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September 11, 2026
Importantly, the ARC Portal team includes clinicians that are located in regional areas, so they have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by oncologists who may be treating a wide range of cancer patients and may not have encountered rare cancers previously.
Leading the ARC Portal team are our Principal Investigator Professor Clare Scott and Co-Lead Investigators Professor David Goldstein and Dr Damien Kee. They bring extensive clinical and research expertise to their leadership, along with their passion to improve outcomes for Australian rare cancer patients.
Professor Clare Scott is Head of the Ovarian and Rare Cancers Laboratory at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), holds the chair in Gynaecological Cancer at The University of Melbourne and is a Medical Oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospitals.
Professor Goldstein is a conjoint clinical professor. He has been involved in a variety of clinical research projects ranging from laboratory basic science to novel therapeutics trials to psychosocial aspects of Cancer care. He has been Principal Investigator (PI) of a number of NHMRC and Cancer Australia funded therapeutic trials including both investigator initiated and as Australian PI for multinational studies.
Dr Damien Kee is a medical oncologist and clinician‑scientist specialising in melanoma, rare cancers and precision oncology. He is based at the Austin Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and is a senior clinical research fellow in the Rare Cancer Laboratory at WEHI.
ARC Portal’s Medical Oncologists support the team with expert knowledge across multiple domains to enhance the quality of recommendations as well as expand our network of national and international rare cancer experts.
Bryan is a senior Medical Oncologist based at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Queensland where he is the lead for Thoracic Oncology and research. Bryan has always been passionate about quality improvement and health service research, particularly on equity for regional and remote Australians affected by cancer.
Dr Melvin Chin is a medical oncologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and a clinician–scientist at the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases in Western Australia. A recipient of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia PhD scholarship and a current Raine Clinician Research Fellow, Dr Chin’s work is advancing precision approaches to improving outcomes for patients with rare, difficult-to-treat cancers.
ARC Portal’s Research Fellows review referrals, collaborate with referring clinicians and rare cancer experts, and prepare evidence-based ARC Portal reports to support the management of rare cancer patients.
Dr Betty Zhang is a medical oncologist based in Brisbane and previously undertook medical oncology training at Calvary Mater Newcastle, Westmead Hospital and Blacktown Hospital. Betty's interests lie in rare cancers, cancer “omics”, and statistics.
Dr Cassie Turner is a medical oncologist at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Queensland with an interest in treating breast, brain, thoracic and gynaecological cancers. Born and raised in rural Queensland, Cassie brings to the team an understanding of the unique challenges rural and remote Australians can face in accessing cancer care and is passionate about improving equity.
Dr Chloe Georgiou is a medical oncologist based in regional Victoria with a sub-specialty interest in rare, gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers. Growing up and now living and working in regional Victoria, Chloe has a particular interest in health services design which facilitates equitable access to care.
Dr Arabella Widders is a Medical Oncology Advanced Trainee based in Queensland. She completed her medical degree at the University of Queensland and has since worked in multiple hospitals from Cairns to Brisbane. Areas of clinical interest include lung, skin and genitourinary cancers and she is currently completing research into real world outcomes for people with small cell lung cancer.
Dr Cassie Beaven is a Clinical Research Fellow in Medical Oncology at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Queensland. She grew up in regional Queensland, which has shaped her understanding of the differences in access to cancer care between regional and metropolitan settings. This has informed her interest in improving equity in cancer outcomes.
Dr Maryanne Akkerman currently works as a medical oncology registrar at the Mater Hospital in Sydney. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and holds a Master of Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Sydney. An interest in rare cancers, precision oncology, and improving equity in regional cancer care led her to join the ARC Portal.
Dr. Nicole Pringle is currently working as Medical Oncologist at the Gold Coast University Hospital. Her clinical and research experience covers a broad range of solid tumour malignancies with a special interest in lung cancer, genitourinary cancer and gastrointestinal cancer. With a passion for clinical research and medical education, Dr Pringle holds academic appointments at Griffith University’s School of Medicine at the Gold Coast campus.
Dr Sebastian Kang is a medical oncologist currently practicing in Perth. As Clinical Research Fellow at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, he was co-investigator in a number of clinical trials and developed specialist experience in thoracic and gastrointestinal cancers. Having worked in regional Queensland, Dr Kang is strongly aligned with the ARC Portal’s mission to advance equitable care for an underserved patient population.
Dr Stephanie Wakeling is a medical oncologist practicing in Melbourne and regional Victoria. For the past two years, Dr Wakeling has worked as a Medical Oncology Trials Fellow at Austin Hospital, where she has worked as a sub-investigator on a large portfolio of phase 1–3 clinical trials spanning thoracic, melanoma, genitourinary, and neuro-oncology cancers.
ARC Portal’s Project Officer holds a critical role in the team, supporting the team in delivering our services on time and to the required standard. In 2026, we welcomed a new Project Officer to the team.
Jamie Flynn is based at BioGrid Australia and works with clinicians to help coordinate referrals, manage data, and continually improve the service for referring oncologists and patients. Jamie has a background in neuroscience and multi-disciplinary applied research, including co-founding a technology company developing advanced scientific instrumentation and chemometrics platforms.
