Board of Directors
Ian Davis, Chair
Professor Ian Davis is a medical oncologist and is Professor of Medicine and Head of the Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University and Eastern Health, in Melbourne, Australia. He has honorary appointments as an Affiliate Professor of Deakin University, adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Melbourne, Associate of the University of Sydney, Honorary Professorial Fellow with The George Institute, and Adjunct Professor of University of New South Wales. His primary clinical interests are in urologic cancers, and his primary research interests are in cancer immunology and the biology of urologic cancers. Prof Davis is chair of the ANZUP Board and of its Scientific Advisory Committee.
Joe Esposito, Deputy Chair
Mr Joe Esposito is a Melbourne based director who has established a business consultancy practice, Grumentum Capital Pty Ltd. For 8 years until 2020, he owned and operated a BOQ (Bank of Queensland) branch in the inner city suburb of Collingwood. He has had over 20 years experience in corporate banking in Australia and New Zealand. Between 2003 and 2006 he was the CEO of ASX listed Jetset Travelworld Limited.
Mr Esposito has a close affinity with the objectives of ANZUP and the needs of cancer consumers. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master of Applied Finance and a Diploma in Finance and Mortgage Management. He is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Nick Buchan
Dr Nick Buchan is a Urologist based in Christchurch, New Zealand and works in both public and private practice. Nicks practice focuses on the diagnosis and management of urological cancers. Nick gained his experience in medical trials while on fellowship at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. The Vancouver Prostate Centre is one of the largest research and clinical centres in the world that focuses on translational research into prostatic diseases, prostate cancer in particular. Currently Nick is managing director of the Canterbury Urology Research Trust (CURT). CURT is a trust that conducts urological trials for contract research organisations (CROs) as well as its own investigator lead trials in urological conditions with the main focus being urological oncology. Nick is also a previous director of a privately owned hospital in Christchurch, Forte Health and managing director of a large Urology specialist practice, Urology Associates.
Martin Dowling
Mr Martin Dowling has held executive and senior management level financial and commercial roles at some of the largest companies in the world. He has delivered in leadership roles against a broad portfolio of responsibilities across a range of industries including mining, mining services, manufacturing and engineering. He has a Bachelor of Commerce and MBA degree and is a Fellow of CPA Australia and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is committed to the pursuit of charitable and societal goals as a Director on not-for-profit boards and also actively in the local community.
Glenn Ferguson
Mr Glenn Ferguson AM is a Solicitor of the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Queensland. He is a past President of the Law Council of Australia and past President of Lawasia the law association for Asia and the Pacific and a past President of the Queensland Law Society. He is also a Senior Counsellor with the Queensland Law Society and has previously chaired their professional standards committee. Glenn is a Founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Notaries. He was appointed the inaugural Adjunct Professor in Law at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He is currently Chair Lexon Insurance and a Governor of the College of Law and Managing Director of FC Lawyers. He has been appointed by both Federal and State Governments to various advisory boards and task forces in the legal, business and immigration sectors. In the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Glenn was made a Member of the Order of Australia “For significant service to the law and to the legal profession, both nationally and in the Asia Pacific region, and to the community”.
Lisa Horvath
Professor Lisa Horvath is the Director of Research and Chief Clinical Officer at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. She completed medical school at the University of Sydney and trained in medical oncology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where she was appointed to the senior staff in 2003. She completed her PhD in translational research at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in 2004. Professor Horvath’s research interest is predominantly in the field of prostate cancer in particular biomarkers, prostate cancer biology and clinical trials. She holds academic appointments at both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales and is the Head of the Clinical Prostate Cancer research group at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Professor Horvath is the Conjoint Chair of Medical Oncology (Genitourinary Cancers) at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. She has published more than 170 original research papers in peer-reviewed journals in the last 20+ years. She has presented extensively at national and international meetings both peer-reviewed and invited presentations. Professor Horvath is an elected ANZUP Board Director, a member of the ANZUP Scientific Advisory Committee and is Chair of the ANZUP Prostate Subcommittee.
Shomik Sengupta
Professor Shomik Sengupta is Professor of Surgery and deputy Head of School at the Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University and a Consultant Urologist and Uro-Oncology lead at the Department of Urology, Eastern Health. Shomik has a practice with a uro-oncology subspecialty interest – including open, laparoscopic and robotic cancer surgery. Shomik also has a strong interest in urologic research, including involvement in clinical trials through the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate (ANZUP) Cancer Trials Group, where he is a member of the Board and the Scientific Advisory Committee. Shomik is an Executive Committee member and Urologic Cancer Committee Chair at Clinicians Network, Cancer Council Victoria and a member of Executive Committee at World Urologic Oncology Federation. Shomik has more than 130 original publications to date and has been an invited speaker, session chair and convenor at numerous scientific meetings.
Henry Woo
Professor Henry Woo is a urological surgeon who subspecialises in prostate disease. He is the Director of Uro-Oncology and Head of Robotic Cancer Surgery at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. He is also an Honorary Professor at the College of Health and Medicine of the Australian National University and Conjoint Professor in the Blacktown Mount Druitt Clinical School of Western Sydney University. Additionally, he is the Head of the Department of Urology, at Blacktown Hospital in the Western Sydney Local Health District. He has published widely in major urological journals. He is an Associate Editor of the Société Internationale d’Urologie Journal and serves on the journal editorial boards of World Journal of Urology, Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, Prostate International, Asian Journal of Urology and World Journal of Men’s Health. He is a Fellowship elected Councillor (Board Director) of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and has recently been appointed Chair of the Professional Standards Committee. He also serves on the board of the charitable Australian Urological Foundation (AUF).
Samantha Oakes, CEO
Professor Samantha (Sam) Oakes PhD FRSN AAICD brings over 20 years of experience in the Health and Medical Research and Not for Profit sectors to the role of Chief Executive Officer, ANZUP Cancer Trials Group Ltd. With an established career in medical research, Sam’s research has led to important discoveries including new therapeutic and anti-metastatic strategies for hard-to-treat breast cancers and other cancers including pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In 2019-2020, Sam established and led the Long-Term Clinical Follow Up Unit in the Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre (AGCMC), now known as OMICO, one of Australia’s largest precision medicine programs. As Director, Research Investment, and member of the Senior Executive Leadership Team at the National Breast Cancer Foundation 2021-2024, Sam has led and overseen the distribution of over $45 million dollars in investment in world class breast cancer research, the development and implementation of the 2023-2028 NBCF Pink Horizon Research Strategy and contributed to organisation-wide change and growth. Sam is a passionate advocate and communicator of Health and Medical Research that will ultimately save lives, alleviate suffering, and improve quality of life and is committed to helping ANZUP continue to deliver on its mission of improving the lives of those diagnosed with Below the Belt cancers through practice-changing multidisciplinary collaborative clinical trials.