The Gut Cancer Foundation is delighted to welcome Dr Lorraine Chantrill to the board of trustees. Dr Chantrill is a Senior Staff Specialist Medical Oncologist and Head of Service for Medical Oncology across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD), and Area Clinical Director of Clinical Trials. Dr Chantrill treats patients with any cancers of the digestive tract as well as gynaecological cancers and lung cancers.
She is a key opinion leader and expert in the field of pancreas cancer. Lorraine completed a PhD by research in the Pancreas Cancer Group at The Kinghorn Cancer Centre in pancreas cancer genomics. Lorraine continues to be an active clinician-researcher trying to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside.
She has extensive experience managing Oncology Clinical Trials and is the Principal Investigator on several clinical trials in gastrointestinal cancers. Lorraine is a passionate advocate for clinical trials, believing they are not only vital for research but offer hope to participants. Lorraine is keen to help GCF build the number of clinical trials on offer in NZ, to give patients access to some new and emerging therapies.
Lorraine has served on the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG) Upper GI Working party since its inception in 2011 and has chaired the Working Party 2014-2019. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of AGITG in August 2016 and in May 2020 became the first female Chair of the AGITG and GI cancer institute. AGITG create and facilitate clinical trials in cancers of the digestive tract. GCF supporters help fund the opening of New Zealand sites enabling Kiwis to participate in AGITG trials.
The team at GCF would like to thank Dr Chantrill’s predecessor, Professor Tim Price for his dedication and expertise during his 6 years as chair of AGITG and a member of the GCF board. Lorraine’s appointment to the board of the Gut Cancer Foundation continues our long association with the AGITG as she is now the 3rd chair to be appointed to our board. We welcome Dr Chantrill to the GCF family and look forward to working with her.