RADIATION THERAPY TECHNIQUES AND COMBINATION TREATMENTS FOR SARCOMA
Professor Angela Hong, Director and
co-Chair of Scientific Advisory Committee,
Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA)
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed Sydney, Australia | January 2025
Professor Angela Hong MBBS, MMed, PhD, FRANZCR is a Professor at Sydney Medical School of the University of Sydney. She is a radiation oncologist and has been a member of the Multidisciplinary Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital/Chris O’Brien Lifehouse for the past 15 years.
She is also the Director and co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA), a non-profit organisation aimed at enhancing treatment outcomes for sarcoma patients across Australia and New Zealand.
As a radiation oncologist located in Sydney, Australia, Professor Hong is focused on treating patients with bone and soft tissue sarcoma. And as a clinician scientist, her research focuses on developing innovative radiation therapy technique and combination treatments to improve the outcome for patients with sarcoma.
After earning her medical degree from the University of Sydney, Angela undertook an 18-month fellowship in the United States to gain additional experience before returning to Sydney to start her formal training in radiation oncology. She later completed her PhD, concentrating on radiosensitivity in skin cancer sarcoma.
Professor Hong believes in a multidisciplinary approach to managing sarcoma, given its rarity and the complexities involved in diagnosis and treatment. She is actively involved in clinical research and recently contributed to an international trial led by Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration (SARC) in the United States and the Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA) in Australia. The trial examined the advantages of including immunotherapy in the treatment regimen for high-risk soft tissue sarcoma, resulting in a notable improvement in two-year disease-free survival rates.
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Identification, characterisation and role of leader cells in ovarian cancer progression
Dr. Maree Bilandzic is a molecular cancer biologist dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of ovarian cancer (OC). Her research addresses critical gaps in OC treatment by investigating the mechanisms behind metastasis, chemotherapy resistance, and tumour recurrence. By utilising innovative methodologies and disease-representative models, Dr. Bilandzic has pioneered the identification and characterisation of leader cells (LCs)—a unique, stem-like subpopulation within tumours that plays a crucial role in OC progression.
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Identifying and treating autoimmune neurological disorders
Associate Professor Sudarshini Ramanathan is a neurologist and clinician scientist whose work focuses on autoimmune neurological disorders. Her research has helped identify new neurological syndromes due to antibody-mediated demyelination and encephalitis, and improve diagnostic tools and treatment guidelines for patients with autoimmune diseases affecting the brain, spinal cord, muscles and nerves.
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Cancer survivorship and exercise oncology
Professor Sandra Hayes is the Director of Research at Cancer Council Queensland (CCQ), where she leads a comprehensive cancer research program encompassing cancer epidemiology, prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship.
With a BAppSci (Hons) and a PhD in exercise oncology, Professor Hayes’s expertise lies in quantifying the impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on physical and psychosocial wellbeing, quality of life, and survival. She also evaluates innovative supportive care strategies, particularly exercise, to improve post-cancer lives.
