Research Australia
Health & Medical Research Awards

2016 NSW Health Health Services Award

Congratulations to Award Winner: Prof Michael Barton OAM

Professor Michael Barton OAM is Foundation Professor of Radiation Oncology at UNSW, and Research Director of the Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CCORE) and the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research at Liverpool Hospital, as well as the Director of Research for South West Sydney Local Health District.

Over the last 20 years, population based research initiated, directed and conducted by Professor Barton has led to the realignment of health services goals in the delivery of radiation oncology services. His research provided direction and justification for more than $1 billion of investment in Australian radiation oncology facilities, such as the new Peter Macallum Cancer Centre; The Andrew Love Cancer Centre, Darwin and the Regional Cancer Centres Program. Prof Barton has worked for IAEA on radiotherapy projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He has also chaired the WHO technical document on risk profiling, radiotherapy and the benchmarks for radiotherapy service delivery, that CCORE developed and have now been adopted throughout Australia, Europe and Great Britain. A similar benchmark has been developed to benchmark and plan chemotherapy services.

Prof. Barton began the Basic Sciences of Oncology Course in NSW which he later developed into the Applied Sciences of Oncology Course for the International Atomic Energy Agency. This course has been downloaded over 2500 times by oncology trainees around the world and is now available for free as an on-line course on the IAEA website.