Anthony M. Schembri/LinkedIn

Dr. Tracey O’Brien is the NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Australia. Before her current role, Tracey was Director of the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, and Director of the Transplant & Cellular Therapy Program.

Tracey has held numerous high-profile national and international leadership positions, including Advisory Chair, Cancer Australia; V/Chair (Africa, Asia and Australasia) International Centre for Bone Marrow Transplant Research and V/President of the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Oncology Group.

In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Tracey was profiled in 2023 as one of the world’s foremost women in paediatric cancer by the International Society of Paediatric Oncology. In 2019 Tracey was named in the Australian Financial Review’s prestigious Top 10 Women of Influence, winning the Innovation category.

Dr. O’Brien remains committed to mentoring the next generation of clinician leaders and maintains an active clinical practice in cancer survivorship at Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Anthony M. Schembri is the Chief Executive of Northern Sydney Local Health District. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney. He has held General Manager positions at Liverpool Hospital, Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, and Fairfield Hospital, and has also served as Clinical Director for Allied Health, along with various roles in hospital social work.