Departmental Media Releases

Prominent cancer specialist appointed new Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer

Distinguished cancer physician, Professor Jim Bishop AO, has been appointed Australia’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

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19 February 2009

Distinguished cancer physician, Professor Jim Bishop AO, has been appointed Australia’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

Making the announcement today, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing, Jane Halton, said that the Australian health system will greatly benefit from the experience and expertise of Professor Bishop who is currently the Chief Cancer Officer & CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW

“As Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, Professor Bishop will play a key, strategic role in developing and administering major health reforms designed to transform Australia’s health system to meet the many challenges of the 21st century,” Ms Halton said.

“In particular his close association with Australia’s medical fraternities and researchers will be crucial in the development of evidence based public health policy that is relevant to those delivering the services on the ground.”

Professor Bishop is Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Sydney, is Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FRCPA) in haematology,

Professor Bishop was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA from 1979 to 1981 and from 1981 to 1995 he was a consultant medical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute in Melbourne.

From 1995 to 2003, Professor Bishop was the Director of the Sydney Cancer Centre at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Concord Hospital in Sydney and directed the Cancer Service for the Central Sydney Area Health Service.

His particular research interests are in clinical trials, new anti-cancer drug development, new cancer therapies, leukaemia, breast cancer and lung cancer. He has coordinated national clinical trials in leukaemia, breast cancer and lung cancer. He has authored over 230 scientific papers and reports on cancer, 150 abstracts and a textbook on cancer.

Professor Bishop was awarded a Doctorate of Medicine by research thesis (Platelet Transfusion Therapy) in 1990 and a Master of Medicine by research thesis (Induction Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia) in 1999.

In 2008 Professor Bishop was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to medicine, particularly in the field of cancer treatment and research and through the development of innovative policy, improved public awareness and service delivery programs.

Professor Bishop takes up the appointment as CMO after Easter.

Media inquiries: Kay McNiece, 0412 132 585