Meet the Team

Associate Professor Michael Penniment AM is a senior radiation oncologist. He is the director of Radiation Oncology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre and also consults for Icon Cancer Centre. In 1986, he completed his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Adelaide and in 1995 became a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR). He completed specialist oncology training in Brisbane, Queensland prior to becoming a founder of the North Queensland Oncology service in Townsville.

In 1996, Michael returned to Adelaide as a consultant radiation oncologist and completed his MBA at the University of Adelaide, receiving the honour of mace-bearer as the highest candidate of the professions. With an active interest in the provision of radiation oncology services in rural and remote areas, Michael established Darwin’s Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre in 2010 and remains its Director.

Throughout his career, Michael has maintained an active interest in research, quality improvement and governance, holding key positions including with the Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee from 2003 until 2010 and as a RANZCR Faculty Board member between 2006 and 2011. He is currently a member of the RANZCR Particle Therapy Group and several other leading cancer trial groups including the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and the Trans Tasman Oncology Group (TROG).  In 2014, Michael was awarded the Best of ASTRO (USA) and Trial Excellence Award (TROG) for his work on a palliative oesophageal trial evaluating the efficacy of radiation therapy versus combined therapy treatment to decrease swallowing complications experienced by advanced oesophageal cancer patients.

Michael sits on the Board of the Asia-Oceania Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG-AO). He is involved in a number of Australian and international research projects with a focus on planning and developing new radiation therapy facilities and improving Indigenous cancer care and quality of life during cancer treatment. Michael’s clinical experience covers a broad range of solid tumour malignancies with special interest in breast cancer, head and neck cancer, upper gastrointestinal cancer, colorectal cancer and skin cancers.

In January 2021, Michael was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to medicine, and to radiation oncology.

Associate Professor Hien Le is an experienced radiation oncologist and clinical researcher consulting at Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and Icon Cancer Centre sites in Windsor Gardens, Adelaide (Kurralta Park) and Noarlunga. He is a passionate advocate for cutting-edge cancer therapies and innovative radiation therapy technology, and dedicated to delivering comprehensive patient-centred care.

In 2003, Hien completed his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Adelaide and undertook specialist radiation oncology training and a clinical fellowship at the RAH. In 2011, he became a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) and received the RANZCR Windeyer Fellowship award. Completing his Windeyer clinical oncology fellowship at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (UK), where he gained extensive experience in CyberKnife and MRI-guided brachytherapy techniques. He then subsequently received the RANZCR College Thomas Baker award, travelling to Massachusetts General Hospital (US) to further his knowledge and understanding of proton beam therapy.

Hien enjoys a mixture of clinical work, contributing to leading national and international publications and conferences and attending multidisciplinary meetings. He was the first in SA to treat a patient with stereotactic ablative body radiation therapy. A/Professor Le is the chair of the main neuro-oncology multidisciplinary meeting in SA and a supervisor for Masters and PhD students investigating the management and biology of cancers.

Hien is the Head of Research in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the RAH, Associate Professor at the University of South Australia, and continues to play a key role in the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research team’s proton-photon comparative planning services.

As an active member of the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) and several leading cancer trial groups, Hien is the lead principal investigator of several open clinical trials. In 2020, he was appointed chair of the TROG Particle Therapy Special Interest Group. Hien has been awarded a number of research grants including the Cooperative Research Centres Projects Grant ($3M in 2023) and Medical Research Future Fund grant for the SOCRATES clinical trial ($2.3M in 2021).

Hien’s clinical experience covers a broad range of solid tumour malignancies, with a special interest in brain and spinal (CNS) cancer, head and neck cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. He can also speak fluent English and Vietnamese, and takes pride in caring for patients in their preferred language.

A/Prof Hien Le has been a key collaborator in the dissemination of information and international key stakeholder involvement for the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research.

