Professor Anne CustKey Collaborator: Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Group - Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Group

 Phone612 8627 1565

 Emailgenetic.epi(at)sydney.edu.au

Professor Cust is Deputy Director of the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney. She is also a Faculty member of the Melanoma Institute Australia, affiliated with the University of Sydney. At the Melanoma Institute Australia, she also Chairs the Research Committee and co-leads the ‘Prevention, Risk and Clinical Detection of Melanoma’ research theme. Her position is funded through a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career Development Fellowship.

She is an internationally recognised cancer epidemiologist with expertise in collaborative, multidisciplinary research with a strong emphasis on translational outcomes. Her research predominantly focuses on melanoma prevention and early detection. She leads programs of research on melanoma risk prediction, risk-stratified cancer prevention and screening, and the genetic epidemiology of melanoma. In collaboration with Professor Mann, Professor Cust led the sunbed research that was instrumental in informing government bans on commercial solaria now in effect across all states of Australia, and received an inaugural Sax Institute Research Action Award to recognise this research and translation efforts.

She is the immediate past-President of the Australasian Epidemiological Association and is a member of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Epidemiology Group Executive. She is actively involved in international melanoma consortia, including the GenoMEL (Genetics of Melanoma) Analysis Team, the GEM (Genes, Environment and Melanoma) Steering group, and the InterMEL (Integration of Clinical and Molecular Biomarkers for Melanoma Survival) Investigator team.

She contributed to the chapter on high-risk individuals for the NHMRC/CCA Clinical Practice Guidelines on Melanoma and has authored chapters for internationally renowned melanoma textbooks.

Keywords

Cancer Skin Cancer Melanoma

Themes

Gynaecological cancer, Melanoma and skin cancer, Public health, Epidemiology, Genetics

Clinical Specialty

Epidemiology

Professor Cust's main research aims are to identify causes of cancer, improve prevention and early diagnosis of cancer, and improve the health outcomes of people with cancer. She studies both genetic causes of cancer as well as nongenetic causes such as lifestyle, behaviours and the environment. Her research is collaborative and multidisciplinary, working with other researchers, clinicians, laboratory researchers and policy makers. Her main research focus is on melanoma and other skin cancers and her research has a strong translational focus.

University of Sydney - School of Public Health

• NSW Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Research - Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow of the Year Award, 2018. Awarded $20,000 towards my research.
• Shortlisted for the Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow, Cancer Institute NSW, 2017
• Inaugural Sydney Research Accelerator (SOAR) Fellowship. The University of Sydney’s flagship program in researcher development for leading early- and mid-career researchers. Awarded $150,000 over 2 years, 2017-2018.
• Best of the Best Award for an Oral Presentation in Epidemiology, $1,000 award, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Annual Scientific Meeting, 2014 and 2018
• Cancer Research Network 10th Anniversary Cancer Research Network Early Career Researcher Award, Nov 2016. Awarded $15,000.
• Inaugural Sax Institute Research Action Award, which recognises research that has made a significant impact on health policy, programs or service delivery. Awarded $3,000, 2015.
• One of 34 shortlisted applicants (of 230 nominations received; i.e. in the top 15%) for L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowship, 2013.
• Received the Cancer Institute NSW Premier's Award for Outstanding Cancer Research Scholar. This award aims to develop and support outstanding students enrolled in a higher degree by recognising researchers with the potential to develop highly significant careers in cancer research. Awarded $11,000, 2007.
• Australian Federation of University Women (AFUW) - ACT Branch Special Award, 2001.