January - NCIC Newsletter

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the first edition of the 2026 NCIC newsletter!

Our team has already been hard at work, including the release of the new Guidelines for Neutropenic Fever in Australasia. This was a major effort led by Professor Karin Thursky, Dr Abby Douglas and Nikhil Singh with contributions from over 50 multidisciplinary experts across Australia and New Zealand. After such an incredible 2025, filled with remarkable research and collaboration, I’m excited to see what 2026 will bring!

Australasian Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Neutropenic Fever in Patients with Cancer

NCIC members of the NF Guidelines Steering Committee

NCIC has published the Australasian Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Neutropenic Fever in Patients with Cancer, updating the 2011 Australian guidelines. These new guidelines mark a significant milestone, introducing paediatric recommendations for the first time, expanding their scope to New Zealand, and adding new chapters on modern cancer therapies, antimicrobial stewardship, ambulatory models of care, and patient education and engagement.

Led by Professor Karin Thursky, Dr Abby Douglas and Nikhil Singh and developed with contributions from more than 50 experts—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and microbiologists—these guidelines demonstrate NCIC’s commitment to collaborative, evidence-based care.

Dr Abby Douglas, infectious diseases clinician researcher at NCIC, said the updated guidelines reflect the latest advances in cancer care and will support clinicians to deliver safer, more effective treatment for patients with neutropenic fever. NCIC pharmacist and PhD Nikhil Singh added that the inclusion of paediatric recommendations and the extension to New Zealand sets a new benchmark for neutropenic fever management across Australasia.

Congratulations to all who contributed to this outstanding achievement!You can view the guidelines on our Febrile Neutropenia page.

Researchers awarded prestigious NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships for 2026!

Dr Alice Liu has received an NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship to support her PhD research, “Redefining the role of clinical and biomarkers for infection outcomes in haematological malignancy in the era of targeted cancer therapies.”

Dr Jessica O’Keeffe has also been awarded an NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship for her project, “Exploring infection-related models of care in adult cancer patients: managing patients safely at home.”

““Winning this NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship is an incredible opportunity. It not only supports my PhD projects but also allows me to focus on advancing clinical research that could make a real difference for patients.””

— Dr Alice Liu

Goodbye to Our Visiting Fellow – Dr. Lan Lan Chan

We said farewell to Dr. Lan Lan Chan this week, our visiting fellow from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Malaysia. Lan Lan spent 12 months with the NCIC as an honorary observer. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with our Malaysian colleagues in the future.

NCIC Recent Publications

• Stewart, A. G., Laupland, K. B., Edwards, F., Chen, S. C. A., & Slavin, M. A. Differences in clinical outcomes among patients with mold fungemia. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 2025;13(1):ofaf793. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf793 

• Australian and New Zealand Study Group for Non-Aspergillus Mold Infections. Current epidemiology and infection characteristics of non-Aspergillus mold infections: A multicenter study in Australia and New Zealand. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2026. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciag029

• Liu, A. J., Batterham, E., Nedumannil, R., Ritchie, D., Wei, A. H., Bajel, A., Slavin, M. A., Yong, M. K. Reduced burden of infection with consecutive day dosing of high dose cytarabine consolidation versus conventional dosing for acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 2025. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2025.2599991

Opportunities

We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated Clinical Research Nurse to join the Infectious Diseases Unit. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to world-class clinical research while providing safe, compassionate care to patients participating in clinical trials. Please circulate around your networks!

Upcoming Events

Please join us for the ICHS symposium, the event offers comprehensive scientific programming, insights into cutting-edge research, innovative care practices, and effective management strategies for immunocompromised hosts.

The ASID Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) is the Society’s flagship event and the leading professional gathering for adult and paediatric ID physicians, clinical microbiologists, public health leaders, One Health, veterinarian and ecology specialists, nurses, scientists, pharmacists, policy makers, and researchers across Australasia. Together, we shape the future of infectious diseases.

27-30 May, Hobart

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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