Associate Professor Peter Gorayski is a radiation oncologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR), with a focus on complex cancer management. He also serves as Associate Professor at the University of South Australia and holds an honorary position at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

At RAH, Associate Professor Gorayski plays a significant role in introducing advanced technology in radiation oncology, including the use of automation and machine learning. He led the development of prostate stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) and the Rapid Access Palliative Radiotherapy Service (RAPRS). His research interests include leveraging artificial intelligence for tumour and normal tissue segmentation as well as model-based selection in proton therapy, aiming to improve treatment planning and outcomes.

In addition to his clinical and research roles, Associate Professor Gorayski offers comparative photon/proton planning for patients under the Medical Treatment Overseas Program (MTOP). He mentors radiation oncology trainees at RAH and supervises postgraduate and PhD students at UniSA. He serves on the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) Scientific Committee and is a long-standing member of the RANZCR particle therapy working group. He also helped establish the ABCPTR consumer advisory group, highlighting his dedication to patient-centered care.

Dr Frank Saran is a senior radiation oncologist with a large experience in both conventional conformal radiation therapy, radiosurgery and medical oncology. He is an internationally recognised expert in the area of precision radiotherapy and novel systemic treatments in combination with radiotherapy.

Frank’s main academic focus is improving survival while minimising treatment related side effects for patients diagnosed with rare cancers.

Following completion of his training in Germany he obtained his MD degree in 1994 and was admitted as a Fellow to the Royal College of Radiologist (UK) in 2004 and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists in 2022.  He moved to the UK in 1996 where after a fellowship in paediatric radiation oncology was appointed as consultant oncologist at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff in 1998. He moved to the Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London in 2001 where he headed for nearly two decades the Neuro-Oncology unit and Neuro-Oncology research group as well working as a senior radiation oncologist in the paediatric and sarcoma tumour streams.

Frank was appointed in 2018 as senior medical officer at Auckland City Hospital where he temporarily acted as service clinical director before moving to Adelaide in 2023. Dr Saran currently practices at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Throughout his career, Dr Saran has maintained a continuing and active interest in research, quality improvement and guideline development. With over 120 peer reviewed articles and dozens of book chapters he has held – amongst others – key positions or made significant contributions to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), NHS England, the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), the International Society of Paediatric Oncology of Europe (SIOP-E) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) as well as a founding member of the Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society (PROS).

Dr Saran’s work with the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR) will focus on exploring the clinical benefits of proton radiotherapy and the integration of proton radiotherapy into the rare cancer management.

Dr Hui Tee is a senior consultant radiation oncologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and visiting medical officer at Icon cancer Centre – Windsor Gardens, with clinical expertise in paediatric, adolescent and young adult tumours with a special interest in proton therapy and advance delivery techniques.

Upon completion of her specialist training with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, she was appointed the Proton Fellow in 2014 where she co-led the Comparative Planning for Proton and X-Ray Therapy research project that provided the foundation to the current proton versus photon treatment planning service.

Hui is currently responsible for the paediatric radiation oncology treatment for South Australia and Northern Territory including clinical work, teaching, technology implementation and protocol development. Her other major clinical interests include management of adolescent and young adult malignancies, lymphoma, sarcoma and central nervous system tumours.

Dr Tee currently serves as the RAH Director of Training for the RANZCR South Australia and Northern Territory Training network, lectures at the University of South Australia and an active member of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Faculty of Radiation Oncology Particle Therapy, Paediatric Interest Group, Australia and New Zealand Children’s Oncology Group, the American Society of Radiation Oncology and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology.

She has also maintained active research collaborations internationally with the Children’s Oncology Group, International Society of Paediatric Oncology and the Proton and Photon Consortium Registry, and nationally with the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) as an investigator in a number of TROG trials.

Dr. Ashwathy S Mathew is an international medical graduate and has joined the team as the Hospital Research Foundation Bragg Fellow. She is an alumnus of the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India (one of the busiest oncology hospitals in India) where she trained as a Junior Resident and subsequently a Senior Resident from 2010 till 2017.

She also holds sub-specialty training through a Fellowship in Lung & Gastrointestinal Oncology (SBRT) at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Canada. In her prior position as a Consultant Radiation Oncologist at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, Chennai, India (the first proton therapy centre in India), she gained considerable experience in establishing and implementing departmental protocols for the treatment of cancers with pencil-beam scanning proton therapy, as well as engaging with both the oncology physician community and the general public regarding appropriate use of proton beam therapy.

