E: anzhncs.asm@surgeons.org
 T: +61 3 9249 1150

Invited Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Professor Alexander Lin
United States

Professor Alexander Lin is the Morton M.Kligerman, MD Endowed Professor of Radiation Oncology, and the Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Lin leads research programs in personalised approaches in the multidisciplinary treatment of head and neck cancer. Dr Lin leads studies in novel methods of toxicity mitigation in patients with Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers of the oropharynx. He also specialises in clinical trials investigating new radio sensitising agents targeting the tumor microenvironment to improve disease outcomes, and in ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy (FLASH), for which he receives funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr Lin completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University and his medical and residency training at the University of Michigan prior to joining the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.

Professor Joanne Patterson
United Kingdom

Professor Jo Patterson is the Chair of Speech & Language Therapy and Associate Dean for Research at School of AHP and Nursing, University of Liverpool, UK.

Jo leads the Survivorship theme for the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, host to national, and international clinicians and academics, from pre-doctoral to early career researchers, supported by senior academics and the Patient Research Forum. The research programme includes holistic prehabilitation, enhanced recovery, psychosocial adjustment and support models, outcome measure development and novel swallowing intervention development. Jo is a Fellow and Professional Advisor for RCSLT; is the SLT representative on National Institute for Health Research ENT national group, providing strategic direction for AHP research in ENT practice.

Professor Vincent Vander Poorten
Belgium

Professor Vincent Vander Poorten is a Professor and Clinical Head of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium. He also serves as the Section Head of Head and Neck Oncology within the Department of Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven. His clinical interests and expertise are head and neck oncology and surgery, with a specific focus on salivary gland and thyroid surgery, transoral laser microendoscopic and robotic surgery, endoscopic and external approaches to the anterior skull base. 

Professor Vander Poorten is a member of the editorial board of the European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Frontiers in Oncology, Frontiers in Surgery, B-ENT and Journal of Head and Neck Physicians and Surgeons. He is also an Executive Board Member of the Asia-Pacific Society of Thyroid Surgery (APTS) and of the Multidisciplinary Salivary Gland Society (MSGS), Vice Chair, International Advisory Section of the American Head and Neck Society – AHNS, Member Executive Committee International Federation of Head and Neck Oncological Societies – IFHNOS.

Professor Danny Rischin
Melbourne, VIC

Professor Danny Rischin is a medical oncologist/clinician researcher at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Professorial Fellow, Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne. He is a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Leadership Fellow. From 2007 to 2021 he was the Director of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and recently completed a 10 year term as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. 

His major clinical and research interests are in the development of new treatments and novel biomarkers for head and neck cancers and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. He has published extensively on these topics (290 publications, 30,000 citations, h-index 76).

He played a major role in the pivotal trials defining the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced cutaneous SCC and recurrent/metastatic head and neck SCC and continues to have major leadership roles in current potentially practice changing trials.


Chris O’Brien Oration Keynote Speaker 

Professor Suren Krishnan 
Adelaide, SA

Professor Krishnan is an Otolaryngologist, Head and Neck Surgeon with appointments at Royal Adelaide Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital and in private practice in Adelaide. From 2007 to 2020 he was head of the department and from 2020 to 2022 he was appointed to the position of Medical Lead of Surgical Specialities at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He is also a Clinical Professor, Faculty of Surgery at the University of Adelaide. 

Professor Krishnan was President of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (ASOHNS) from 2020 to 2022, an examiner in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and one of the founding members and later a President of the Australian and New Zealand Head and Neck Society.

He has led the introduction of minimally invasive approaches in head and neck surgery, being one of the early adopters of Trans Oral LASER Surgery and the first to perform Trans Oral Robotic Surgery in Australia. 

Professor Krishnan has been recognised with Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday honours for his services to head and neck surgery and for voluntary medical services to the Pacific Islands, Indonesia and Africa.


Contact Us

Meeting Organiser:

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Conferences & Events Department 
250-290 Spring Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002 Australia

T : +61 3 9249 1150
E : anzhncs.asm@surgeons.org