Sue brings a wealth of consumer involvement, advocacy and patient support experience to her TOGA position, which was recognised in 2019 by the award of an Order of Australia Medal. Initially, Sue formed a face-to-face support group for lung cancer patients at Jacaranda Lodge Cancer Support Centre in 2004, but soon moved into advocacy and research, completing many advocacy, communication and support training courses at Cancer Council NSW, and becoming lung cancer consumer representative for NSW Cancer Institute’s Lung Cancer Research Group.
Sue was a founding consumer representatives for Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group (the predecessor to TOGA) and is now a member of both the TOGA and Tran-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) consumer panels, as well as a member of Cancer Australia’s Lung Cancer Advisory Group. Sue has completed two years of the IASLC’s STARS advocacy training program, which teaches consumer research advocates how to interpret lung cancer research, and is now a mentor to others completing the program.
Sue is passionate about new treatment options, screening for early discovery of lung cancer, helping people living with lung cancer enjoy longer, healthier lives, and is ultimately hoping for a curable disease. Sue lives in Sydney and has been involved in the higher level of Baseball scoring in Australia, volunteering for over 35 years. She loves her garden and would like to ‘escape to the country’ one day.