Inaugural Conference for Melanoma & Skin Cancer Nurses

Tamara Dawson

Tamara Dawson is the Founder and CEO of the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN).
MSCAN works with government and the medical, research, consumer, and business communities to spearhead the battle against Australia’s national cancer – skin cancer.  Tamara established MSCAN in 2020 following her own diagnosis (and successful treatment) of metastatic melanoma in 2015. As a patient, Tamara saw a big gap in support, funding, advocacy, and access to healthcare for skin cancer patients and decided to draw on her extensive experience in government policy, economics, and international and corporate affairs to ensure Australia gets serious about skin cancer.

Vivienne Speirs

Vivienne completed her Bacherlor of Nursing, Nursing Immuniser and Melanography Essentials as well as a Post graduate Certificate in Dermatology Nursing, Sharp Wound Debridement, Master of Advanced Nursing (Chronic and Complex) with career advancement towards Nurse Practitioner. She began Dermatology Nursing in 2013 after two years in Aged Care as a registered nurse and later adding Immuniser qualifications.
Vivienne joined the Australian Dermatology Nurses Association (ADNA) and over the years is now President since 2023. Vivienne believes education, personal goals and a passion for evidenced-based patient care creates safer public health, increases the profile of this profession, which enables nurses to develop their professional career pathway. Vivienne is passionate about nurse education and leadership development.

Professor H. Peter Soyer

Prof H. Peter Soyer was appointed as Inaugural Chair in Dermatology by the University of Queensland in 2007 and was Director of the Princess Alexandra Hospital Dermatology Department from 2008 to 2023. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. His research focus is skin cancer/melanoma with a particular interest in technological innovations and the integration of AI into melanoma screening. In 2018, Soyer was awarded a $9.9M infrastructure grant by the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and has established and is leading the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis (ACEMID). Recently, he initiated research into melanoma in elite swimmers and is an advocate for SunSafe Olympics in Brisbane.

Professor Rachel Neale

Professor Rachel Neale is an epidemiologist at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute with a focus on balancing the harms and benefits of sun exposure. She completed her PhD on the seminal trial that demonstrated the protective effect of sunscreen for skin cancer. She led one of the world’s only two mega-trials of vitamin D supplementation. Due to her knowledge of both the harms and benefits of sun exposure, she leads the Health Working Group of the United Nations Environment Program Environmental Effects Assessment Panel.

Stephanie Friedlander

With a background in photography, Stephanie found interest in furthering her career and upskilled in the medical field. She started working at Melanoma Dermatology in 2018 as the Melanographer. Since then, through the course of her day-to-day work, Stephanie continues to expand her knowledge, seeing incredibly high risk patients together with Prof Pascale Guitera, A/Prof Linda Martin and other doctors eminent in the field of melanoma. Stephanie acquire images using the latest technologies available, including Sequential Dermoscopic Digital Imaging, Total Body Photography, Confocal Microscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography. We distinguish ourselves for identifying melanoma in early stages using non- invasive techniques and technologies thus avoiding unnecessary procedures and scarring.

Dr Louise Jackett

Dr Louise Jackett is a Consultant Anatomical Pathologist based at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne with special interests in melanoma and dermatopathology. In 2015 she undertook a fellowship in melanoma pathology at Melanoma Institute Australia under the mentorship of Prof Richard Scolyer AO, and has subsequently worked as a consultant with complex skin and melanoma units at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and Austin Health in Melbourne. Louise is nearing completion of a PhD candidate in melanoma pathology.

Dr Miles Andrews

Dr Andrews is a Medical Oncologist and Head of Immuno-oncology at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne where he treats patients with skin, thoracic, and head and neck cancers. He is also a Senior Research Fellow and leads the Cancer and Host Dynamics Group in the School of Translational Medicine at Monash University. He has extensive clinical and laboratory-based experience in immuno-oncology, multiomics biomarker discovery, and has a particular research interest in understanding how non-cancer patient and environmental factors impact cancer treatment outcomes.

Harriet Clayton

Harriet Clayton is the Manager of the Skin and Health Check Division at Mobile Screening. Harriet is a nurse by trade but found her passion in skin cancer, early detection and education; with a Professional Diploma of Dermoscopy, Harriet has been working this field for almost a decade. Two years ago she led the establishment of the occupational skin surveillance service at Mobile Screening and now oversees a growing team of Melanographers in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.