Our capabilities
We invested in our capabilities, aiming for better impact together.
Our core value lies in our ability to bring together clinicians, researchers and members of the lived experience community to address unmet needs in GI cancer research.
Our members hold a wide range of expertise.
In 2023, we welcomed 135 new members to a total of 1,798 members from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.
Our members include medical specialists, scientists, nurses, allied health professionals and health community members.
We support our members with research and development opportunities, including:
- quality educational and networking events
- multiple research development pathways
- access to expert development support for new trial concepts
- funding opportunities
- opportunities for recognition at our annual awards
- study co-chair positions for early and mid-career researchers, and
- regular committee turnover to provide opportunities to get involved.
Our 16 committees are comprised of 154 dedicated members.
Members actively contribute to the organisation, enabling us to conduct research that is infused with innovation, passion and goodwill. They also help us ensure that we have robust and transparent processes for research development and funding.
- Scientific Advisory Committee
- Upper GI Working Party
- Lower GI Working Party
- Community Advisory Panel
- Translational Research Committee
- Research Operations Committee
- Independent Data Safety and Monitoring Committee
- International Development and Industry Engagement Committee
- New Zealand Committee
- Annual Scientific Meeting Executive Committee and Subcommittees in Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Surgery, Translational Research and Study Coordinators/Community
- Grants Committee
We embed lived experience through our Community Advisory Panel.
Since 2008, AGITG Community Advisory Panel (CAP) members have contributed to the design of all new clinical trials, and are represented on our research and trial management committees. CAP members are people who have lived experience of GI cancer. They volunteer their time to advise on our research, making it not only more robust but more relevant to people with GI cancer.
In 2023, Jan Mumford bade the CAP farewell after more than 14 years of serving as Chair, and members Gillian Worden and Madison Shakespeare retired. We welcomed Jeff Cuff and Milton Kirkwood as the new CAP Chair and Deputy Chair, respectively.
From our CAP Chair
During the past year, the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) has undergone a few changes in part due to growth and new strategic focus within the AGITG.
After her 14 years on the CAP, including six years as CAP Chair, we farewelled Jan Mumford in early 2023. On behalf of the AGITG, I would like to thank Jan for the truly enormous contribution she has made to our research program over the years.
With the challenge of filling those shoes, I accepted the role of Chair and welcomed Milton Kirkwood as Deputy Chair of the Community Advisory Panel.
Milton comes into this position with a wealth of knowledge and experience in pancreatic cancer and a passion to see outcomes improve including the QoL during the treatment journey. Milton has a great interest in pancreas cancer and runs a zoom support group that is now national.
It has been great to see the Community Advisory Panel consolidate their role in the AGITG research process even further over the past 12 months. This was obvious at the last Annual Scientific Meeting in Aotearoa New Zealand where CAP members chaired many of the sessions and sat on multidisciplinary panels.
The Community Advisory Panel plays an integral role in the process of reviewing new trial ideas. This patient centred focus helps to refine research for relevance, direction and equity. In 2023, CAP members helped in the review process of many trials and concepts, including:
1. Trial results lay summaries:
- INTEGRATE IIa Trial Results Lay Summary
- FORECAST-1
- ALT-GIST
- ASCOLT
2. Concepts:
- MR-STAR (March UGIWP)
- Braun Study (March UGIWP)
- COALA (March LGIWP)
- SHAPERS (March LGIWP)
- BIL-PPP (May UGIWP)
- ABC-HCC
- PREDICT 5FU mCRC
- REAL-CRC
- TWINPEAK
3. meetings held with investigators following concept review:
- PemOla
- REGATTA
- BIL-PPP
- CORONET
- TWINPEAK
- ABC-HCC
4. Participant Information and Consent Form (PICF) reviews:
- OXTOX PICF
- IMPERIAL PICF
- STOPNET PICF
- STOPNET Participant Diary
- PALEO PICF
5. Three Innovation Grant reviews.
I would like to congratulate the CAP for their dedication and significant contributions toward achieving the AGITG goal of advancing inspiring new clinical trial ideas.
