ALLG November 2025 Scientific Meeting
The Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG) is holding our upcoming Scientific Meeting in November 2025 at the Park Hyatt, Melbourne, bringing together our members researchers who are the driving force behind new blood cancer treatments across Australia and New Zealand.
ALLG Scientific Meetings are where evidence-based clinical trial research is shared, and new innovative treatments are developed and progressed, as we aim for a cure.
Featured Speakers
This November’s Meeting program features distinguished guest speakers, both local and international, including:
Tiffany Boughtwood
Friday 14 November I Keynote Speaker
Topic: Genomics Australia – driving genomic-informed healthcare to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australians
Tiffany Boughtwood (BSc (hons) MBA) is the inaugural Australian Health Genomics Commissioner, guiding the work of Genomics Australia and providing advice to Government based on broad engagement with the genomics sector and community.
Tiffany has 30 years’ experience in molecular biology and management: leading academic and diagnostic genomic programs; collaborating internationally in genetic and genomic research; and consulting in health genomic implementation.
She was the Managing Director of Australian Genomics, a national collaborative supporting genomic research and its translation into clinical practice. She served on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Biotechnology and the WHO Collective Global Network for Rare Disease. Tiffany is a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Genomics, is on the Strategic Leadership Committee for the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health and is an International Advisor to the MyGenom Project Malaysia.
Dr Geoff Hill
Thursday 13 November | Stem Cell Transplantation Plenary Session
Topic: GVHD Prophylaxis
Dr Geoffrey Hill is a physician-scientist who specializes in blood stem cell transplantation. He is one of the top authorities on the transplant complication known as graft-vs.-host disease, or GVHD.
In particular, Dr Hill focuses on the immunological mechanisms initiating both acute and chronic forms of GVHD. Acute GVHD in the gastrointestinal tract is the greatest cause of transplant-related mortality while chronic GVHD is the greatest cause of illness and debility in transplant survivors. Dr Hill aims to minimize GVHD and make transplantation more tolerable to patients. He also works to reduce infection, relapse and immunological rejection of the transplanted cells.
His lab research is demonstrating how cell-signaling molecules called cytokines direct immune cells that play critical roles in transplant outcomes. His team’s findings have led to new therapies for GVHD and helped establish new standards of care for transplant patients. With Fred Hutch colleagues, he is now developing methods to integrate transplantation with other forms of cancer immunotherapy like T-cell therapy. Dr Hill also cares for patients with blood cancers like leukemia.
Associate Professor Elaine Sanij
Thursday 13 November I Laboratory Science Plenary Session
Topic: MM23 Trial Correlative Studies
Associate Professor Elaine Sanij is a cancer biologist, a Laboratory Head at St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) and a theme co-leader at the Barrie Dalgleish Research Centre for Myeloma and Related Blood Cancers, a partnership between 6 organisations within the Parkville precinct in Melbourne.
A/Prof Sanij’s research is focused on developing innovative cancer therapeutics targeting the nucleoli and ribosome biogenesis. She received her PhD from Monash University in 2003 and a Cancer Research UK fellowship (2003-2006). She was a Senior Research Fellow at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (2006- 2021) and a Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Research Fellow (2020-2024). She currently holds prestigious funding awards from the NHMRC, MRFF, Cancer Australia and the US Department of Defense.
Dr Cavan Bennett
Thursday 13 November I CML MPN Plenary Session
Topic: Biobanks to Bench to Bedside: Underpinning a new medicine for Polycythaemia Vera
Dr Cavan Bennett is a post-doctoral researcher and NHMRC Fellow at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Cavan’s research focusses on both iron regulation and haematology with a particular interest in the rare but chronic cancers, myeloproliferative neoplasms. Cavan aims to improve people’s live through translational of innovation discoveries to real world therapeutics and technologies.
Dr Mark Nolan
Friday 14 November I CLL Plenary Session
Topic: Cardiovascular Management of BTKi
Dr Mark Nolan is a non-invasive cardiologist with strong interests in cardio-oncology and advanced cardiac imaging. He is a consultant cardiologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and at Bendigo Hospital, and is also a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.
He has an Echocardiography Fellowship from Adelaide, and Advanced Cardiac Imaging (cardiac CT and MRI) and Cardio-Oncology Fellowships from Toronto. In 2021 he completed his PhD in Cardio-Oncology and has published research in top-tier journals including Canadian Journal of Cardiology, American Heart Journal, International Journal of Cardiology and Internal Medicine Journal.
Key Clinical Trials Presentations
At this November’s Scientific Meeting there will be presentations on several pivotal ALLG-led blood cancer trials, that have contributed to critical evidence to inform clinical practice. Highlighted in this November’s Program are the BM12 CAST trial, which is set to change 40 years of standard practice and AMLM26 INTERCEPT, which is the first ALLG trial to open in the USA at the MD Anderson Centre in Texas.
BM12 CAST – is a clinical trial focused on patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who received stem cell transplants from matched sibling donors. The trial assessed a simpler, less toxic treatment combination that aimed to significantly lower rates of transplant side-effects, including the debilitating complication Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD).
The trial showed that the new treatment triples the chance for patients being alive, healthy and free of life-threatening complications such as Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) three years after transplant. Read BM12 participant Stephanie’s story about her experience and hear from Professor David Curtis as he shares his insights on the BM12 trial.
AMLM26 INTERCEPT – is a platform trial that aims to facilitate proof-of-concept development of new therapies/combinations for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) by demonstrating effectiveness in patients with rising MRD/early morphologic relapse. It enables new therapies to be tested in healthier patients with better preserved bone marrow function, for better outcomes. AMLM26 INTERCEPT enables patients to rotate to new treatment arms when there is evidence of MRD failure, guided by the best available evidence at the time. As a platform trial, we can also add new treatment arms as new, potentially better treatments are discovered.
This study represents how AML is likely to be managed in the future, with a focus on earlier, personalised and adaptive therapy. A major advantage of this approach is the reduced treatment toxicity associated with earlier intervention, prior to the patient deteriorating clinically.
These trials reflect the depth and diversity of ALLG’s clinical trial portfolio and to the collective advancement of treatment across leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Read Belinda’s story about her mum’s Ania’s experience with the AMLM26 INTERCEPT, which gave Ania and her family an extra 17 months of quality life when they had lost all hope.
How do ALLG Scientific Meetings make an impact?
The ALLG Scientific Meeting is about turning new, leading edge clinical trials into real world impact through:
Sharing of knowledge – the ALLG Scientific Meeting is a working forum where progress happens, where leading researchers share key ideas and evidence that improve how patients are treated, focusing on improving survival rates and quality of life.
Access to new treatments – new trial concepts are discussed in real time and collaboration with our members and trial sites means faster activation and delivery of treatments that are not yet widely available, to those who need it most.
Early-career clinician researchers – our next generation of blood cancer researchers gain exposure, mentorship and opportunities to work on ALLG trials, ensuring we can build on previous knowledge and expertise as we aim for Better treatments…Better lives.
The Melbourne ALLG Scientific Meeting is vital to progressing leading-edge clinical trials for patients across Australia and New Zealand. Stay tuned throughout November to hear exciting updates from our ALLG Scientific Meeting and ALLG researchers.
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