Nico van Zandwijk, MD, PhD

Research Interests: Malignant Mesothelioma, Immunotherapy, Chemoprevention

Emeritus Professor Nico van Zandwijk is an internationally recognized opinion leader in thoracic oncology with more than 35 years of experience. After a long career in Europe including the establishment of the Dept. of Thoracic Oncology at the renowned Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, he was invited to become the inaugural director of the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI). He was one of the founding members of the Australian Mesothelioma Registry and the lead expert in drafting the Australian Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) in Australia. These guidelines, endorsed by NHMRC in 2013, were translated into consumer guidelines and published under auspices of Cancer Council Australia. Professor van Zandwijk (co) authored more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and chapters (>16000 citations; h-index 68). His research encompasses many important clinical trials and translational studies and with a special focus on Malignant Mesothelioma in recent years. The University of Sydney granted him the emeritus status when stepping down as ADRI director in 2017. Professor van Zandwijk is now employed by Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) and coordinates clinical trial development. He is also involved in mentoring students. The work of his group and the description of a novel form of gene therapy for Mesothelioma has attracted wide attention (Lancet Oncology October 2017) and confirms the importance of his work.

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Terms of Appointment: April 2019 - March 2021