Dr Ryan McMahon awarded the George Hodgson Memorial Lorne Cancer Conference Award 2024
2 min read 14 February 2024
Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation is delighted to announce Dr Ryan McMahon as the recipient of the George Hodgson Memorial Lorne Cancer Conference Award 2024.
The award provides the opportunity for early-stage researchers in the area of radiation oncology or radiobiology at Peter Mac to attend the 36th annual Lorne Cancer Conference.
The Lorne Cancer Conference offers a unique platform for attendees to discuss, engage and learn the latest developments to facilitate research across multiple disciplines
Dr McMahon is currently in his 2nd year of the Radiation Oncology Clinician Scientist Training Pathway, undertaking a laboratory-based PhD investigating biomarkers of treatment response to combined radiation and checkpoint immunotherapy.
In addition, Dr McMahon is leading a prospective clinical trial investigating the safety and feasibility of delivering radiotherapy to the primary lung cancer, concurrently with chemoimmunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Dr McMahon’s ambition is “to improve and broaden the scope of radiation therapy while further understanding mechanisms of treatment response and resistance.”
The award is enabled by a donation from Professor Roger Martin to honour the contribution of Peter Mac’s inaugural Director of Research, Dr George Hodgson.
Dr Hodgson was appointed to head of research at Peter Mac in 1968. He had an active and expert interest in radiobiology and tutored many radiation oncology registrars. In 1985, he was formally appointed as the first Director of Research at Peter Mac.
He is credited with co-leading pioneering research that identified different haemopoietic stem cells and their responses to 5-fluorouracil.
Dr Hodgson’s insights into stem cell biology were unique and enabling. He frequently attended the Lorne Cancer Conference.
Dr Hodgson passed away on 20 March 2000.