Cancer Australia is pleased to announce Ms Karen Livingstone and Professor Michael Quinn AM as the 2016 recipients of the Jeannie Ferris Cancer Australia Recognition Award.
Ms Karen Livingstone is the successful recipient of the award for her extensive work in the areas of gynaecological cancer consumer support and research. Ms Livingstone, whose mother died of ovarian cancer, was a co-founder of Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA) in 2001 and joined the Australia and New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) in 2007 as the first ever consumer representative on the cooperative clinical trials group’s Board. She has been a significant fundraiser for both OCA and ANZGOG and established the national Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in conjunction with the then national Health Minister, The Hon. Nicola Roxon. In 2014 Karen was awarded Research Australia’s Advocacy Award in recognition of her work specifically in ovarian, gynaecological and pancreatic cancer research.
Professor Michael Quinn AM is the successful recipient of the award for his significant clinical and personal contributions to gynaecological cancer. Professor Quinn was a professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne until recently and is currently a consultant at the Oncology/Dysplasia Unit, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. He is President–Elect of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society, co-founded the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group in 2000 and was Chair from 2009 to 2012. Outside of his professional contributions, Professor Quinn is also a dedicated fundraiser for research into gynaecological cancer and has personally raised over $950,000 for research projects by running marathons and climbing mountains around the world.
This Award is named in honour of the late Jeannie Ferris, former Senator for South Australia who was passionately committed to raising awareness about gynaecological cancer in Australia. Senator Ferris was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2005 and passed away in April 2007.
Images from 2016 Jeannie Ferris Cancer Australia Recognition Award presentation on 5 August 2016.