The challenge to discover new and better treatments within the range of GI cancers is a passion for the AGITG, and the Community Advisory Panel will be an important part of that journey.
The CAP team looks forward to being part of this exciting time in advancing new treatment options that will improve outcomes for people with GI cancer.
Chair, Community Advisory Panel
We build steadfast partnerships with others who want to change outcomes for people with GI cancer.
As part of the Australian Pancreatic Cancer Alliance, we work alongside #PurpleOurWorld, Pancare Foundation, PanKind, the Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Jreissati Pancreatic Centre and Team Lopez Foundation for improved pancreatic cancer awareness and advocacy.
We invited delegates from Neuroendocrine Cancer Australia and Neuroendocrine Cancer New Zealand to present at our Annual Scientific Meeting to showcase how they are working together and how they can support investigators researching neuroendocrine cancers.
We continue to work closely with our friends at Gut Cancer Foundation New Zealand and would like to acknowledge them for funding access to AGITG trials across several sites in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Cancer Research Economics Support Team (CREST) and Cancer Quality of Life Expert Service Team (CQUEST), from the University of Technology Sydney, remain crucial partners as we increasingly implement value-adding quality of life and economic measures in our research.
We make international connections in pursuit of better GI cancer treatments worldwide.
GI cancers are a global issue, necessitating a global approach to developing new, accessible and relevant treatments.
To amplify our research beyond Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, we continue to build collaborative relationships with international trials groups, like the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Cancer Trials Ireland, Frankfurter Institut für Klinische Krebsforschung, A.C Camargo Cancer Center, Cambridge Cancer Centre, University of Southampton, Clinical Research Malaysia, Taiwan Cooperative Oncology Group, and National Cancer Centre Of Singapore (NCCS).
AGITG was well represented at leading oncological conferences throughout the year, including ASCO GI, ASCO, ESMO and ESMO Asia, AGITG leaders met with industry colleagues and international trial groups to develop new collaborations and to strengthen existing partnerships.
Our global footprint continues to expand with 285 sites worldwide:
Middle East
2
USA
5
New Zealand
8
UK
9
Asia
33
Canada
40
Europe
69
Australia
119
*Numbers are collective numbers since 1991 and accurate as of 31 December 2023.
CommNETs collaboration in 2023
We invited the Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumour Research Collaborative (CommNETs) to hold their Annual Meeting alongside our Annual Scientific Meeting in 2023. This was a great opportunity for us to share relevant research and hold collaborative discussions with international colleagues.
Formed in 2015, CommNETs brings together researchers, clinicians and community members from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada under one umbrella to encourage the development of clinical trials in neuroendocrine cancers. We are excited to open the first CommNETs clinical trial, STOPNET, in 2024.
We work with expert coordinating centres around the country to deliver our trials.
Our people make up a passionate team who are driven by our cause.
Board of Directors
Thank you to our Board Directors for their service in 2023.
Professor Lorraine Chantrill
Chair
Professor Niall Tebbutt
Treasurer
Professor Robert Ramsay
Company Secretary
Professor Stephen Ackland
Christine Bishop
Dr Anne O’Donnell
Professor Tim Price
Liz Thorp
Professor Andrew Barbour
retired May 2023
Michael Gordon
retired May 2023
Dan Kent
retired May 2023
Professor Trevor Leong
retired September 2023
Geoff Parnell
appointed May 2023
Grant Mundell
appointed June 2023
Dr Mark Lee
appointed September 2023
Associate Professor Manju Chandrasegaram
appointed November 2023
Our staff
In 2023, we welcomed five new team members across fundraising, communications, research and operations. Welcome to Evie, Jennie, Julia, Pramesh and Sisse!
We also bid a fond farewell to Fundraising Manager Nicky Lancaster after 10 years of service. Nicky built the fundraising team from the ground up – and hitting the record $2 million mark was a great retirement send-off!
Corporate support helps us unlock the answers to better treatments for the 36,929 Australians diagnosed with GI cancer each year.
We thank the following companies for their recent support:
Platinum sponsors
Gold sponsors
