Coordinating Principal Investigator and Research Co-Lead Dr Monica Green, alongside Associate Investigator and Aboriginal Advisory Group Lead, Leah Lindrea-Morrison, are running a research study in collaboration between Border Medical Oncology Research Unit, Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd, Goulburn Valley Health, and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO).
The study, "Lotjpa Yapaneyepuk (Talk together) about cancer trials: Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s access to cancer clinical trials in regional Victoria, Australia" will run for two years until May 2026, and will involve yarning sessions with approximately 50 participants from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and education sessions with up to 100 cancer health professionals across 14-16 organisations. The first yarning circle has kicked off in February 2025.
The objectives of the study are to increase the knowledge of cancer clinical trials among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in and around Shepparton, through the co-design of appropriate resource/s, and to raise awareness among cancer health professionals, of strategies that may improve access to cancer clinical trials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in regional areas.
Dr Monica Green and Leah Lindrea-Morrison have spoken about their research study at the 2024 Ngar-wu Wanyarra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Conference, hosted by the University of Melbourne’s Department of Rural Health in October 2024, as well as at COSA and an A-CTEC Webinar in November 2024.
This study is part of the ReViTALISE project, which is funded by the Australian Government under the Medical Research Future Fund, grant number MRFF000023.
The Steering Committee for Lotjpa Yapaneyepuk includes representatives from ReViTALISE, Goulburn Valley Health (GVH), consumers, and partner organisations: Dr Javier Torres, Ms Carole Mott (GVH), Karen Matheson (GVH), Cynthia Scott (GVH) Shannon Drake (Rumbalara), Shannon Gleeson (VACCHO), Prof Joan Cunningham (Menzies School of Health Research), Ivy Ahmat, Yvonne Chesser, June Grinter, Kayla Best-Gribble, A/Prof Craig Underhill, Donna Long, Heather Cameron, Damon Parker and Michelle Pryce.
Artwork "Healing Hands" by local artist Jasmine Howell-Saunders, a Yorta Yorta & Dja Dja Wurrung woman.