- Posted on 15 May 2025
- 2-minute read
One of the most anticipated moments of this year’s PaCCSC & CST Research Forum was the presentation of the CST Emerging Trialist Award, which celebrates early-career researchers making outstanding contributions to cancer symptom management.
This year’s recipient, Dr Aaron K Wong from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, was recognised for his ground-breaking work in personalising cancer pain relief through pharmacogenomics.
Aaron, a Palliative Care Physician and Medical Oncologist, was honoured for his leadership in developing and evaluating an innovative therapeutic approach to deliver optimal pain relief with minimal side effects.
Central to this work was his role in establishing the world-first multicentre longitudinal Opioid Pharmacogenomic Registry, which is helping shape the future of precision prescribing for people living with cancer pain.
As site principal investigator for his first clinical trial, Aaron coordinated research across three centres, recruited over 70% of participants, and set up key laboratory processes to support this ambitious initiative.
“I feel deeply fortunate to contribute to bridging basic and translational research in supporting the integration of pharmacogenomics into palliative care,” says Dr Aaron K Wong.
“I am truly honoured to receive this award and deeply grateful for CST’s support in advancing this vital and rapidly evolving field.”
I feel deeply fortunate to contribute to bridging basic and translational research in supporting the integration of pharmacogenomics into palliative care.
In 2024, Aaron completed a PhD based on data from this trial, integrating multiomic techniques to accelerate the translation of laboratory research into clinical practice. This work has led to eight first-author publications, with further studies in progress – all focused on improving how opioids are prescribed and used in cancer pain management.
His discovery work has contributed new understanding on how neuroimmune gene pathways may influence a patient’s response to opioid treatments. This groundwork has laid the foundation for a larger registry trial aimed to validate these findings in a broader population.
Building on strong international collaborations and clinical trial networks, Aaron aims to bring us closer to a future where we can offer “the right opioid, for the right person, at the right time”.
The CST Emerging Trialist Award highlights researchers who combine scientific excellence with real-world clinical impact. Dr Aaron Wong’s work exemplifies this mission, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.