Annual Western Australian Scientific Meeting: keynote speakers

We are excited to hear from leaders in Australian medical research at the Annual Western Australia Scientific Meeting.

They include:

• Associate Professer Joost Lesterhuis, Telethon Kids Institute

• Professor Dawn Bessarab, University of Western Australia

Associate Professor Joost Lesterhuis
Telethon Kids Institute

Dr Joost Lesterhuis heads the cancer centre, and leads the sarcoma translational research team, at Telethon Kids Institute. He is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Western Australia and an NHMRC EL2 Investigator. Dr Lesterhuis has a background as a dual-trained medical oncologist and basic researcher in cancer immunology.

His research combines several fields of science including cancer immunology, drug discovery and delivery, and translational oncology, and aims to identify new and effective treatment combinations in cancer, focusing on immunotherapy. Dr Lesterhuis has published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and translated several of his laboratory findings into clinical trials.

Professor Dawn Bessarab
University of Western Australia

Professor Dawn Bessarab is a Bard/Yindijibarndi woman and Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at the University of Western Australia. She holds a PhD in social work from Curtin University and has dedicated her career to advancing Indigenous health and research. Professor Bessarab is a pioneer in Clinical Yarning, a communication method that improves clinician-patient interactions in Aboriginal health care. Her research has had a profound impact on culturally appropriate research methodologies, health disparities, and the development of the first Indigenous quality-of-life tool. She has received numerous awards, including the WA Social Worker of the Year Award. Over the past five years, Professor Bessarab has secured more than $8 million in NHMRC funding and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences. Her work continues to shape policy and practice, fostering better health outcomes for Indigenous communities.