Research Mentor List

Marliese Alexander

Deputy Director Of Pharmacy (Quality & Research) — Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

A/Prof Alexander is a pharmacist-researcher dedicated to optimizing medication use, improving treatment efficacy, and minimizing toxicities for people living with cancer. Deputy Director of Pharmacy at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor at The University of Melbourne, A/Prof Alexander has interests and expertise in oncology pharmacy, thoracic cancers, clinical trials, population studies, personalised therapies, pharmacogenomics, longitudinal registries, and biobanking.

Research specific information:
Dr Marliese Alexander is Deputy Director of Pharmacy at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Research Fellow in the Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology The University of Melbourne. Marliese holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (hons), Master of Public Health, PhD (cancer associated thrombosis / thoracic cancers / real-world data) and Certificate in Data Science. Her current research efforts focus on real-world data and personalised (biomarker- / pharmacogenomic-guided) therapeutics for the treatment and supportive care of cancer, and on therapeutics and outcomes for people with thoracic cancers.

Netty Cracknell

Cancer Pharmacist — Genesis Care

Netty has over 20 years’ experience as a specialist oncology pharmacist working in both government and private organisations within the UK. She is currently Principal Pharmacist – Operations, for Genesis Care UK. Netty is currently President of The International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) and co-chair of the UK SACT Board. Netty has previously held various leadership positions within the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) and has independently led several National and International Projects. Netty was announced a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in 2022 and a Fellow of BOPA in 2023. Netty is passionate about improving cancer care globally and improving safety for patients and staff through the use of digital media. Netty also has a keen interest in education and training and uses her strengths to support all pharmacy staff in all sectors and countries to improve access to learning globally.

Research specific information:
Netty has over 20 years experience working in government and private organisations within the UK as a specialist oncology pharmacist. As well as being President of ISOPP, Netty is actively involved in the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) and is co-chair of the UK SACT Board. Netty has an MSc in Clinical Oncology and is keen to support research projects in the areas of service evaluation, education, electronic prescribing and breast cancer. She is a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and a Fellow of BOPA.

Alexandre Chan

Professor And Chair — University of California, Irvine

Research specific information:
Alex is a Founding Chair and Professor in Clinical Pharmacy at University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is appointed as an Oncology Pharmacist at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Visiting Professor at the National Cancer Center Singapore. A board-certified specialist in Pharmacotherapy and Oncology Pharmacy, Alex has published >280 full-length peer-reviewed manuscripts in a wide array of cancer supportive care and survivorship topics in international medical and pharmacy journals. He is also an Associate Editor for Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice. Find out more about his research here: https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/alexchan928/

Melanie Dalby

Clinical Academic Research Lead — King's College Hospital Nhs Foundation Trust

Melanie has worked in oncology and haematology since 2011. Seven of these years have been at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She completed a Darzi Fellowship (a bespoke leadership programme) in 2017 looking at how community pharmacists can support patients who take oral anticancer therapy. She carried out this work using research methodology and published her work in peer reviewed journals. She was awarded her PhD in 2022. The thesis was titled 'Optimising the Cancer Patient Journey.' Currently she works as the Clinical Academic Research Lead at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Research specific information:
I am the clinical academic research lead for the pharmacy department at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London. My PhD used qualitative methodology looking into how community pharmacy can support cancer patients and improving cancer patient experience in hospital settings. Currently I am looking into the hypothesis that the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax has a therapeutic window and therefore we should be measuring blood levels and adjusting the dose accordingly. I am a co-chair for the British Oncology Pharmacy Association research sub-committee and on the editorial board for the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice.

Amsalu Defersha

Lecturer — USIU-Africa

Research specific information:
Amsalu Degu Defersha is a Pharmacy graduate having pursued a Bachelor of Pharmacy at Jimma University (September 2006- June 2010), a Master of Science Degree in Pharmacology at Addis Ababa University (September 2012- December 2014), and a Master of Pharmacy in Clinical Pharmacy at University of Nairobi (September 2015- December 2017) and PhD in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Nairobi (2020-2024). He is a lecturer of Clinical Pharmacy at United States International University-Africa. He has a special interest in cancer therapeutics and co-authored the publication of several articles in reputable journals.

Nick Duncan

Consultant Haematology Pharmacist — UHB NHS Foundation Trust

Nick Duncan is a Consultant Haematology Pharmacist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and an Academic Practitioner in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Birmingham. He is the founder and past Chair of the UK BMT Pharmacists Group and current Chair of the EBMT Pharmacist Committee. He is also a Fellow of the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Areas of research interest include medicines adherence and antifungal stewardship.

Research specific information:
Nick is a consultant haematology pharmacist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and an Academic Practitioner in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Birmingham. He has spent most of his career to date working in oncology and haematology, particularly in the area of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He qualified as an independent prescriber in 2010 and has an active prescribing role in a variety of haematology clinics. He is the current Chair of the EBMT Pharmacist Committee and also chairs the ISOPP Research Committee. Areas of research interest include CML, medicines adherence and antifungal stewardship.

