LUMEN Spring 2022 - Flipbook - Page 23
Australia, the needed critical mass, to ask big
questions and do big projects,” said Chris.
From a young age, Chris knew he wanted to
work in medicine; however he kept his ambitions
to himself until he secured a spot in medical
school. He completed his medical degree at the
University of Adelaide and began his career at
the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he completed
his internship and residency before moving to the
United States, where he undertook his residency at
the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Centre,
La Crosse, WI (USA).
It was during these early years of his career Chris
decided he wanted to work in the kind of medicine
that would really make a difference to some of the
sickest people he had encountered – those
fighting cancer.
“If you're going to do medicine, you might as well
do something where people are really unwell,
I thought.
“I really enjoyed the mission-driven nature of
cancer care. And as I was doing it, I was going
‘well, the treatments aren't good enough and we
need to do better’, so I got into cancer research,”
he said.
Chris completed a Fellowship in HematologyOncology at Indiana University Hospital, where
he went on to become Assistant Professor of
Medicine and then Associate Professor of Internal
Medicine. It was at Indiana University Hospital
where his interest in men’s health, and particularly
prostate and testicular cancer, was sparked.
“Indiana University had a very strong track record
in genitourinary cancer. It's where the regimen that
cures testicular cancer was developed. Following in
their footsteps, I became more and more interested
in the research process around cancer in general,
but prostate and testes specifically,” he said.
At Indiana, Chris had the opportunity to work
with mentor Larry Einhorn, the doctor behind the
testicular cancer breakthrough.
“I got to work with him and the faculty he had
trained, saw their style and approach, and that was
inspiring, and I modelled myself on that style,”
he said.
Chris briefly returned to the University of Adelaide
in 2008 as Professor in the Faculty of Health
Sciences and Director of Clinical Trials at the
Royal Adelaide Hospital, but it wasn’t long before
he was enticed to return to the United States in
2010 by Harvard Medical School where he was
appointed Associate Professor and then Professor
in 2018.
Chris is one of the only researchers to hold the
honour of delivering two plenary sessions at the
prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology
meeting (one in 2014 and again in 2019). He also
has a string of awards to his name, including the
2014 George Canellos Award for Excellence in
Clinical Investigation and Patient Care; the 2012
Stephen Fine Outstanding Teaching in Cancer
Medicine Award; and most recently, in 2020, he
and Dr Ian Davis were awarded Australian Clinical
Trials Alliance Research Clinical Trial of the Year
Award for the leadership of the ENZAMET trial.
The opportunity to return to Adelaide as Director
of SAiGENCI has come at the perfect time for
Chris. Armed with a wealth of knowledge and
experience from around the globe, he says it
was the right time to return home.
“I just feel like it's time to come back home.
“We’ve made a very strategic
decision to complement the
cancer research excellence that
is in University of Adelaide and the
state by bringing new researchers
from outside South Australia, both
nationally and internationally,
into Adelaide.”
“Fortunately, the amazing opportunity of
SAiGENCI arose. I've learned a lot. I have
developed a lot of networks, collaborators, and a
lot of experience that I hope to be able to bring to
Adelaide and help connect established researchers,
as well as all the new researchers that we're bringing
into Adelaide, as part of SAiGENCI,” he said.
Chris will take over the role as Director of
SAiGENCI in December 2022. Of course, a
big positive of returning to Adelaide will be the
opportunity to be closer to family once again.
“It will be great to be back with family. There's no
doubt about that. And close proximity of the beach
and the hills, and just the wonderful, quality lifestyle.
Whether you describe Adelaide as a big town or a
small city, it’s just about right for me now,” he said.
To learn more about SAiGENCI and the current
research they are undertaking, please visit
adelaide.edu.au/saigenci
ALUMNI MAGAZINE - SPRING 2022
21
