Congratulations A/Prof Louise Nott – Finalist for Australian of the Year

In 2021, she led the establishment of a comprehensive research unit at Icon Cancer Centre Hobart. Since then, the centre has offered over 20 clinical trials to more than 100 public and private patients.

Closing the care gap

Nationally, fewer than 1 in 20 adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials, and participation in Tasmania is even lower. Structural, clinical, and attitudinal barriers, compounded by demographic and socioeconomic factors, contribute to these challenges. Yet, timely recruitment is crucial for the success of clinical trials, as insufficient enrolment is a common reason for trials to be terminated.

The introduction of research at Icon Cancer Centre Hobart is critical to changing these statistics and improving local health outcomes.

Louise says this nomination is a testament to the entire team at Icon and the shared commitment to bringing care to patients when and where they need it most.

“Tasmania is my home, and I’m passionate about ensuring that patients here can receive world-class cancer treatment,” said Louise.

“This nomination reinforces my and Icon’s commitment to providing greater access to research opportunities and the latest therapies.

“It’s also a wonderful acknowledgment of the importance of equitable healthcare access, and I hope it will highlight the urgent need for more clinical trials across Tasmania.

“I envision this recognition leading to increased investment in research infrastructure and establishing Tasmania as a hub for clinical research, where patients can access advanced treatments right at home.”

The best possible care, closer to home

As a trainee doctor completing a fellowship at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Louise saw first-hand the impact of a clinical trial. This experience would shape the direction of her career and dedication to research.

“A new drug was being studied in a phase one trial for metastatic bowel cancer and I remember this young patient who had very young children and had exhausted her treatment options was able to be recruited to the trial,” said Louise.

“She responded well to the treatment, and it was the most amazing thing to be part of being able to give her more time with her family.

“Every single treatment we use, is only here because of a clinical trial.”

After completing her fellowship, Louise returned to her home state of Tasmania starting consultation in the public sector and shortly joined Icon at the newly built Icon Cancer Centre in Hobart. Through her patient interactions she witnessed the lack of access to clinical trials, with many travelling to Victoria and South Australia and further afield for research opportunities.

“I know the value clinical trials bring to patients and their families but there were so many barriers in Tasmania; I wanted to give people living in regional areas better access to potentially life-saving treatments.”

Louise and Icon’s research team set-up a dedicated clinical trials unit with a strong focus on introducing clinical trials that would meet the unmet needs of a large group of patients.

“We carefully chose the research projects that would benefit the many patients we were seeing,” said Louise.

“Some of my patients are traveling to South Australia, Melbourne and Sydney – that’s a lot of time away from family and friends at a critical time in their illness.

“Through the introduction of these trials we’ve been able to eliminate the need to travel and provide treatment options closer to home.”

Driving future healthcare

Louise’s leadership and commitment to advancing oncology research make her a powerful force for positive change in Tasmania and beyond.

She and the team are looking to grow Icon Hobart’s research offering and not just focus on pharmaceutical medications but explore supportive care research that can improve a patient’s quality of life.

Louise also acknowledges the importance of introducing investigator-initiated trials that begin with clinicians and clinical teams developing research protocols.

“We want to run studies that are going to give us results that will help our patients. That’s where the big difference is, and that’s why investigator-initiated research is so important, because we’re answering the questions that we see every day,” said Louse.

With cancer care becoming more targeted and hyper-personalised, Louise believes Icon is well placed to forge the way in new and emerging treatments and trials.

“We’re now seeing highly targeted trials for specific tumour mutations, which is great for patient care because it enables extremely personalized treatment,” said Louise.

“However, this also introduces challenges in clinical trial design and delivery particularly in smaller centres.

“To address this, we aim to leverage Icon’s national network of research professionals and cancer centres to offer more trial opportunities to more patients, making these studies more feasible.

“Icon has a really strong track record of pioneering research, and we’re well placed to introduce more of these trials to our growing network that can turn the dial on cancer care.”