Transforming Cancer Care: Professor Christobel Saunders’ Leadership in Health Services Research
In 2024, Professor Christobel Saunders AO received the Health Services Research Award, recognising her outstanding contribution to improving cancer care through research, leadership and system-wide reform.
A surgeon and clinician scientist, Professor Saunders has spent more than three decades advancing cancer management across Australia and internationally, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for people with breast cancer.
Her work has consistently bridged research, clinical practice and policy, ensuring that new evidence is translated into real-world improvements in how care is delivered.
Throughout her career, Professor Saunders has championed the evidence-based introduction of new procedures, treatments and models of care, leading to measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
Her contributions span the full spectrum of cancer care, from diagnostics and treatment to survivorship and supportive care.
She has played a leading role in introducing breast MRI into clinical practice, securing Medicare funding to improve access for high-risk patients, and has led major trials in areas such as intra-operative radiotherapy and cancer prevention.
Professor Saunders has also been instrumental in advancing patient-centred approaches to care, including pioneering survivorship clinics, developing exercise and menopause management programs after cancer, and helping embed fertility care into cancer treatment pathways.
Embedding Research into Health Systems
A defining feature of Professor Saunders’ work has been her ability to translate research into system-wide change.
She has led the development of national and international guidelines for breast cancer care, including contributions to Cancer Australia clinical practice guidelines, optimal care pathways and international outcomes datasets.
Her leadership has also helped embed patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into cancer care, ensuring that patient experience and quality of life are central to how health systems measure success.
Through major initiatives such as the CICCancer program, she has supported the integration of research and evaluation into routine care across hospitals, driving improvements at scale.
Professor Saunders has also been a strong advocate for value-based healthcare, working to ensure that health systems deliver better outcomes while using resources more effectively.
Her influence has extended across government, clinical and research sectors, through roles on national advisory committees, policy bodies and international organisations shaping cancer care.
Leadership Driving Ongoing Change
Since receiving the Award, Professor Saunders has continued to lead major initiatives aimed at transforming health systems.
She has helped establish the Health Transformation Research Impact Area at the University of Melbourne, working with partners across the health sector to address key challenges such as workforce pressures, system bottlenecks and the delivery of person-centred, value-based care.
She has also led the development of the University of Melbourne Guidelines for Sex and Gender Inclusion in Health and Medical Research, a first for an Australian university, helping ensure that research better reflects and serves diverse populations.
At an international level, Professor Saunders has taken on a global leadership role as President of All.Can International, a policy organisation focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of cancer care worldwide.
Professor Saunders has also played an important role inspiring the next generation of women in health and medical and research and innovation through involvement in Research Australia’s Future Health Leaders program.
Recognition for Impact Across the System
Professor Saunders’ career reflects a sustained commitment to improving not only individual treatments, but the systems that deliver them.
Her work demonstrates how research, when embedded into practice and policy, can transform care for patients at scale.
2026 Research Australia Awards
Professor Saunders’ story highlights the importance of leadership that connects research, clinical care and health system reform to achieve lasting impact.