Ashwathy is passionate about advocating for the role of radiation therapy in gastrointestinal cancers, especially liver tumours and has numerous publications to her credit in peer-reviewed national and international journals. Her other areas of interest include Lung cancer radiotherapy, Gynaecological cancer radiotherapy, especially brachytherapy & Head and Neck cancer radiotherapy.

She envisages being a clinician- researcher as part of a world class team at a centre of excellence in cancer care and being able to make a positive impact on patients’ lives and the oncology community- by providing the highest quality of cancer care to patients and driving excellence in cancer research, following the principles of innovation, collaboration and integrity.

Affiliate Professor Jordan Hansford is the lead in paediatric neuro-oncology at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and lead of the Paediatric Neuro-Oncology at the South Australia Health and Medical Research Institute. He is cross-appointed at the South Australia ImmunoGenomics Cancer Institute at the University of Adelaide. He has collaborative preclinical and clinical projects nationally and internationally, and has published widely in paediatric neuro-oncology with over 85 papers cited >5000 times. He is PI or co-PI on several national and international brain tumour studies including early phase studies. He currently runs the paediatric brain cancer biobank in South Australia.

He has been awarded or co-awarded nearly $20M in funding for pre-clinical or clinical trials.

He is an advisor for the Rare Brain Tumours Consortium based out of the Hospital for Sick Children Toronto. He is a director of ANZCHOG and is the chair of our Brain group. He has led or contributed to many paediatric brain tumour trials leading to disease specific improvements to clinical care and outcomes in many disease types including the practice changing targeted therapy in LGG.  He was invited to participate in the Australian Minister of Health’s National Roadmap to tackle Brain Cancer and the development of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission and now sits on their board. Most recently his ANZCHOG team has been focussed on the translation of methylation profiling to the upfront diagnostics of paediatric brain tumours that is now offered nationally as a NATA approved pathology test. This has led to changes in clinical practice across the country.

Prof. Hansford is an integral part of the Bragg team and has a keen interest in proton therapy, research and the equity of care for young brain cancer patients.

Associate Professor Scott Penfold is the Lead Medical Physicist at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). He is an Affiliate Associate Professor with the Department of Physics at the University of Adelaide. He previously worked as a medical physicist with the Radiation Oncology Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Scott first started working in the field of proton therapy during his PhD studies at the University of Wollongong in 2007. The project investigated image reconstruction methods in proton computed tomography. During his PhD, Scott was supported by a Cancer Institute NSW Research Scholars Award to spend time at Loma Linda University Medical Centre, the site of the world’s first hospital-based proton therapy system. Since then Scott has continued to work with collaborators to undertake research in proton therapy, having published 18 peer-reviewed journal articles in the field.

Following the announcement of Federal Funding to support the Australian Bragg Centre project, Scott instigated the Particle Therapy Working Group (PTWG) within the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM). Scott continues to Chair the group and work closely with members distributed throughout Australia.

Scott has led the radiation safety assessment of the ABCPTR and worked closely with the Clinical Reference Group in end-user design aspects.

Scott’s ultimate objective is to use physics to improve the patient experience in radiotherapy, be it through more precise delivery, shorter treatment courses or improving access by reducing costs.

Associate Professor Alexandre Santos is a Medical Physicist at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). He is also a Clinical Medical Physicist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide.

Alex was awarded his PhD in Medical Physics from the University of Adelaide in July 2016. In the same year he also completed the Training, Education and Accreditation Program and became a certified ROMP with the Australasian College of Physical Scientists & Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM). Thanks to the support of a Cancer Council SA Beat Cancer Project Travel Grant, he was able to spend 3 months at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, shadowing Clinical Medical Physicists and undertook a research project in proton therapy.

Since that time Alex has been actively involved in comparative planning of proton treatments at the RAH and proton therapy related research. Alex has a major interest in the research, development and implementation of particle therapy in Australia, and he is an active member of the particle therapy working group (PTWG) within the ACPSEM.

