TEAM
SIGA (Stereotactic Interest Group of Australasia) was founded in 2017 to disseminate knowledge and facilitate research co-operation within Australasia via an annual workshop.
SIGA Executive Group
Dr Neda Haghighi graduated from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. After gaining the FRANZCR, she completed an extended Fellowship in intra-cranial and extra-cranial Stereotactic Radiotherapy at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. She leads the Victorian Gamma Knife service and the neuro-oncology unit at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Dr Haghighi is involved as a primary investigator and co-investigator of several international and local clinical trials, relating to stereotactic radiation treatment of primary and secondary brain tumors. She is an active member of International Society of Radiosurgery (ISRS), Trans Tasmanian Radiation Oncology Group (TROG), and Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO). DR Haghighi is a committee member on a number of CNS disease specific interest groups. She possesses superior knowledge in management of tumors of the brain and spine with special interest in radiosurgery for the treatment of skull base tumors as well as functional neurological disorders.
Dr Neda Haghighi
SIGA Chair
A/Prof Matthew Foote is the Co-Director of the Gamma Knife® Centre of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queensland State Lead Radiation Oncologist for Radiation Oncology Centres (ROC) which is part of the ICON Group. Having completed his specialist training in Brisbane in 2009, he undertook further sub-specialist training in Gamma Knife® radiosurgery, stereotactic radiotherapy and neuro-oncology at the world-renowned Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto.
A/Prof Foote has special interests in stereotactic brain and body radiotherapy, neuro-oncology, head and neck cancer and cutaneous (skin) cancer. He leads international, national and local clinical trials in melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and neuro-oncology. He is on the management and scientific committees of the Co-operative Trials Group for Neuro-oncology (COGNO) and is internationally recognised for his work in stereotactic body and brain radiotherapy, currently assisting in the establishment of stereotactic programs throughout Australia and South East Asia.
A/Prof Matthew Foote
Treasurer
Dr Cecelia Gzell has degrees in both Medical Science (U. Sydney) and Medicine (U. Newcastle). She undertook Specialist training primarily at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital prior to gaining the FRANZCR in 2011. She undertook a post-grad fellowship in Neuro-Oncology at Royal North Shore Hospital with research and publications in the field of high-grade gliomas, the foundation for her PhD thesis, “Optimising outcomes in patients with glioblastoma using radiotherapy”.
Dr Gzell is involved in the Co-operative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology (COGNO) and the Australian Genomics and Clinical Outcomes of Glioma Network (AGOG). She is also a full member of the Society of Neuro-Oncology (SNO, USA). Her clinical focus is the best management of both primary and secondary central nervous system neoplasms - utilising modern techniques including stereotactic radiosurgery and gamma knife surgery.
Dr Cecelia Gzell
Secretary
Prof Siva is a radiation oncologist, a clinician academic, and the first Radiation Oncologist to be awarded the prestigious Cancer Council Victoria Colebatch Fellowship (2020). Prior to this award, he held a NHMRC Early Career Fellowship. He is the lead clinician and director of the Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and is internationally recognised for his work in high-technology radiotherapy delivery and implementation in novel indications. He published the first original research from Australia on the use of SABR and his contributions to the field include pioneering research of kidney SABR, single fraction SABR, and radio/immunotherapy combinations. His other major research interests are innovative radiotherapy delivery and functional imaging in radiation therapy. Prof Siva has designed and led multiple clinical trials, in the fields of oligometastases, lung, prostate and kidney cancers and is the chair of five TROG trials.
Prof Shankar Siva
Deputy Chair
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Workshop Organising Committee
Each year the Executive group is joined by other local experts in SRS to create a multi-disciplinary team to co-ordinate the annual workshop.
A/Prof. Joel Poder is a senior radiation oncology medical physicist at St George Hospital Cancer Care Centre in Sydney where he leads the brachytherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, and research portfolios. Joel also holds honorary positions at the University of Wollongong, University of NSW, and University of Sydney. He has worked in the field of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for over 15 years, having implemented a single isocentre multi-target SRS program at 2 institutions and authored more than 10 manuscripts on the topic.
A/Prof Joel Poder
Medical Physicist
Nola Bailey is the Stereotactic Group Lead Radiation Therapist for Icon Cancer Services.
In her role, Nola is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, training, and governance of the stereotactic program at Icon. This includes providing advanced stereotactic services across a variety of technologies at more than 40 campuses within Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
With over 25 years of experience in stereotactic radiotherapy Nola has witnessed the evolution of treatment options from being limited to major city hospitals to becoming widely accessible, benefiting a greater number of patients nationwide. This expansion has significantly enhanced both the variety of treatment options and the ongoing care available to patients. Nola is deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards in stereotactic service delivery, while continuously improving treatment opportunities for patients.
Ms Nola Bailey
Radiation Therapist
​Dr. Katrina Woodford is the Lead Radiation Therapist Clinician Scientist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre where she oversees the research portfolio of the radiation therapy service across their five campuses. Prior to this she led the Stereotactic Team at The Alfred Hospital where she worked for 15 years. In 2022, she was awarded a PhD through Monash University with a thesis exploring the feasibility of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Dr Katrina Woodford
Radiation Therapist
Dr Jun Kim is an Australasian trained Neurosurgeon who received his medical degree from the University of New South Wales in 2008. After completing his internship and residency at Westmead Hospital he undertook advanced neurosurgical training at multiple units around Australia and New Zealand including the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland Children’s Hospital, John Hunter hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Wellington Hospital in New Zealand. He received the fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2019 and completed a 6-month fellowship at Westmead Hospital in general Neurosurgery. Following this he undertook an advanced clinical fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, one of the largest Academic institutions in North America gaining expertise in the management of complex cerebrovascular and skull base disorders. He then undertook a 6-month advanced clinical fellowship in paediatric neurosurgery at the Children’s Medical Centre in Dallas, Texas gaining valuable experience in the management of paediatric brain tumours and spina bifida.
Dr. Kim has a special interest in the management of complex skull base tumours and holds appointments at Westmead adults and childrens hospital as well as the Sydney Adventist hospital.
Dr Jun Kim
Neurosurgeon
Melissa Barber is a Senior Research Program Officer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne and the Operations Manager for SIGA. Melissa is responsible for much of the planning and logistics involved in the delivery of the annual SIGA Workshop.
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Dr Barber has over 20 years of research experience, completing her (Monash University) PhD at the Howard Florey Institute in 2023. After a laboratory-based post-doctoral appointment in Edmonton Canada, Melissa returned to Melbourne to begin working in clinical research. Melissa has coordinated a large health literacy study, managed two large biobanks and was the ethics manager for the ASPREE clinical trial. After a spell working on an international prostate cancer registry Melissa moved to Peter Mac where she has supported the research program of Prof Siva since 2019.
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Melissa is committed to supporting and facilitating stereotactic radiotherapy research to ensure patients have access to evidence-based treatment options that deliver improvements in both quantity and quality of life.
Dr Melissa Barber
Operations Manager
Dr St.John Newman is a consultant radiation oncologist for ICON Cancer Centres at Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast Private Hospital, Mater Private Springfield and St Andrew’s Hospital Ipswich. He completed his training across NSW and QLD gaining experience in the public and private sectors. He has a subspecialty interest in the management of CNS, head and neck and thoracic malignancies as well as the management of oligometastatic disease with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.
Dr St.John Newman
Radiation Oncologist
