Professor Elisabeth Elder graduated from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden in 1992. She then completed her general surgical training together with a PhD in tumour biology in 2002.

After migrating to Australia, she specialised in breast cancer surgery at Concord Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Women and Royal North Shore Hospital. She completed her Australian surgical fellowship (FRACS) before taking up a staff specialist position in the Breast Cancer Institute at Westmead Hospital. Elisabeth returned to the Karolinska Hospital during 2009 to develop skills in oncoplastic breast surgery techniques.

Elisabeth is a Clinical Professor at University of Sydney and head of research at the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute. She is involved in numerous research projects and clinical trials as well as teaching of medical students and trainees.

Elisabeth is President of the Australasian Society of Breast Disease (ASBD) and one of the clinical leads to the Australian Breast Device Registry (ABDR). She is also an active member of Breast Surgeons in Australia and New Zealand (BreastSurgANZ) and previous chair of the oncoplastic committee. She is a former council member of Breast Surgeons International and on the editorial board of World Journal of Surgery and The Breast.