Dr. Michael Douglass is a Medical Physicist at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). He also serves as a Principal Medical Physicist at SA Health and is an Affiliate Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide.

Michael earned his Ph.D. in Medical Physics from the University of Adelaide in 2014 and subsequently completed the Training, Education and Accreditation Program and became a certified ROMP with the Australasian College of Physical Scientists & Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) in 2016.

His postdoctoral journey has been marked by significant contributions to medical physics, particularly in the realms of proton therapy, Monte Carlo simulations, deep learning applications in radiation therapy, and optical scanning technologies.

His expertise and dedication have been recognised through several prestigious awards, including the 2021 ACPSEM Boyce Worthley Early Career Award and the 2021 Simpson Prize for Cancer Research. These accolades highlight his impact on the field and his commitment to advancing medical treatment technologies.

Michael’s active role in proton therapy research and his involvement in various innovative projects at the ABCPTR and SA Health are pivotal to the development and implementation of these advanced treatment modalities. He continues to contribute to the evolution of particle therapy in Australia, with a clear focus on enhancing patient care through technological innovation.

Julia Green is a medical physicist with a passion for clinical leadership and equitable healthcare. In 2008 she completed a Bachelor of Medical and Radiation Physics at the University of Wollongong, followed in 2011 with a Master of Science – Research, also from the University of Wollongong. In 2021 Julia completed her Master of Business Administration (Health) at Flinders University. She completed her specialty training in Radiation Oncology Medical Physics at Genesis Cancer Care, NSW where she worked across a diverse network, igniting her interest in clinical leadership and organisational performance in healthcare.

Julia previously held the position of Chief Medical Physicist at the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre in Darwin, Northern Territory where she rapidly expanded the service to increase access to high quality cancer care in the region. She has been nominated for several awards in the areas of business and leadership and was the 2019 recipient of the University of Wollongong Young Alumni Award for early career excellence.

Julia is committed to inspiring more young people, women in particular, to explore STEM careers and the powerful opportunities they present, regularly participating in outreach activities and hosting students for experiential learning. Her experience in Australia’s Top End has provided perspective in equitable cancer delivery, Julia strives to ensure the best technology is available to all Australians at our national proton centre.

Kelly Skelton is the Project Manager for the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR) Clinical Quality Cancer Registry. She also currently holds the role of Communication Officer for the centre.

Kelly formerly worked for the Youth Cancer Service SA/NT as a Research Nurse and Data Manager and is the Project Manager for the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) Department of Radiation Oncology – Paediatric Proton Photon Consortium Registry (PPCR). Kelly has significant experience in data management and registries, holding a previous position as a Clinical Research Associate for the Australasian Oncofertility Future Fertility Registry. She has also made significant contributions to the Canteen Minimum Dataset project in the areas of adolescent and young adult cancer staging.

Kelly has more than 13 years’ nursing experience working in the Cancer Centre/Radiotherapy Department at the RAH. She has completed a post graduate certificate in adolescent health and wellbeing – oncology stream and has a Master’s in Cancer Sciences.

Kelly was the recipient of an SA Health Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Award for her dedicated service to clinical practice.

Kelly is a PhD candidate at UniSA working on establishing a proton therapy survivorship program. She is an active member of a number of working groups involved in the operational functions of the ABCPTR and continues to collaborate with several key stakeholders around the design, implementation and work being completed for the Centre.

Melanie Penfold is the Principal Radiation Therapist at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). She has more than 15 years’ experience as a Radiation Therapist in the public and private health sector both Nationally and Internationally.

With roles in Australia, the UK and the USA Melanie has worked both clinically and as a proton therapy application specialist working with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Melanie has substantial experience in the start-up processes of radiotherapy treatment centres with significant achievements in setting up the radiotherapy department in the United Kingdom’s, London Clinic.

