SCREENING CONFERENCE 2025
'Population Screening for Chronic Disease – Maximising Benefits, Minimising Harms’
Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 March 2025
Mercure Hotel, Sydney
#Screening2025
CONFERENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Professor Dorota Gertig - Co-Chair
Medical Director, National Cancer Screening Register, Telstra Health
Professor Gertig is Medical Director of Population Health Solutions and the National Cancer Screening Register at Telstra Health.
She is a public health physician and senior epidemiologist, who completed her medical training at Monash University and has a Doctorate in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. Professor Gertig has an international profile in cancer research, including the epidemiology of cervical, breast and ovarian cancers. With more than 100 scientific publications, her primary research focus has been on policy relevant research and impact of the HPV vaccine, as well as improving participation in cancer screening. She is committed to improving quality, safety and digital innovation in population health programs.
Professor Jon Emery - Co-Chair
Herman Chair of Primary Care Cancer Research, General Practice and Primary Care
Professor Jon Emery is the Herman Professor of Primary Care Cancer Research at the University of Melbourne, and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Primary Care Research and Education Lead. He is also Director of the Cancer Australia Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group (PC4), and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge.
He studied medicine at Cambridge and Oxford and obtained his DPhil at Oxford on computer decision support to assess cancer risk in general practice. His research program applies principles of implementation science and focuses on the role of primary care across the cancer continuum including prevention, early diagnosis and survivorship, aiming to improve the integration of health services. He leads a parallel program of cancer research between Melbourne and Cambridge on cancer screening, risk assessment and early diagnosis. He has published over 240 papers and has been a Chief Investigator on research grants and awards totalling over $35 million and an additional GBP16 million. He sits on several national and international advisory committees related to cancer early detection and survivorship, and cancer research.
Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin
Chief Executive Officer, Public Health Association of Australia
Mr Terry Slevin has been Chief Executive Officer for the Public Health Association of Australia since May 2018.
He is Adjunct Professor in the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University, and Adjunct Professor in the College of Health and Medicine at the Australian National University.
He is a Fellow of PHAA, and was the first Vice President (Development) of the Association.
Ms Lucy Westerman
MPH, BHS (Health Promotion), BSc ( Nutrition), BA (Sociology) and a MPPM in progress
Lucy Westerman is Executive Officer of the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (ACDPA).
ACDPA members share a vision where more Australians living longer, healthier lives with less chronic disease. ACDPA brings together Cancer Council Australia, National Heart Foundation of Australia, Diabetes Australia, Stroke Foundation, Lung Foundation and Kidney Health Australia to advocate shared policy priorities to improve health, including through primary prevention, early detection, and risk assessment.
Lucy is also a health communications subject coordinator and teacher in the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. Lucy’s previous work includes with VicHealth on Commercial Determinants of Health, in global health with NCD Alliance leading NCD prevention advocacy and global campaigns, and in State government environmental health and regulation.
www.acdpa.org.au // @acdpalliance
Ms Lisa Schofield PSM
First Assistant Secretary, Cancer, Hearing & Chronic Conditions, Australian Government
Ms Lisa Schofield has almost twenty years’ experience working in the Australian Government where she has held policy leadership roles in health, offshore resources, innovation, and higher education.
Lisa has been leading the Cancer, Hearing and Chronic Conditions Division as the First Assistant Secretary since February 2022. In this role, she manages the National Cancer Screening Programs and the Hearing Services Program, manages policy and projects for palliative care, cancer, newborn screening, chronic conditions and population screening.
Upon joining Health in May 2020, Lisa managed the Health Economics and Research Division for a short time, responsible for the Medical Research Future Fund and health economic and data analysis, before establishing and managing the COVID-19 Vaccination Program. She led the development and implementation of the Australian Government COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, led negotiations with vaccine suppliers to secure supplies for Australia and implemented the vaccination program in partnership with states and territories, logistics providers, vaccine administration providers and aged care and disability service providers.
Ms Schofield received her Public Service Medal in the Australia Day Honours List of 2021 for outstanding public service in the delivery of the treaty establishing maritime boundaries between Australia and Timor-Leste. She holds a Bachelor of Arts – Communications (Media and Cultural Studies). She served on the board of Charles Sturt University from 2016 - 2021 and was a local City Councillor in Bathurst from 1999 - 2004.
Associate Professor Cleola Anderiesz
Chief Executive Officer, National Breast Cancer Foundation
Cleola is a senior executive leader with over 20 years of experience across the academic, not-for-profit, and public sectors. She has qualifications in science and health economics, a PhD, a
Senior Executive MBA, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has
extensive national leadership experience in strategy development, program design and
implementation, and building productive cross-sector partnerships.
Cleola has worked as a medical researcher nationally and internationally in the field of
reproductive biology. After leaving research, she spent six years in the in the not-for-profit sector
and 15 years with the Australian Government in a range of national leadership roles.
During her public service career, Cleola established and implemented national cancer initiatives
spanning research, clinical trials, data, service development, and clinical practice.
She provided executive leadership in the development of a national framework to support the
delivery of evidence-based, best-practice lung cancer care, has led national initiatives in shared follow-up and survivorship care, regional cancer care, and professional education, led the implementation of the Australian Government’s first health Mission, and provided senior
executive oversight of a ministerially requested enquiry into lung cancer screening in Australia
and led the development of Australia’s first national Pancreatic Roadmap.
As CEO of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Cleola has led the development and
implementation of a $125 million five-year Pink Horizon Research Strategy and has provided
executive oversight of the development a range of enterprise strategies to drive organisational
growth and capability.
Ms Erin Bowen
National Manager, Health, Research & Innovation, Heart Foundation
Erin is an experienced senior policy specialist in health, social policy and public administration, with over twenty years working at executive levels across both Commonwealth and state governments and over five years as a public policy consultant. She has provided leadership on whole of health system strategic policy development and integration, health program formulation and implementation, human resources management and people capability development. Erin has been integral in delivering several projects for government and non-government organisations, including national strategies and plans, significant Commonwealth/state joint projects, major health reform initiatives, operational and health system analysis and service re-design.
Professor Leon Adams
Hepatologist, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Lead, Liver Research Group, Medical School, University of Western Australia
Professor Adams (MBBS, FRACP, PhD) is a Hepatologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and lead of the Liver Research Group in the Medical School, University of Western Australia. His research focuses on clinical aspects of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver and non-invasive assessment of liver disease where he has >200 publications and been awarded >$14 million in grants. He is currently leading two national clinical trials to optimize the detection of advanced liver disease in primary care. He is chair of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia (GESA) consensus steering committee for the assessment of fatty liver disease in primary care, and was working party lead in the Cancer Council clinical practice guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance. He has served on numerous journal editorial boards, faculties and committees within GESA, the Australian Diabetes Society, the American Gastroenterology Association and American Association for the Study of Liver Disease.