New Zealand Cancer Control Trust - Foundation Trustees

Left to Right: John Collins, John Gavin, Chris Atkinson, Brian Cox, Betsy Marshall, Chris Cunningham

Associate Professor Brian Cox is a medical epidemiologist, specialist in public health medicine and Director of the Hugh Adam Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago. The Unit conducts research into the causes of cancer, the impact of cancer screening, and other aspects of cancer control. This includes research into the causes of bowel and prostate cancer. Dr Cox studied at the University of Otago and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France. He chairs the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust and chaired the independent monitoring groups of BreastScreen Aotearoa (the National Breast Screening Programme) and the National Cervical Screening Programme. He has served on several advisory committees of the Cancer Society of New Zealand and the Ministry of Health, and was an expert witness at the Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry. Dr Cox was also a member of the Cancer Control Steering Group, which developed the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy, and chaired the Screening and Early Detection Expert Working Group. He was also a member of the Cancer Control Taskforce which developed the implementation plan for the strategy.

Associate Professor Chris Atkinson is a consultant and former Chair, Oncology, Haematology and Palliative Care, Canterbury District Health Board, and Associate Professor (Medicine) at the Christchurch School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Australian Oncology Education Committee and was the inaugural President of the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group. In the mid-1990's Dr Atkinson was chair of the Ministry of Health advisory group which identified the need for cancer control in New Zealand. Formerly deputy chair of the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust, he was deputy chair of the Cancer Control Steering Group, and Chair of its Support and Rehabilitation Expert Working Group. Dr Atkinson is completing a postgraduate diploma in psycho-oncology and is a member of the New Zealand psycho-oncology special interest group. In 2000 the College of Radiologists established the Chris Atkinson Prize for best paper on quality in radiation at its annual meeting in recognition of his contribution to radiology. Dr Atkinson is also a distinguished member of the Canterbury/West Coast Division of the Cancer Society of New Zealand, having been National President of the Society in the mid-1990s. He chaired the Cancer Control Taskforce which developed the Action Plan to implement the NZCCS. He resigned as Trustee in 2004.

Associate Professor John Collins resigned as a Trustee in August 2004 to become Dean of Education at the Royal Australian College of Surgeons in Melbourne. He is a general surgeon with a major interest in diseases of the breast. He was formerly Director of the breast service at South Auckland Health, a member of the Independent Monitoring Group for BreastScreen Aotearoa, co-author of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Guidelines for the Surgical Management of Breast Cancer, and the New Zealand representative on the executive of the breast section of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He was also the senior examiner in general surgery for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Auckland School of Medicine. His current major research interests are in breast infection, breast cancer and medial education. Associate Professor Collins was a member of the Cancer Control Steering Group and chair of its Treatment Expert Working Group. He was also a member of the Cancer Control Taskforce

Professor Chris Cunningham (Ngati Raukawa, Toa Rangatira) is Director of Health Research in the School of Mäori Studies, Massey University at Wellington. He serves on a number of committees concerned with improving Mäori health including currently being deputy chair of the Health Research Council of New Zealand, a Trustee of the New Zealand Drug Foundation and a Trustee of the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand. He is on the Advisory Boards of Te Hoe Nuku Roa (Mäori Profiles Longitudinal Study), the Centre for Public Health Research, and New Zealand Institute for Research on Ageing. He was previously a Director of the Hutt Valley District Health Board. Dr Cunningham is a supervisor to three Mäori post-doctoral and seven Mäori doctoral candidates. He is also a Trustee of the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust and was a member of the Cancer Control Steering Group.

Professor John Gavin is also the Executive Director of the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust. In this role he has co-authored the Trust's background paper and scoping plan on the development of a New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy and has established international links with organisations involved with national cancer control strategies. He is Emeritus Professor of Pathology at the University of Auckland School of Medicine and is a life member of the Cancer Society of New Zealand in recognition of his service as inaugural chair of the Society's National Scientific Committee. Professor Gavin, involved in academic quality audit of Universities in both Australia and New Zealand, is an honorary Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Pathologists, author of over 200 publications including three doctoral theses, and he was a member of the Cancer Control Steering Group and was a member of the Secretariat of the Cancer Control Taskforce. He is a Trustee of the Genesis Oncology Trust

Betsy Marshall is Policy Advisor, Cancer Screening and Cancer Control, for the Cancer Society of New Zealand, which has seconded her to the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust as its Project Manager. Ms Marshall has served on numerous national advisory committees, Ministerial reviews and working parties relating to cervical, breast, prostate and colorectal screening. She has been an auditor for BreastScreen Aotearoa and was the Cancer Society of New Zealand representative and witness at the Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry. She is a Trustee of the Genesis Oncology Trust. Ms Marshall was responsible for overall management of the national Cancer Control Workshop in 1999 and is a co-author of the Trust's background paper and scoping plan on development of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy. She is a trustee of the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust, was a member of the Cancer Control Steering Group and Secretariat and co-ordinated two Expert Working Groups. She was a member of the secretariat of the Cancer Control Taskforce. In 2002 Ms Marshall was awarded the Queens Service Order for Community Service.