KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Professor Veronica Chiang
Department of Neurological Surgery
Yale University School of Medicine,
Connecticut, USA
Dr Chiang is a Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the Yale University School of Medicine. She is director of the Yale New Haven Hospital Gamma Knife Center and Chief of the Radiosurgery Fellowship program. Professor Chiang’s clinical practice primarily involves the treatment of patients with brain metastases and management of complications following radiosurgery, using standard craniotomy, radiosurgery and minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques such as laser ablation. Her research interests include studying mechanisms for brain metastasis resistance to therapy as well as outcomes following evolving multidisciplinary paradigms for management of brain metastases.
A/Prof Matthew Foote
Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Icon Group, Brisbane, QLD
A/Prof Matthew Foote is an internationally recognised Radiation Oncologist and expert in the management of brain tumours, with subspecialty focus on Gamma Knife (GK) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and advanced stereotactic radiotherapy techniques.
As Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Icon Group, he provides strategic leadership and clinical oversight across ICON’s extensive network, driving innovation in precision radiation therapies. He has played a pivotal role in expanding stereotactic capabilities in Australia and internationally, including the establishment of Queensland’s first public Leksell Gamma Knife® service the Princess Alexandra Hospital and privately at ICON Herston.
A/Prof Foote is a founder, previous Chair and current Treasurer of the Stereotactic Interest Group of Australasia (SIGA) and previous board member of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS). He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, contributing significantly to the evidence base in stereotactic treatment for brain metastases and other intracranial conditions.
A/Prof Foote continues to advance stereotactic expertise through clinical practice, research, and education in both the public and private sectors.
Dr Jun Kim
Neurosurgeon, Sydney, NSW
Dr. Jun Kim is a Sydney-based neurosurgeon with expertise in both adult and paediatric neurosurgery, and subspecialty interests in cerebrovascular surgery, skull base pathology, and complex brain and spinal tumours. He obtained his fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2018 and undertook a clinical fellowship in Cerebrovascular, Paediatric and Skull base surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern medical centre. He has a particular passion for the management of challenging cranial pathologies in children, combining advanced microsurgical techniques with a multidisciplinary approach to care
Dheerendra Prasad
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Buffalo, New York, USA
Professor Dheerendra Prasad has been performing Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for over 30 years. He is dual trained as a Neurosurgeon and a Radiation Oncologist. He was trained at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville USA. He currently serves as the Barbara and George Hyde Chair of Radiation Oncology as well as Chief of the Division Of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. He serves as an expert mentor for new Gamma Knife starts and has mentored over 68 programs worldwide including multiple Gamma Knife Programs in Australia including Macquarie Hospital, Sydney ; PAH in Brisbane and Peter Mac in Melbourne. He has performed over 14,000 Gamma Knife procedures and authored over 100 papers an book chapters. He loves Astrophotography, Model Railroading and collects stamps for fun!
Professor Robert Smee
The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW
Professor Robert Smee AM, MA, MBBS, FRANZCR is a Senior Clinical Radiation Oncology Staff Specialist at The Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Tamworth Base Hospital and a VMO at the Sydney Children’s Hospital. He is a Conjoint Professor with the University of New South Wales in Sydney, regularly supervising 4th year medical students in their Independent Learning Project/Honours research year. His role as a Training Educator extends to the Oncology Registrars Head and Neck RANZCR Training Programme.
He is a Founding member of the ANZHNCS (Australia & New Zealand Head/Neck Cancer Society), and Director of the Head & Neck Cancer Research Group at Prince of Wales Hospital, investigating patient survival and functional outcomes in Head & Neck cancers. This has culminated in comprehensive patient outcome databases leading to over 140 published papers in national and international medical journals and 12 published book chapters.
Professor Smee is a pioneer in the field of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, having established the first Stereotactic Surgical Facility in Australia in 1990 and treating over 2,000 patients to date using this technique. He is internationally recognised in this field, having served as President of The International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society from 2005-2007.
Dr Daniel M Trifiletti
Consultant, Department of Radiation Oncology
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Florida, USA
As an international leader in radiation oncology and stereotactic radiosurgery, the research of Daniel M. Trifiletti, M.D., includes numerous clinical studies involving radiation, surgery and drug therapies in the treatment of tumors.
Dr Trifiletti's short-term research goals focus on describing the impact of radiation on the priming of the brain tumor microenvironment. Discovering the biological underpinnings of radiation priming will allow for novel, "game-changing" cancer therapies, rapid translation to early-stage clinical trials and, ultimately, improved outcomes in patients with fatal diseases.
Dr Annie Wong
Consultant Medical Oncologist, Melanoma Unit
Peter MacCullum Centre, Melbourne, VIC
Dr Annie Wong is a NZ-trained consultant medical oncologist previously based at the Wellington Blood and Cancer Centre. Her oncological sub-specialities include melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and genitourinary cancers. She is passionate about patient care, research and teaching. She completed her medical oncology training in Wellington and subsequently completed a medical oncology fellowship at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. During her fellowship she was inspired by the transformative outcomes with immunotherapy, and investigated novel biomarkers for melanoma immunotherapy as part of her PhD studies. She is a current DSA member of Melanoma and Skin Cancers Trials, and previous executive committee member of Melnet. She returned to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in 2026 as a Consultant Medical Oncologist with the melanoma unit and is an honorary clinical research fellow at University of Melbourne.