PROFESSOR FRAN BOYLE AM: BRIDGING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CARE IN BREAST CANCER

About Professor Fran Boyle AM

Professor Fran Boyle AM is a highly experienced medical oncologist who specialises in the areas of breast cancer and melanoma. She is passionate about making advances in this field and her practice focuses on researching new treatments as well as developing care and communication.

Professor Boyle is a medical oncologist at North Sydney’s Mater Hospital where she is Director of the Patricia Ritchie Centre for Cancer Care and Research. She is also a professor at the University of Sydney where she is heavily involved in structuring the medical oncology teaching program.

Biography

For over 20 years, Professor Boyle has been involved in setting up clinical trials, supportive care and psychosocial research in breast cancer. She has previously Chaired the Board of Breast Cancer Trials and contributes to clinical trial development nationally and internationally through Breast Cancer Trials and the International Breast Cancer Study Group.

Professor Boyle’s dedication to improving the understanding of metastatic disease, improving access to new therapies, and involving breast care nurses in cancer care, led to her founding Australia’s Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance.

Professor Boyle has been awarded over $25 Million in competitive research funding and published over 100 papers. Through her appointment at the University of Sydney, she is involved in medical student teaching, and communication research and training.

She was awarded membership of the Order of Australia in 2008 for her work with Cancer research and advocacy organisations, and in 2016 was honoured to receive the Tom Reeve Award for Outstanding contributions to cancer care from the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia. She was a finalist in the Premier’s Award for NSW Woman of the Year in 2017. Professor Boyle is a member of the Board of the Breast Cancer Network of Australia, contributing to advocacy and information resources.

Qualifications and Professional Experience

Professor Boyle graduated from the University of Queensland with First Class Honours and a University Medal. After undertaking Basic Physician training at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane, she completed her Medical Oncology training at Royal North Shore Hospital and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1992.

She completed a PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Sydney, exploring nerve injury from chemotherapy, and has remained active in basic and translational cancer research ever since.

STORIES FROM OUR RESEARCHERS

Our researchers work tirelessly to develop and conduct clinical trials because they see the benefits this research brings to their patients and all those affected by breast cancer.