YOUNG ONCOLOGISTS GROUP OF AUSTRALIA (yoga) Sub-cOMMITTEE
Young Oncologists are consultant medical oncologists who are working in all States and Territories of Australia, are financial members of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA) and who are within five years of receipt of their fellowship (FRACP or equivalent).
The role of the YOGA Sub-Committee is to provide young medical oncologists with a networking framework and assistance to facilitate their transition from advanced trainee to consultant
This is achieved through:
Creating and implementing educational and professional programs relevant to young Australian oncologists in their daily practice and/or research activities.
Informing and advising the MOGA Executive about workplace, professional challenges and career development issues concerning Australian young oncologists.
Encouraging and facilitating the professional development, peer support and representation of young oncologists.
Promoting opportunities for developing research skills and conducting research among young Australian oncologists.
Working and collaborating with global young oncologist networks and organisations.
YOGA sub-Committee MEMBERS
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Dr Wei Yen Chan is an early career medical oncologist, phase I clinical trials fellow, and PhD candidate at Macquarie University. She completed her specialty training in 2022 across Liverpool Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Her PhD focuses on the application of liquid biopsy technologies for the detection of minimal residual disease in early-stage melanoma. She is interested in the use of circulating tumour DNA and precision oncology to guide therapeutic decision-making, early-phase clinical trials, and translational research to improve patient outcomes. She is also passionate about medical education, trainee wellbeing, and supporting the professional development of young oncologists.
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Dr Tharani Krishnan is an early career medical oncologist affiliated with Flinders Medical Centre, Calvary North Adelaide Hospital and Flinders University. She has strong clinical interests in gastrointestinal, head & neck and breast cancer. She undertook advanced training in South Australia, followed by a gastrointestinal cancers fellowship at BC Cancer Vancouver. She has completed a Master of Health Leadership and Management at the University of New South Wales. She is passionate about trainee education, mentorship and wellbeing, and was an inaugural member of the Medical Oncology Training SA (MOTSA) committee and a previous MOGA and RACP National Trainee Representative.
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Dr Betty Zhang is a medical oncologist at the Mater Hospital Brisbane, a research fellow with the Australian Rare Cancer Portal and a visiting fellow with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Betty undertook oncology training in Sydney and Newcastle and spent one year undertaking cancer genomics research at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Betty's interests lie in rare cancers, cancer “omics”, and statistics. As a committee member for QLD, Betty is committed to enhancing the collaboration of YOGIs around the country and supporting them on their post-fellowship pathways.
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Dr Richard Kelly is an early career medical oncologist affiliated with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, with a keen interest in melanoma and genitourinary cancers and experience in phase I trials. He is currently undertaking a full-time PhD within Health Services Research, looking at methods to improve the integration of patient values and goals into treatment decision processes, particularly in the setting of advanced cancer. He is passionate about empowering patients to receive treatment that aligns with what matters most to them and developing ways to routinely measure this critical metric to achieve broad impact. He is a member of the International Shared Decision Making (IDSM) Society’s special interest consortium for AI and Shared Decision Making.
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Dr Deborah Zhou is a medical oncologist at St George and Sutherland Hospital. She holds a Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Physician and Master of Public Health. Dr Zhou is a Research Fellow at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre and is currently working in the thoracic portfolio with the Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia (TOGA). She is also currently pursuing a PhD with the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre.
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Dr Joshua Hurwitz is an early-career medical oncologist with a special interest in breast and genitourinary cancers, as well as a passion for trials and education. He has worked in various institutions across three states over fifteen years and is dedicated to quality improvement for both patients and clinicians. Josh currently holds a public appointment at Monash Health and works at Epworth HealthCare. He is the co-host of the internationally acclaimed podcast “Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind”. Josh completed his oncology training at the South West Sydney Local Health District and St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. He then undertook further specialisation in breast and genitourinary cancer through a prestigious fellowship at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney.
If you have any state-specific questions, please feel free to email the MOGA secretariat and it will be forwarded to the appropriate person.
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