Access Committee
The VCB Access Committee is responsible for reviewing and collectively determining whether a research application meets the required ethical and scientific justifications prior to commencement. Led by the VCB Manager, the Access Committee is comprised of experts with extensive knowledge and experience in varying fields of science and research.
General Manager, Victorian Cancer Biobank
Dr Wayne Ng
VCB – Cancer Council Victoria Representative
Wayne is the General Manager of Victorian Cancer Biobank (VCB) consortium since 2019. He oversees the operations of this partnership in delivering one of the largest cancer biobanking services in Australia. He also builds and implements strategic priorities of the consortium, including engaging the Strategic Advisory Group and Victorian Government. Since joining the VCB, he has successfully transitioned the VCB into new governance, developed business plans that secured increased funding from the Victorian Government, established an MOU between VCB and Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium for cross-border collaboration. His key biobanking vision is to create an ecosystem that biospecimens are discoverable, accessible, and interoperable for any research that advances sciences and saves lives.
Prior to joining the VCB, he was the Assistant Biobank Manager at the CONCERT Biobank in Sydney. Wayne has been appointed as Director-at-Large of Indo-pacific rim region / Board member for the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) in 2023. He is also member of the Steering Committee for Australian Donation and Transplantation Biobank (ADTB) since 2021 and is a member of Australasia Biospecimen Network Association (ABNA).
As a molecular scientist by profession, he has a PhD in Medicine from Western Sydney University for research in the molecular pathology of colorectal cancer.
Professor Eric Chow
Head of Health Data Management and Biostatistics Unit, Alfred Health
Associate Professor Heather Thorne
kConFab National Manager, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Ms Helen Farrugia
Health Data and Governance Expert
Management and Operations Group
The VCB Management and Operations Group provides a critical forum to discuss and address concerns and issues relating to the direction, structure and operational processes of the VCB.
The group is directed by Cancer Council Victoria, with advice provided from the VCB Strategic Advisory Group. It is comprised of management professionals across the VCB consortium.
Ms Samantha Higgins (Chair)
Quality Manager, Victorian Cancer Biobank
General Manager, Victorian Cancer Biobank
Dr Wayne Ng
VCB – Cancer Council Victoria Representative
Wayne is the General Manager of Victorian Cancer Biobank (VCB) consortium since 2019. He oversees the operations of this partnership in delivering one of the largest cancer biobanking services in Australia. He also builds and implements strategic priorities of the consortium, including engaging the Strategic Advisory Group and Victorian Government. Since joining the VCB, he has successfully transitioned the VCB into new governance, developed business plans that secured increased funding from the Victorian Government, established an MOU between VCB and Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium for cross-border collaboration. His key biobanking vision is to create an ecosystem that biospecimens are discoverable, accessible, and interoperable for any research that advances sciences and saves lives.
Prior to joining the VCB, he was the Assistant Biobank Manager at the CONCERT Biobank in Sydney. Wayne has been appointed as Director-at-Large of Indo-pacific rim region / Board member for the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) in 2023. He is also member of the Steering Committee for Australian Donation and Transplantation Biobank (ADTB) since 2021 and is a member of Australasia Biospecimen Network Association (ABNA).
As a molecular scientist by profession, he has a PhD in Medicine from Western Sydney University for research in the molecular pathology of colorectal cancer.
Mr Duncan Villanueva
Data Systems Manager, Victorian Cancer Biobank
Dr Jonas Hess
Business Development Manager, Victorian Cancer Biobank
Ms Angela Mountain
Tissue Bank Manager, Austin Health
Ms Susan Hume
Tissue Bank Manager, Eastern Health
Ms Leanne Graham
Tissue Bank Manager, Melbourne Health
Mr Jhoseph Marquez
Tissue Bank Manager, Monash Health
Ms Ashley Rudge
Acting Tissue Bank Manager, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre