The Recipients of the 2025 Discovery Partner Fellowships – Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Discovery Partner Fellowships. These prestigious fellowships, generously supported by donors to the Peter Mac Foundation, provide early- and mid-career clinicians with dedicated time away from their clinical roles to pursue bold, innovative research aimed at improving outcomes for people with cancer.

Dr. Lavinia Tan

• Investigates how lung cancer evolves and becomes resistant to targeted treatments – aiming to develop more effective, personalised approaches for patients with oncogene-driven lung cancer.

Dr. Aaron K Wong

• Leads a national trial using precision medicine to optimise opioid use in people with advanced cancer, aiming to match the right pain treatment to the right patient through genetic insights.

Dr. Julia Lai-Kwon

• Implements an electronic symptom monitoring system across Peter Mac, allowing patients to report side effects from home and receive more responsive, personalised care.

Craig Connelly, CEO of the Peter Mac Foundation, thanked the more than 60,000 Australians who support this program through the Discovery Partner initiative. 'Your generosity is powering life-changing cancer research at Peter Mac. We’re thrilled to support this year’s fellows and the groundbreaking work ahead,' he said.