• TROG Board
• TROG Scientific Committee
• TROG Publications Committee
• Trial Management Committee
• TROG Central Operations Office
• Coordinating Trial Centres
• Organisational Chart

TROG Board
The TROG is an incorporated association managed by an elected Board consisting of at least eight Radiation Oncology members. Current Board members are:

TROG Scientific Committee
The TROG Scientific Committee (TSC) is an advisory committee to the Board appointed to oversee the scientific research activities of the group. The TSC assists Trial Chairpersons in the development of new trial proposals and oversees on-going trials, ensuring those ongoing trials are being properly supervised by their respective Trial Management Committees.

Since TROG trials are multi-disciplinary, the TSC consists of Board members, a medical oncologist, a biostatistician, a medical physicist advisor, the TROG Research Manager (with data management expertise), the TROG QA Manager and up to three other members, all with expertise in the conduct of clinical trials.
Current TSC members are:

Chairman
Associate Professor Bryan Burmeister
Princess Alexandra Hospital
Woolloongabba  Australia

Chairperson (elect)
Professor Gill Duchesne
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne Australia

All Board Members
Statistician
Associate Professor Richard Fisher
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne Australia

Medical Oncologist
Associate Professor Danny Rischin
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne Australia

Physics Advisor
Annette Haworth
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Perth Australia

Member with Clinical Trial expertise
Professor Lester Peters
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne Australia

Radiation Therapist Advisor
Kathryn Neilson
Christchurch Hospital
Christchurch, New Zealand

TROG Central Operations Office
Acting Research Manager
Kathy Hall
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Newcastle Australia

Research Manager
Olga Kovacev
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Newcastle Australia

QA Manager
Deidre Cornes
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Newcastle Australia

QA Officer
Melissa Jacobson
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Newcastle Australia

TROG Publications Committee
The TROG Publications Committee (TPC) was formed to provide independent scientific review of manuscripts prior to submission and to ensure that the results of TROG trials are reported in a timely manner. TPC members are:

Chairman
Associate Professor Bryan Burmeister
Princess Alexandra Hospital
Woolloongabba Australia

Secretary
Kathy Hall
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Newcastle Australia

Statistician
Associate Professor Richard Fisher
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne Australia

Other members
Dr Andrew Macann
Radiation Oncology
Auckland Hospital, New Zealand
Professor Gill Duchesne
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne Australia

Trial Management Committee
A Trial Management Committee (TMC) is established each time a TROG trial is developed.

The Committee is composed of the Trial Chairperson, representatives from institutions where patient accrual is significant, or who have had a central role in protocol writing and development. Wide geographical representation is encouraged. The Committees should also include the trial statistician, Central Trial Co-ordinator, members of other disciplines and/or other trial groups who are involved in the conduct of the trial.

TROG Central Operations Office
The Operations Office of TROG is based at the Radiation Oncology Department of the Newcastle Mater Hospital with currently nine employees. A Research Manager who is responsible for membership communication, meeting organisation, clinical trial education, monitoring of adherence to clinical trial regulations, new trial development and scientific review of protocols, and organisation of collaboration with other trials groups. A Quality Assurance Manager who is a qualified radiation therapist responsible for all quality assurance aspects of TROG trials, trial education, new trial development and scientific review of trial protocols. The TROG Business Development Manager is responsible for financial and associations regulatory management, and sponsorship and donation development. Research and administrative assistants help with the above operational responsibilities.

The TROG Central Operations Office receives generous assistance and support from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Newcastle Mater Hospital.

Research Manager:
Olga Kovacev
Ph: +61 2 4921 1466 Tues/Wed only
Olga shares the TROG Research Manager’s responsibilities with Kathy Hall. Olga is currently responsible for updating the TROG Policy & Procedure Manual, production of the Oesophagus Clinical Trials Report and the TROG Annual Research Report. Please contact Olga if you have any questions on any of the above. In particular, any suggestions on improvements or additions to the Annual Research Report are most welcome.

Acting Research Manager:
Kathy Hall
Ph: +61 2 4921 1466
The key function areas that Kathy has overall responsibility for include; Trial Management and Conduct; TROG committees co-ordination and participation, TROG meeting organisation; communication with TROG members and others; any other research related issues that may arise.

Business Development Manager:
Gavin Rose
Ph: +61 2 4921 1719
Gavin's principal responsibilities relate broadly to financial management and business development. The financial aspects include financial processes, records, statutory reporting, budgeting and analysis at an organizational level. Advice and analysis in relation to trial budgets is an allied and emerging finance function. Business development functions include partnerships, fundraising, sponsorship, contracts, marketing and strategic advice on issues of growth, development and sustainability. Call to discuss any strategic development ideas and how I can help make them happen.

Quality Assurance Manager:
Deidre Cornes
Ph: + 61 2 4921 1453 Mon/Tues/Wed only
Deidre is responsible for the TROG QA program, a particular focus of which is the management of the NHMRC Enabling Grant and it's subsequent projects.  Please contact Deidre if you have any questions regarding quality assurance issues.

Quality Assurance Officer:
Melissa Jacobson
Ph: + 61 2 4921 1453
Please contact Melissa for any enquiries regarding quality assurance. Melissa is also involved in organising the Technical Research Workshop and can assist with any queries related to this event.

Administration Assistant:
Alyson Segrott
Ph: +61 2 4921 1684
Please contact Alyson in relation to organization of events, registrations for TRM meeting, teleconferences, Trognews and payments of accounts. Alyson will be able to assist with any of the above.

Administration Assistant:
Tanya Newell
Ph: +61 2 4921 1684 Mon/Tues only
Please contact Tanya for any enquires relating to membership applications, access to the members’ section of the website, updating details on the database and accounts receivables.

Research Assistant:
Kristy Parsons
Ph: +61 4921 1685
Please contact Kristy with any questions or suggestions relating to the TROG website or clinical trial registration. Kristy is also responsible for trial directory updates, progress reports and a number of other specific projects

Quality Assurance Research Assistant:
Kelly Whatling
Ph: +61 2 4921 1453
Kelly is involved in the implementation of QA activities and maintenance of the trial tracking systems. Other areas include SAE reporting and QA data collection and collating.

Coordinating Trial Centres
A founding principle of TROG is that in so far as possible responsibility for organising individual trials should be shared between the participating centres. Therefore, central data management/trial coordination is, in most cases, situated at the same centre as the Trial Chairperson. Current Coordinating Trial Centres include:

Newcastle Mater Hospital
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane
Mater Queensland Radium Institute, Brisbane
Royal Adelaide Hospital
St George Hospital, Sydney
The Wesley Radiation Oncology Pty Ltd, East Coast Cancer Centre
Auckland Hospital, New Zealand

Organisational Chart
The above TROG structure is summarised in this organisational chart.

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