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Meet Anne Perkins

A career driven by precision and purpose

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Anne Perkins didn’t set out to work in cancer care, but a moment of curiosity shaped a career spanning more than 30 years.

After finishing her physics degree, Anne came across a newspaper advertisement for a trainee medical physicist role at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. While she hadn’t heard of medical physics before, she applied anyway.

That decision led to a career dedicated to precision, patient safety and improving access to cancer care.

Today, as a Senior Medical Physicist at Icon Cancer Centre Epworth Richmond, Anne plays a vital role in ensuring every radiotherapy treatment – including advanced technologies like Gamma Knife – is delivered with accuracy, safety and care.

Her work is not always visible to patients, however its impact is felt in every treatment delivered.

The science behind every treatment

As a Senior Medical Physicist at Icon Cancer Centre Epworth Richmond, Anne’s role focuses on understanding how radiation interacts with the human body and ensuring radiotherapy treatments are delivered exactly as prescribed.

She works across a range of advanced technology, including linear accelerators, CT scanners and more recently, Gamma Knife, which is currently being commissioned at Richmond.

For Anne, working with world-class cancer treatment technology like Gamma Knife is rewarding, both professionally and clinically.

“It offers better options for certain patients, particularly those with very small brain tumours,” said Anne.

“With Gamma Knife’s submillimetre accuracy, having the ability to reduce radiation to surrounding healthy tissue can make a real difference.”

Anne is also involved in daily plan checks and regular quality assurance testing to ensure the equipment performs to the highest standards.

Better options for patients

As an integral part of the patient’s treatment journey, Anne values the highly collaborative nature of cancer care, working closely with radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, nurses and fellow physicists.

“It’s very much a team effort – everyone brings specific expertise for the patient’s benefit, which is what we’re all about at Icon.”

Training the next generation

Mentorship has been a significant part of Anne’s legacy. Early in her career, formal training pathways for medical physicists didn’t exist.

Since then, Anne has helped shape the national training program in Australia and New Zealand and proudly supports registrars currently training at Icon.

Anne anchors her leadership with a values-led approach, setting the example for others to follow, and is incredibly grateful for the team around her.

“Seeing some of the graduates of the program become my colleagues is incredibly rewarding,” she said.

“We’ve got a fantastic team of physicists at Icon, a wealth of expertise, industry-leading technology and we provide a great training environment for people wanting to develop their career with us.”

Care beyond the clinic

Anne’s commitment to front-line care extends beyond her role as a Senior Medical Physicist, through her volunteering with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) since 2009.

Seventeen years on, she still contributes, currently serving as a Lieutenant and the Publicity Officer within her brigade.

Anne values the teamwork, service and sense of community the CFA provides, as well as the opportunity it provides to highlight the importance of collaboration in high-stake environments.

“At the CFA, you can’t do the job on your own, and that definitely applies to my working life as well at Icon.”

“Whether it’s fighting fires, or delivering cancer treatment, having other people to support you in difficult scenarios is invaluable.”

Photo credit: Country Fire Authority (CFA)

Learning through curiosity

Reflecting on her extensive career, Anne’s key takeaway is to be open to new experiences, wherever they may take you.

“It’s good to give things a go, because you learn more about yourself each time,” Anne said.

“Don’t be afraid to say yes to opportunities, even when they push you out of your comfort zone.”

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