Professor Phoebe Phillips

Professor Phoebe Phillips AM is driven by a commitment to improving outcomes for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

At UNSW Sydney, she serves as Associate Dean (Partnerships and Engagement) in Medicine and leads a dedicated research team focused on developing new treatment approaches for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, often diagnosed late and with limited treatment options, making new research critically important. Her work centres on understanding how these tumours protect themselves and identifying ways to overcome these barriers so treatments can more effectively reach cancer cells. Importantly, the technologies and models developed through her research are also being applied to other hard-to-treat cancers, including lung cancer in preclinical studies.

With more than 26 years of experience, Professor Phillips has contributed to significant advances in cancer research, including the development of new therapeutic strategies now being tested in clinical trials. She currently co-leads two Phase 2 clinical trials for patients with pancreatic cancer, reflecting her strong focus on translating research into patient benefit.

A key aspect of her work is building collaborations across research, clinical and industry sectors, bringing together expertise to accelerate progress and ensure that promising discoveries move towards real-world application.

Professor Phillips is also committed to engaging with the broader community, working with patients, families and supporters to ensure research remains focused on meaningful impact. She proudly serves as a Board Director for Cancer Council NSW. She regularly contributes to awareness and fundraising efforts that support continued progress in cancer research. Her commitment to supporting patients with cancer has become deeply personal after caring for her husband with advanced cancer for 2 years who recently lost his courageous battle. 

Her contributions have been recognised nationally and internationally, including being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and selected as an Eisenhower Global Fellow, an honour awarded to leaders working to create positive change.

In this project, Professor Phillips will lead the scientific program, contributing her expertise in cancer biology and treatment development to help advance new therapeutic approaches.