Simon Preston

Dr Simon Preston serves as the Director of Clinical Research at BCAL Diagnostics, where he has responsibility for the design and management of all global clinical trials, clinical research outputs and intellectual property management for the Company.

In addition, Dr Preston provides capital raising support, R&D leadership and competitive business analytics to the BCAL Science teams and executive functions. He has over 15 years of experience in R&D, across both diagnostics and therapeutics, and a proven track record of making important translational discoveries across the life science areas of oncology, inflammation and infectious diseases.

Previously, Simon managed a portfolio of biotech companies for life science venture capital fund SYNthesis BioVentures that focused on novel therapeutics for oncology and inflammatory diseases.

Responsibilities included operations and R&D management in areas including intellectual property, finance, contracts, new company formation, capital raising activities and assessing new investment opportunities at the preclinical and clinical stages.

Dr Preston also led late preclinical research programs for portfolio company Anaxis Pharma. Dr Preston holds a PhD in biomedical science from the University of Melbourne and completed post-doctoral studies at Australia’s leading medical research institute, WEHI, with fellowship support from the Cancer Council Victoria.

Dr Preston has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and has received the Australian Museum Eureka prize twice for infectious disease research.

Mary Rickard

Professor Mary Rickard graduated from the University of Sydney, trained in radiology and worked in hospital and private practice before being appointed as director of a pilot mammography screening project in 1987. The pilot projects became part of BreastScreen Australia and Mary continued with BreastScreen as a Service Director and later as NSW State Radiologist.

Between 2006 and 2018 she worked at Sydney Breast Clinic as Chief Radiologist, and in 2022 was appointed as Medical Director.

Since 2010 she has held a position of Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. Mary has published extensively and has been actively involved with numerous professional bodies.

In 2002 she received a Member of the Order of Australia award for service to medicine through the integration of population-based screening for early detection of breast cancer, and the development of education programmes for health professionals.

In October 2015 she was elected a Life Membership to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the College and to the profession.

James French

Associate Professor James French is a specialist General surgeon who focuses on breast surgery and is the Head of Breast Surgery at the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute.

He also has a private practice run via Specialist Services. He operates at Westmead Private Hospital, Norwest Private Hospital, and Lakeview Private Hospital in Norwest. All consultations (for both public and private patients) in private rooms now take place in Suite 3 at Lakeview Private Hospital.

After completing general surgical training, James undertook 2 further fellowship years of training in breast and thyroid/parathyroid surgery. Since 2009 James has concentrated exclusively on breast surgery.

James is at the forefront of developing oncoplastic techniques for breast surgery. He offers a wide variety of options for women who are suitable for or choose to undergo breast-conserving surgery, including reduction mammoplasty (breast-conserving surgery combined with breast reduction) and multiple implant-based options (single and 2-stage procedures, with and without nipple preservation) for women who choose implant-based breast reconstruction. In addition, he maintains close ties with plastic and reconstructive colleagues for patients who choose or who are best suited to a tissue-based reconstruction.

James chairs and discusses all his breast cancer patients in a multi-disciplinary meeting, both in the public and private sectors, ensuring everyone has access to multiple specialist opinions regarding their cancer management.

As an associate clinical professor at the University of Sydney, James is also involved in teaching, from medical students to medical graduates and postgraduate surgical fellows. He has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed articles and is involved in numerous local and international clinical trials.

James is on the Medical Advisory Committee and the Board of Lakeview Private Hospital.

David Speakman

David is a practicing clinician working in the Breast and Melanoma and Skin services at Peter Mac, and in private practice. He has more than 20 years’ experience in both of these specialities.

David was Peter Mac's Chief Medical Officer from 2013 to 2023, having previously held positions as Executive Director Clinical Services and Director of the Melanoma and Skin Service. He was intimately involved in the conception, design and build of Peter Mac’s Melbourne headquarters, helping to deliver a purpose-designed facility for patients with cancer.

David is the State Clinical Director of BreastScreen Victoria and Chair of BreastScreen Victoria’s Quality and Accreditation Committee and a member of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Council representing melanoma and surgical oncology groups.

David is actively involved in teaching programs for medical, nursing and allied health students from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. He sits on numerous government advisory, NHMRC guideline, and optimal cancer care pathway committees and is currently Deputy Chair of the NHMRC non-melanoma skin cancer guidelines committee.

In 2022, David received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to medicine, particularly cancer treatment.

David is a firm supporter of patient-centered care. He strongly believes that a strong connection between the patient, the patient’s family and their entire treating team is vital in obtaining the best outcomes for patients with cancer.

Corinne Ooi

Corinne completed her medical training at Monash University in Melbourne.  After obtaining her General Surgery fellowship, she went on to complete further subspeciality training in Breast Surgery at Waikato Hospital in New Zealand as well as further training in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery.

Corinne consults at Southern Breast Oncology in East Bentleigh,  Mulgrave Private Hospital, ICON Cancer Centre, and Berwick Consulting Suites.   She has public appointments at Monash Cancer Centre, Moorabbin and The Lorna Sisley Breast Clinic.

Corinne is a VMO at Monash BreastScreen and a Foundation Member of BreastSurgANZ, a specialist society for surgeons treating breast cancer.  She is also an active member of the Australasian Society of Breast Diseases, Australia New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group, and General Surgeons Australia. She is also involved in the supervision and teaching of surgical trainees and is a senior lecturer at Monash University.

Corinne has had her research published in international journals and continues to be part of research activity at Monash.

Corinne has a particular interest in the management of breast cancer and is committed to providing a comprehensive service with access to multidisciplinary team meetings, allied health providers, and breast care nurses to ensure the best outcome for all her patients.

Alastair Thompson

Professor Alastair Thompson graduated from the University of Edinburgh, UK with Distinction in Surgery and subsequently trained as a Clinician Scientist and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

In 2014 he moved from the position of Professor of Surgical Oncology, Clinical Lead for the Dundee Cancer Centre/Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and Foundation Director of the Clinical Research Centre, Dundee, UK to the Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, specializing in breast cancer.

Achievements to date include setting up and chairing the Breast Cancer Campaign Breast Tissue Bank Board for the UK and Eire, leading the 12,000 patient UK National Audit of Screen Detected DCIS and, for 5 years to 2014, chairing the UK National Cancer Research Institute, Breast Clinical Studies Group (with oversight of 120 academic and commercial clinical studies in breast cancer).

He actively contributes to a range of clinical trials in the prevention, early detection, and therapy of breast cancer. He remains as UK Chief Investigator for a number of key trial,s including MINDACT, MA32, and SOLE, and continues to chair the data monitoring committees and trials steering groups for several phase II drug trials and phase III surgical trials respectively in the UK.

Active in translational laboratory research, he built a breast cancer research program over 15 years in Dundee, including a xenograft program and tissue banking facility with a focus on the p53 network and drug development. He has successfully supervised 20 PhD or research MD students and currently has 4 students completing PhDs.

The impact of over 200 peer-reviewed research papers has included global firsts demonstrating the effect of drugs in vivo in animal models and in human cancers.
He continues to provide leadership in trials and clinical translational research with colleagues in Europe and Australasia while establishing clinical trials and laboratory collaborations in the US, through membership of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association of Cancer Research, South West Oncology Group, and Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium.