A/Prof Christopher Steer

Christopher spent his early life on a farm in the Southern Riverina and is honoured to have the privilege of caring for patients from the region in which he grew up. Christopher gained his medical degree at the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital before completing physician training in medical oncology in 2000. After gaining his fellowship, Christopher travelled to London to work as a clinical research fellow at Kings College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital. Whilst at Guy’s he developed an interest in gynaecological oncology and cancer in the older adult and he continues to use this expertise on a daily basis in his clinical practice and research.

Christopher returned to Albury Wodonga to join Border Medical Oncology in 2003 and has continued his passion for clinical research and teaching since that time. Christopher has held a teaching position at the UNSW Rural Clinical School since 2003 and has recently been promoted to Associate Professor.

Christopher is an investigator at the Border Medical Oncology Research Unit and strives to bring clinical trials to patients in regional Australia. As the coordinator of Independent Learning Projects (ILPs) for the UNSW rural clinical school, Christopher works to foster research skills in local medical students and acts as a mentor for clinician investigators. Christopher is an author on over 100 peer reviewed publications and conference abstracts and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.

Christopher is a passionate advocate for improving the care of older adults with cancer and has served on the board of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG). Christopher was chair of the scientific committee of the SIOG annual scientific meeting in Prague in 2016. He serves on three editorial boards including the Journal of Geriatric Oncology. He was the inaugural chair of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA) geriatric interest group and served as the chair of the geriatric study group of the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC).

Christopher was a board member of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA) and is the current president of the Private Cancer Physicians of Australia (PCPA). He is a member of ASCO, ESMO, IGCS, MOGA, COSA and MASCC and has recently been appointed to the COSA board.

Christopher continues his research and advocacy to improve the care of all patients with a diagnosis of cancer with a focus on improving the supportive care of older adults. He brings this knowledge and experience to the care of each patient he sees at the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre.

Dr Kerrie Clarke

Dr Clarke has been part of the Albury Wodonga community since 1999.

Trained in the Victorian Oncology program, essentially based at the Royal Melbourne and Austin Hospitals, Dr Clarke completed a year’s fellowship in clinical research studies before being awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant and embarking on an MD in tumour targeting (antibody) therapy in Breast Cancer Models with the Ludwig Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford UK, where she worked on early studies of EGFR receptors in Breast Cancer cells, and influence of angiogenesis.

Throughout all research Dr Clarke continued clinical work with Oncology units in both Australia and the UK, gaining considerable experience and insight into cancer management under a variety of renown Oncologists, and has multiple publications to her name.

Returning to Australia, Dr Clarke who whilst city born has a passion for rural Australia, joined Dr Underhill in helping establish Border Medical Oncology.

She had leading input in establishing Breast Cancer Nursing Services in the area, and later supporting McGrath Nurses when funding become available. She was instrumental, along with breast surgeons in the area, in establishing a Breast Multidisciplinary Team meeting, which was one of the first team meetings established in the area. She is a member of The Breast Cancer Trials Group and has been advisory boards.

Dr Clarke continues her special interest in Breast Cancer, and brings with her over 25 years in treating breast, bowel, brain, melanoma and lung cancer patients with care, respect, and knowledge.

Dr Richard Eek

Dr Eek completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (Cum Laude) from the University of Pretoria South Africa in 1988.

He completed his Masters in Medicine (Cum Laude) at the University of Pretoria, and obtained the Fellowship of the College of Physicians in South Africa as Helen Suzman Medallist in 1995. He is a member of the American Society of Oncology since 1995, and became member of the US Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group in the same year.

He moved to Sydney in 2005, became the Director of Clinical Trials in Liverpool Hospital in 2006, became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2007, and Director of Department Medical Oncology Liverpool Hospital in 2007.

He moved to the region and joined Border Medical Oncology in 2008 and became a director of the BMO Research Unit shortly after.

He has extensive experience in clinical trials, education, training, clinical audit, and supervision, and has more than 100 national and international peer reviewed publications and presentations.

He is a member of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia.

Dr Anish Puliyayil

Dr Anish Puliyayil completed his FRACP in haematology at the Alfred Hospital Melbourne. Prior to that, he had his initial Haematology training in India and a fellowship in leukemia and stem cell transplantation at Vancouver, Canada.

He has extensive experience in treating a wide range of benign and malignant haematology conditions like lymphoma, myeloma leukemia, myelodysplasia, bleeding and clotting disorders.

He is a member of the American Society of Haematology and Australian Leukemia and Lymphoma Group and also principal investigator for a number of clinical trials in Haematology run at the Border Cancer Hospital.