She has also played a key role in implementing advanced techniques such as Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR), CyberKnife and Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). She is actively involved in contributing to the proton therapy community and currently holds the chair position of the Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) Particle Therapy Working Group. Additionally, Melanie is an active member on the TROG Particle Therapy Special Interest Group. She has also made valuable contributions in the area of comparative planning with assessing and producing guidelines as part of the National Comparative Planning Service in her role in the National Tripartite Proton Planning Working Group.

Melanie is an enthusiastic lifelong learner and completed her Master of Business Administration in 2018. She is passionate about her goal in ensuring that all Australians receive the best possible care and treatment during their cancer journey.

Mikaela Doig is the Research Radiation Therapist at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). She is also pursuing her PhD at the University of South Australia and is a practicing Radiation Therapist at Icon Cancer Centre Windsor Gardens.

Driven by a deep passion to enhance outcomes for children with cancer, Mikaela’s PhD research is investigating the quality of life in childhood cancer survivors after photon and proton radiation therapy. Mikaela is the primary investigator for multiple research studies including collaborations with local and international teams. Mikaela is committed to translating research findings into clinical practice to enhance patient-centred care and ultimately improve treatment outcomes.

In 2023, Mikaela spent three months as a Visiting Researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. She led a research study with the Pediatric Proton Photon Consortium Registry team and gained clinical experience shadowing Radiation Therapists, Dosimetrists and Medical Physicists.

Mikaela is actively involved in the national particle therapy community as an enthusiastic member of the Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) Particle Therapy Reference Group. Committed to ensuring comprehensive access to high-quality care, she is an advocate for improving access, outcomes and equity for First Nations and LGBTQIA+ people with cancer. Her consistent involvement in both professional and community organisations underscores her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in healthcare.

Rosanna Crain is one of our Comparative Planning Radiation Therapists at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). She has more than 13 years’ experience as a Radiation Therapist with previous positions at the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre in the Northern Territory and currently in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).

Rosanna has a high level of technical knowledge across a number of modalities & multiple Treatment Planning Systems including but not limited to conformal, Superficial X-Rays, Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Deep Inspiration Breath Hold, Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy and paediatric treatment and planning.  She also has significant experience in proton planning on Raystation, Eclipse and Monaco Treatment Planning Systems.

Rosanna has been part of the implementation team of new and developing techniques such as SABR prostate & the viability of free-breathing VMAT Breast & Chest wall plans at the RAH. With significant experience in drafting protocols for new techniques & reviewing documentation. While working in the Northern Territory she was a key collaborator in creating a range of Indigenous information videos and was actively involved in Closing the Gap activities within the First Nations patient cohort.

Rosanna is also an exceptional artist and has been a pioneer in painting the immobilisation masks for treating paediatric patients at the RAH ensuring a holistic approach to patient care.

Emma Shierlaw is one of our Comparative Planning Radiation Therapists at the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR). She has more than 14 years’ experience as a Radiation Therapist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).

Emma has led the RAH Proton Comparative Planning team for the past four years. She is highly experienced in radiotherapy treatment planning and has developed advanced planning skills across a variety of treatment planning software programs, including RayStation, Pinnacle, Eclipse and Monaco.

She is adept at managing data transfers from interstate referrers, communicating with the multidisciplinary team, completing high quality comparative photon and proton plans and producing documentation to summarise the comparative planning process. Emma has been a leader in the training development arena and has been responsible for the implementation of training programs for other Radiation Therapists in RayStation planning and Intensity Modulating Proton Therapy planning.

Emma also has a strong background in research and has been an active part of the RAH Research Team including dosimetry specialist for the Paediatric Proton Photon Consortium Registry.

Amber Murray is the Senior Data Manager for the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR) Clinical Quality Cancer Registry.

Amber was previously employed to coordinate and manage data of all phases of clinical trial research conducted in the Radiation Oncology department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

With an honours degree in Bachelor of Psychological Science with a secondary interest in Pathology Amber comes with extensive experience in managing clinical research documentation and data collection. Including experience in clinical trial submissions, reporting and maintaining governance approvals that are required by Lead Ethics Committee’s and local Research Governance Offices.

Amber previously held an academic tutoring position at Adelaide University in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences for the Health and Illness in populations public health course.