Dear all,
I am now returned to Melbourne after a very successful sabbatical in several North American and European Cancer Centre’s. All the centres we visited were incredibly welcoming and keen to share insights into the care and management of infections in the immune compromised host. I will be sharing my insights and findings at an upcoming forum- keep your eye out for more information on that!
Research Update
Last week we celebrated International ID Pharmacist Day, recognising the vital role Infectious Diseases (ID) Pharmacists have in patient care. NCIC AMS-ID Pharmacists Anna Khanina, Nikhil Singh, Dr Zoe Neoh and Violet Zhu are the embodiment of this year’s theme “Innovation in ID: Pharmacists Leading the Way.” We thank them for their AMS leadership and innovative research which are crucial in improving patient lives and in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance.
NCIC Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) ID Pharmacist and PhD candidate Anna Khanina has recently published the results of the 22/23 Antifungal National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (NAPS). Development of the Antifungal NAPS module was a labour of love for Anna, which she completed as part of her PhD under Professor Thursky and Slavin’s supervision and mentorship. Eleven hospitals contributed data for over 500 antifungal prescriptions given to more than 400 patients between October 2022 and June 2023.
Anna’s findings showed that 77.1% of these prescriptions were appropriate and 73.6% were compliant with guidelines. Fluconazole was the most commonly prescribed agent with the highest rate of inappropriateness. Anna explains that these findings highlight the importance of antifungal stewardship (AFS) programmes to guide optimal prescribing. The development and implementation of an AFS programme is Anna’s next focus.
NCIC Recent Publications
Thorburn S, Vogrin S, Garner S, Smibert O, Reynolds G, Kwong J, Trubiano JA, Douglas AP. J Hosp Infect. 2025 May 6: S0195-6701(25)00121-5.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2025.04.019.
Douglas AP, Stohs E, Mikulska M. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2025
International Nurses Day
In celebration of International Nurses Day earlier in May, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Annual Nursing Awards recognised the outstanding contributions of nursing staff across the organisation. The antibiotic allergy clinic was nominated!
“Being nominated by a colleague for this award is a special honour for our antibiotic allergy nursing team. It reflects the trust and respect we’ve built through our shared commitment to patient care.”
International Clinical Trials Day
To celebrate International Clinical Trials Day, the NCIC Trials team came together for a wonderful lunch. Clinical trials are such an important part of research and central to what we do here at NCIC.
Fred Hutch Symposium on Infectious Diseases 2025
The NCIC team recently took part in the Fred Hutch Symposium on Infectious Diseases in the Immunocompromised Host, a premier global event held over two and a half days in Seattle, Washington.
Bringing together leading researchers and clinicians from around the world, the symposium served as a dynamic platform for sharing the latest developments in infectious diseases affecting immunocompromised patients.
Our team was proudly represented by trainees Dr Gemma Reynolds, Dr Beatrice Sim, and Violet Zhu, with Dr Priya Garg presenting a research poster. The event also featured A/Prof Michelle Yong, Dr Ben Teh, and Professor Monica Slavin, who delivered an oral presentation.
Peter MacCallum Research Symposium
Michelle Yong, Featured Plenary Speaker
Michelle delivered a deep dive into "Transforming the care of Infectious Diseases in Cancer Patients” at the annual Peter Mac Research Symposium. She highlighted both the groundbreaking research already underway and the exciting future directions in fungal, viral, bacterial, and vaccine-related clinical trials.
Farewell to our visiting fellow from Spain
Last week, we said farewell to Dr Sastre, our visiting research fellow from Spain
Enric spent the last 3 months with us and although his stay was short, Enric made a significant impact during his time here. It was a pleasure having him as part of the team, and we’re grateful for his valuable contributions. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors!
“My experience at the National Centre for Infections in Cancer has been tremendous, allowing me to continue my professional training alongside outstanding healthcare professionals and share knowledge and perspectives. Being able to see other ways of doing things well is always enriching. It has also been an honor to witness such a large, efficient, and well-structured research group. I will personally continue to dedicate myself to the care and research of immunocompromised oncohematological patients, so I am convinced we will be able to continue sharing nice moments at scientific conferences and in future collaborative projects.