Aygin Bayraktar-Ekincioglu

Prof. — Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy

Research specific information:
Aygin received PhD degree in Clinical Pharmacy at the Strathclyde University-Glasgow/UK. She has worked as a member in the Turkish Ministry of Health Drug and Medical Device Agency in the Committees of Drug Licensing and Rational Drug Use, in the Rational Drug Use and Evaluation of Drug Use Committee at the Hacettepe University Hospitals, in the Clinical Trials Ethics Committee. She is currently involved in undergradute, postgraduate and residency education and also in clinical pharmacy research at the Hacettepe University. Her main research interests are implementation of clinical pharmacy/pharmaceutical care in oncology, chronic pain management and rheumatology.

Jennifer Jupp

Pharmacy Manager — Foothills Medical Centre

Research specific information:
Jennifer is Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist, with a Master of Arts in Healthcare Leadership. After 10 years as a frontline oncology/BMT pharmacist in both adults and pediatrics, Jennifer took on the role of Clinical Practice Leader for 8 years and she is now the Inpatient Pharmacy Manager at the Foothills Medical Centre, in Calgary, AB, Canada. Jennifer has spent most of her career in oncology and continues to support ISOPP as a member of the Research Committee and Chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Task Force. Areas of research interest include: pharmacy practice-based research, quality improvement, leadership, wellness/burnout, workplace culture, and EDI.

Razeeya Khan

Lecturer — Wits University

Collins Saina

Oncology Pharmacist — International cancer institute-Eldoret

Research specific information:
Collins is a research /clinical trial pharmacist, graduated in March this year with a master's degree in drug Development and Vaccinology. Currently looking for new opportunities. He has spent most of his career to date working as a clinical trial study pharmacist in oncology and haematology trials. He is also qualified Regulatory and pharmacovigilance personnel; he is also a member of scientific Review Committee at KEMRI as well as a member of Kenya Bioethics society.

Paul Sessink

Managing Director — Exposure Control Sweden AB

Research specific information:
Paul Sessink studied chemistry at the University of Nijmegen in The Netherlands. In 1996, he attained a PhD degree in Medical Sciences at the University of Nijmegen by defending his thesis entitled: “Monitoring of occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents”. In 1995, he founded Exposure Control, a consulting firm that has developed a broad spectrum of methods for environmental and biological monitoring of hazardous drugs and antibiotics which are of great concern to the (occupational) population world-wide due to potential adverse health-effects. Paul is co-author of approximately 40 scientific publications. He was also co-author of the ’’Guidance for the safe management of hazardous medicinal products at work, including cytotoxics’’ financially supported by the European Commission published in 2023.

Chia Jie Tan

Research Assistant Professor — University of Utah

Research specific information:
CJ is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah. He received his pharmacy education from the University of South Australia and worked as a hematology/cytotoxic reconstitution pharmacist in Malaysia, receiving board certification from the US Board of Pharmacy Specialties in 2016. He currently dedicates most of his time to research but remains passionate in advocating for the role of pharmacists in the delivery of oncology care and oncology research. His areas of interest include economic evaluation and real-world outcomes of cancer therapeutics, preference assessment in cancer treatment and cancer survivorship.

Karunrat Tewthanom

Pharmacist, Assistant professor — Pharmacy

Research specific information:
Karunrat Tewthanom is an Assistant Professor in Pharmacy at Silpakorn University, Thailand. Born in 1973, she holds a B. Pharm, M.Sc. in Clinical Pharmacy, and Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Care. Her career spans teaching, research, and leadership roles, including heading the Pharmacy Department and chairing the Ph.D. program in Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. Tewthanom's research focuses on clinical pharmacy, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic drug monitoring. She has authored numerous publications, presented at international conferences, and received multiple research grants. Her work contributes significantly to pharmacy education and clinical research, emphasizing personalized medicine approaches and advancing pharmaceutical care practices in Thailand.

Songul Tezcan

Assist. Prof. Dr. — Marmara University

Research specific information:
Songül has worked in the oncology clinic of a training and research hospital in Turkey for nearly 10 years, preparing chemotherapy drugs and providing pharmaceutical care services. Having completed her master's (2009) and doctoral theses (2016) on the subject of oncology pharmacy, Songul currently works as a lecturer and researcher at the Marmara University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy since 2007. In addition, Songul currently works in the sub-committee of the Association of the National Accreditation Board of Pharmacy Education (ECZAK-DER) in 2024. She continues to train students at the undergraduate/master's/doctoral level and conduct studies related to oncology pharmacy. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=joMZQPoAAAAJ&hl=tr; https://avesis.marmara.edu.tr/songul.butur.

John Wiernikowski

Clinical Pharmacist — McMaster Children's Hospital

Research specific information:
John is a Pediatric Hem/Onc Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with 38 years of experience who recently retired from full time patient care, but continues participation in completing several clinlcal trial within the Children's Oncology Groiup (COG). John's areas of interest include: Neuroblastoma, Pediatric Thrombosis/Hemostasis, Supportive Care, and Clinical Practice Guideline Development. John also has a keen interest in Global health, with a particular focus on Access to [Cancer & Supportive Care] Medicines in Low and Middle Income Countries. John is a Past President of ISOPP, and currently a member of the ISOPP Advocacy, and Governance Committees.