2010 Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Professor Stanley Rockson

Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine

Dr Rockson is the Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. After earning his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, Dr Rockson completed his internship and residency training in internal medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital of Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts, and fellowship training in the cardiac unit of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Angiology, and American College of Physicians, as well as a member of the International Society of Lymphology, American Society of Internal Medicine, the Society of Vascular Medicine and Biology, and the Paul Dudley White Society, among others. As a principal investigator or co-investigator, he has been involved in numerous clinical trials researching various aspects of lymphatic disease, vascular biology and cardiovascular medicine. His basic research involves the investigation of mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis and the identifications of biomarkers for lymphatic disease.

As a Professor of Medicine, Dr. Rockson serves concurrently as the Stanford’s Chief of Consultative Cardiology and the Director of the Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders.

In addition to contributing numerous articles to professional journals (such as Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Cancer, and American Journal of Medicine,) Dr Rockson is Editor-in-Chief of Lymphatic Research and Biology and sits on the editorial board of Angiology. He has been a frequent, invited lecturer at national and international meetings, congresses, and societies both here and abroad. He is the Chair of the Scientifi c Advisory Board of the Lymphatic Research Foundation and has served as Chair of the inaugural Gordon Research Conference entitled ‘Molecular Mechanisms in Lymphatic Function and Disease’. Dr. Rockson has authored more than 120 scientifi c papers, reviews, book chapters and books devoted to various aspects of lymphatic biology and disease, vascular biology, and cardiovascular medicine.

Invited Speakers

Dr David Speakman

Dr David Speakman is a surgical oncologist specialising in the management of breast cancer and melanoma. He is the head of the melanoma unit at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. This unit sees over 600 new patients with melanoma a year and is particularly involved with more advanced cases with Stage III and Stage IV disease. The unit was the instigator of the world first trial of the use of radiotherapy following lymphadenectomy in melanoma. David works in the breast units at both the Monash Medical Centre and the Peter MacCallum. His particular interests are in minimally invasive surgery, sentinel node biopsy and breast reconstruction.

He is also the founding director of the Monash lymphoedema service in the year 2000. He is on the council of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia and also Chairman of the Victorian Clinical Oncology Group in melanoma.

His other interests include communication skills for cancer clinicians, having facilitated the Cancer Councils “Breaking Bad News” workshops since their inception.

Jan Rice

Jan Rice is a Registered Nurse with over 35 years experience in surgical nursing. In 2005 Jan co-authored a text book-Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Nursing, published by Blackwell Science. She was awarded an inaugural Fellowship to the Australian Wound Management Association in March 2006. Jan is a member of several wound advisory boards and Chairs the AWMA Educational and Professional Development sub-committee and is also a member of the Venous Leg Ulcer Guidelines Development sub-committee.

Her role as Coordinator Wound Management Education with Latrobe University-World of Wounds sees her teaching across all sectors of health. Jan runs a wound clinic in a large Metropolitan General Practice and acts as a Private Wound Consultant to aged care and acute care facilities as requested. Her passion for wound care and her commitment to education and training has made her a popular invited speaker for wound care seminars and conferences throughout the Australasian region.

Professor Janet Hiller

Professor Janet Hiller is the Professor of Public Health and Deputy Head of the School of Population Health and Clinical Practice and Director of Adelaide Health Technology Assessment at The University of Adelaide. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Melbourne and worked in community health before moving overseas to further her education and professional experiences. After completing an MPH at the Hebrew University, she moved to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA where she undertook a PhD in Epidemiology.

Following her appointment at The University of Adelaide, her research focus was on the health of mothers and babies as a member of a multidisciplinary team investigating interventions associated with the prevention and consequences of preterm birth, and with antenatal screening. Other research interests included screening, breast cancer, tobacco control and evidence based health care and policy.

In 2001, she established Adelaide Health Technology and Assessment (AHTA). AHTA completes assessments of the safety, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and social and ethical impact of technologies including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, devices, tests (diagnostics and screening), public health programs, and procedures for a number of government and non-government organisations. AHTA also works with NHMRC and similar organisations in the development of clinical practice guidelines. AHTA undertakes research around the incorporation of consumer
perspectives, ethics and HTA, assessment of diagnostic (particularly triage) tests, disinvestment of established and ineffective/unsafe technologies, direct marketing to consumers and the development of early warning systems for new and emerging technologies. AHTA has established active research collaborations in Shandong China, around HTA and public health, and is an active member of a number of international networks. In 2008 Janet Hiller was elected to the Board of Health Technology Assessment International.

Janet is a founding (since 1995) member of the Research Advisory Committee of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and is the current chair of the South Australian Accreditation Committee of BreastScreen, Australia. In 2008, she chaired a national workshop developing a strategic plan for improving understanding of lympoedema following breast cancer through evidence-based research.

Assoc. Prof. Anthony Penington

Assoc Prof Anthony Penington is currently Head of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit and Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital and The University of Melbourne. Assoc Prof Penington is also a Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne and Visiting Plastic Surgeon at the Skin and Cancer Foundation. He holds the Deputy Directorship at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery where he has been working with colleagues on aspects of lymphatic and vascular malformations and tissue engineering.

Assoc Prof Penington teaches in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Plastic Surgery Training program, and has presented papers at national and international conferences. Assoc Prof Penington has published 41 refereed papers in international journals. He is a member of a number of professional committees including the Scientific Committee of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA), the Medical Device Evaluation Committee of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Skin Cancer Committee of the Victorian Cooperative Oncology Group, and the NH&MRC Grants Review Panel. Assoc Prof Penington is on the Editorial Board of the Annals of Plastic Surgery, and regularly reviews papers for the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, and Paediatric Surgery International. Along with colleagues, he has been successful in obtaining national
competitive research grant funding for research in the fields of myoregenerative polymers for remodelling of damaged and diseased muscle, endothelial VEGF dysfunction in lymphatic and non-lymphatic vascular malformations, optimization of implanted cell survival using a tissue engineering model, and for exploring new treatments for lymphoedema.

Dr Triecia Gibney

Dr Triecia Gibney is a clinical psychologist who began working with patients with lymphoedema during her internship year of her clinical doctorate in 2001. During this year she co-facilitated cognitive behaviour therapy groups to treat depression and anxiety in patients with lymphoedema secondary to breast cancer treatment.  Since 2001, Triecia has been working as the psychologist to the Lymphoedema Service at Southern Health In Melbourne. This position initially comprised both research and clinical roles which culminated in a paper for the 2004 ALA conference titled “Psychological intervention in the Lymphoedema Service at Southern Health Breast care.” Triecia’s clinical role involves the provision of psychological assessment in addition to individual and/or group therapy for patients with lymphoedema. Psychological treatment is offered to patients who may be suffering from depression, anxiety or adjustment issues around body image, physical limitations, sleep disturbance or pain.

Triecia has been recommended for her experience and knowledge of the psychosocial issues of lymphoedema and will present aspects on this important field of clinical practice. In particular, issues of communication, identification of depression, and the challenges of self-image, identity and sexuality in a setting of breast cancer and breast cancer-related lymphoedema.

In addition to her role in the Lymphoedema Service, Triecia works in private practice assisting individuals who present with depression, anxiety or sleep disturbance in relation to physical illness. She teaches in the undergraduate psychology program at Monash University and is also currently undertaking research into quality of life issues among individuals with muscular dystrophy.