Professor Melissa Southey has been appointed as the Research Director of the Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC) following the resignation of Prof Gail Risbridger in March.
Professor Southey, BSc (Hons, Pathology) PhD (Medicine), GradDip (Law), is a molecular geneticist (FHGSA), a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science, Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FFSc, RCPA), Chair of Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, and Director of Monash University’s new Biobanking Victoria initiative, based at the Monash Health Translation Precinct.
“Melissa’s collaborative approach, innovative research and international reputation is well aligned to the strategic directions of the MPCCC, and makes her eminently qualified to take on this role”, said Prof Christina Mitchell, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University.
Despite her extensive commitments, Professor Southey is excited about the potential of becoming MPCCC’s new Research Director.
“I have been working with the MPCCC since I arrived at Monash, as cancer is one of the principal foci for Precision Medicine. The MPCCC provides an outstanding setting for integration of multiple initiatives that can drive a coordinated local and national interdisciplinary research agenda, leading to improved health outcomes across the life and disease course for all Australians, including those at elevated risk of cancers” said Prof Southey.
Prof Southey has led multidisciplinary teams in diagnostic and research settings in Australia and internationally, supported by programmatic awards from the European Commission, the National Institutes of Health (USA), NHMRC and The National Breast Cancer Foundation. She has co-authored more than 520 peer reviewed publications and has been named in the Clarivate 2018 Highly Cited Researchers, ranking in the top 1% of researchers over the last 10 years. She actively participates on a number of national and international scientific advisory, governance and editorial bodies.
Over the last 25 years Professor Southey’s research program has been pivotal to the establishment of large epidemiological research resources that are now mature and being applied to advance the realisation of precision medicine and precision public health. She has led the collection, management and utilisation of biological resources provided by more than 200,000 research participants and currently oversees a biorepository operation of more than 2.8 million specimens.
Prof Southey will officially commence as Research Director, MPCCC, from 1 May 2019.