Introducing our Speakers for #BCT2026
The Annual Scientific Meeting brings together Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) members, breast cancer researchers, and those involved in the conduct of clinical trials, to learn more about recent advances in breast cancer research worldwide, and the developments in BCT-conducted clinical trials.
Jana de Boniface
International Guest Speaker
Jana de Boniface
International Guest Speaker
Jana de Boniface is a general surgeon trained in Berlin, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden.
Her clinical dedication lies in breast surgery and specifically in oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery, which she practices as a consultant at Capio Saint Göran’s Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.
She is a passionate teacher with annual oncoplastic courses attracting an international faculty. As a clinical professor at Karolinska Institutet, she is well known for her large international SENOMAC trial in axillary surgery de-escalation and conducts both register-based and prospective clinical research aiming to individualise breast and axillary surgery in breast cancer to minimise its potentially negative impact on patients' quality of life without compromising survival outcomes.
Recently, she also dove into the area of exercise oncology, where she runs the largest internationally randomised trial on exercise as an addition to primary systemic therapy.
In recognition of her patient-centred and implementation-focused work, she received both the Annual Award by the patients’ national breast cancer association of Sweden and the Jubilee Award by the Swedish Medical Association in 2024.
Marina Reeves
Conference Guest Speaker
Marina Reeves
Conference Guest Speaker
Professor Marina Reeves joins the Queensland University of Technology from the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland, where she is a Professor and Deputy Associate Dean Research (Researcher Development) in the Faculty of Medicine. An experienced academic leader, Marina is also an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and in 2021 was awarded the Dietitians Australia Barbara Chester Award for her leadership in dietetics in Queensland.
Her program of research is focused on the role of diet, physical activity, and weight/body composition in improving outcomes and quality of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Marina and her team have recently been awarded a $2M MRFF Rare Cancers Rare Diseases and Unmet Need grant to conduct a Queensland-wide phase III trial of an exercise and dietary intervention to improve the quality of life of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (2022-2027). Marina completed her PhD at QUT and she is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Sara Hurvitz
International Guest Speaker
Sara Hurvitz
International Guest Speaker
Dr Sara Hurvitz is a medical oncologist and clinical research leader who is senior vice president of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch and head of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington Department of Medicine.
A graduate of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Hurvitz is an international expert in breast oncology and a leader in clinical and laboratory-based oncology research, with extensive experience leading clinical trials in all phases.
Dr Hurvitz works to boost the national reputation of the solid tumor clinical research program and oversees the continued growth of clinical research programs in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, hematologic cancers and nonmalignant hematology.
Dr Hurvitz has contributed extensively to the growth of clinical research programs since joining the University of California, Los Angeles as a resident in 1999. She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research and the European Society of Medical Oncology.
Bruce Mann
Conference Guest Speaker
Bruce Mann
Conference Guest Speaker
Bruce Mann is Professor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Breast Service at the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospitals.
He is also Director of Research at Breast Cancer Trials – Australia and New Zealand’s cooperative breast cancer clinical trials organisation.
His interests relate to systems for optimal breast cancer care and research to improve early diagnosis and tailor the extent of breast cancer treatment to the individual patient.
Chihwan David Cha
International Guest Speaker
Chihwan David Cha
International Guest Speaker
Dr Chihwan David Cha is a breast surgeon and clinician scientist at Hanyang University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, with specialised expertise in hereditary breast cancer, male breast cancer, and translational research integrating multi-omics data.
He is an active member of the Korean Breast Cancer Study Group (KBCSG) and plays a leading role in the international collaborative research initiatives, including the Oceania-Asia Collaboration Study (OASIS) project.
Dr Cha is a co-principal investigator of the male breast cancer study within the OASIS, which is dedicated to advancing the understanding of male breast cancer in Asian populations.
Through this initiative, he contributes to multinational cohort analyses aimed at elucidating clinicopathologic features, treatment patterns, and long-term survival outcomes across diverse populations.
In parallel, he is a key investigator in the Korea Robot-endoscopic minimal access Breast Surgery Study Group (KoREa-BSG)–led BRCA carrier cohort study, a large-scale, multicenter research program focusing on long-term oncologic outcomes and contralateral breast cancer risk in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. His research interests include recurrence patterns and long-term surgical outcomes, with the goal of refining risk stratification for BRCA mutation carriers.
In the translational research domain, his work integrates multi-omics approaches with spatial transcriptomic analyses, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer and male breast cancer, to investigate tumor heterogeneity and immune microenvironmental features. He also serves as Executive Secretary of the Surgical Procedure and Technique Committee of the Korean Breast Cancer Society.
In recognition of his research contributions, Dr Cha received the Academic Achievement Award at the Global Breast Cancer Conference (GBCC) in 2025 and was selected for the 2026-2027 ASCO International Clinical Research Scholars Program.
Nick Zdenkowski
Conference Guest Speaker
Nick Zdenkowski
Conference Guest Speaker
Dr Zdenkowski is a Medical Oncologist and Medical Advisor with Breast Cancer Trials.
He is the Chair of the BCT Scientific Advisory Committee and sits on the international PALLAS trial Steering Committee. He works on a broad range of breast cancer research, including shared decision-making, clinical trials, and patient-reported outcomes, particularly around neoadjuvant systemic therapy.
His PhD project resulted in the development of a decision aid for patients considering neoadjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer. He has published widely, from patient-reported outcomes, and systematic reviews through to clinical trial outcomes. His clinical practice is at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital and Maitland Private Hospital in the Hunter Region in NSW Australia.
Haryana Dhillon
Conference Guest Speaker
Haryana Dhillon
Conference Guest Speaker
Professor Haryana Dhillon is a behavioural scientist and psycho-oncologist at the University of Sydney, working with people who are living with cancer or working through cancer survivorship. She is President Elect of the Cancer Survivorship Group at Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee at Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG).
Professor Dhillon is also Co-Chair of the OXTOX trial. She was Co-Chair of the CHALLENGE trial, a study endorsed by the AGITG, and one of the earliest pioneers of the AGITG.
Rebekah Laidsaar-Powell
Conference Guest Speaker
Rebekah Laidsaar-Powell
Conference Guest Speaker
Professor Rebekah Laidsaar-Powell is a Senior Lecturer and Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Research Fellow within the School of Psychology. She is dedicated to developing and conducting clinically relevant and impactful research which improves the clinical care and psychosocial well-being of individuals living with chronic physical and/or mental health conditions, and their family carers. She has over 15 years' experience in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research in the healthcare setting. Since 2012, Rebekah has published more than 50 articles in international scientific journals and has been a Chief Investigator on grants totalling over $2.5 million in research funding.
Professor Laidsaar-Powell is internationally recognised for her research in the involvement of carers in the medical system and developed the first published clinical strategies for health professionals to manage and enhance communication with carers in oncology. She has lived experience as a family carer, and a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of supporting a loved one with a chronic illness.
Rebekah is also an experienced and dedicated educator within the School of Psychology, as a Unit of Study Coordinator and Lecturer across the areas of health psychology and mental health conditions. In addition, she feels fortunate to educate and mentor the next generation of researchers as an Honours, Masters, and PhD student supervisor.