”
Fascinating clinical case discussion at our NCIC meeting
Our new NCIC research fellow Dr Lauren McShane presented a case of disseminated Strongyloidiasis infection in a young immunecompromised host.
Summary:
A patient on significant immunosuppression for pemphigus vulgaris developed disseminated strongyloidiasis, despite negative pre-immunosuppression Strongyloides serology. She presented with pancolitis and respiratory failure, complicated by disseminated Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, ileus requiring subcutaneous ivermectin, and eosinophilic meningitis. She developed encephalopathy with features of ivermectin toxicity and was found to have an ABCB1 drug efflux pump mutation. Despite supportive care, her encephalopathy persisted six weeks post-ivermectin cessation. An intralipid infusion for ivermectin toxicity was trialled, with objective neurological improvement.
A great opportunity to present a Clinical Case at our weekly NCIC/ID meeting:
We invite registrars/fellows or clinicians to present a clinical case in the area of infection in an immunecompromised host (haematology, transplant, immunodeficiency) to a large national and international audience to expand knowledge and/or to seek expert discussion.
Duration: 30 minutes (10–15-minute case presentation, followed by 10-minute brief literature review then 5-minute questions)
When: Thursdays 12.30pm (AEST time) – Microsoft teams
Topics: Diagnostic dilemnas, breakthrough infections, novel diagnostics, interesting radiology, management issues with intolerance, drug interactions or adverse effects.
Contact: To discuss or arrange a date please contact our ID fellow Nalian.Ibrahim@petermac.org or Michelle.Yong@petermac.org
Upcoming Events
International Immunocompromised Host Society
Visiting Fellow Program and PhD Projects
Our visiting fellow program focuses on enhancing infection management skills for diverse cancers and immunocompromised hosts within a tertiary centre that is pioneering new cancer therapies. Fellows will be guided by experienced supervisors, and we welcome applications from both national and international locations to join this collaborative learning opportunity. We’ve already received numerous applications for this year, so if you're interested in the program, please don't hesitate to reach out and learn more.
As Australia’s leading centre for infections in cancer, we aim to provide students with the chance to complete their PhD with us. This is a great opportunity to work on projects in a rapidly growing field, where new cancer therapies are being developed. As survival rates improve, the epidemiology of infections in immunocompromised patients continues to evolve, creating a need for better diagnostics and treatments.
Job Opportunity
Registrar - Infectious diseases- Peter Mac Callum Cancer Centre
The 2026 Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre ID Registrar position is now recruiting. This is a fully accredited advanced trainee position for an ID physician looking for further training in the Immunocompromised Host and is based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne Australia.
You can view and apply for the Advanced Trainee position at https://careers.petermac.org/job-invite/5557/
Applications Close: 29 June 2025
Position Summary
To provide a high-quality infectious diseases care and treatment for both inpatient and outpatients at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and participate in education and research in the field of infectious diseases.
Expressions of Interest for Full time Research Fellow Position
We also, taking expressions of interest for a full time Research Fellow position available for 2026. This research position is not accredited. AHPRA certification (or ability to gain) and at least 1-year advanced training in Infectious Diseases is highly desirable. You will be paid as a full time Research Assistant and will be embedded in our clinical research team. We are looking for local or international ID physicians who want to gain research and trials experience.
Please reach out to Monica.slavin@petermac.org if you would like to discuss either of these opportunities further.
Follow us!
We look forward to connecting with you on both LinkedIn and BlueSky.
Kind regards,
Prof Monica Slavin, MBBS, MD, FRACP, FAAHMS
Head, Department Infectious Disease, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Professor of Infection in Cancer and Transplantation, University of Melbourne Department of Infectious Diseases and the Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology
Director, National Centre for Infections in Cancer