We are pleased to introduce the co-conveners of the PaCCSC & CST Research Forum 2025 - Dr Angela Rao, Celia Marston, Dr Ruwani Mendis and Dr Wei Lee.
Dr Angela Rao
Dr Angela Rao-Newton is a Lecturer and early career researcher in the School of Nursing, University of Tasmania (Sydney Campus). She is also the deputy chair of the PaCCSC/CST Cognitive and Neurological Disorders Symptom Node sub-committee, member of the CST Scientific Advisory Committee and alum of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia ACORD 2021.
Angela has expertise in affective disorders, psycho-existential distress, non-pharmacological therapies (including meditation) as well as clinical trials in palliative care, advanced cancer, and cardiac rehabilitation settings.
She leads the multi-site phase II feasibility study MEDITATion for thE reduction of psycho-existential distress and anxiety in people with advanced cancer who are receiving Palliative Care (MEDITATEPallCare) and is Chair of the IMPACCT Rapid Program Antidepressants Series. Angela was recognised on the Dean’s Higher Degree Research List for an outstanding Ph.D. thesis ‘Integrating MEditatioN into heaRt dieseae care’ in 2020.
Angela has training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and over 15 years of experience in personal and guided group meditation. She also has advanced conflict resolution experience with eight years as a co-facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project.
Angela is passionate about developing the evidence for interventions to manage psychological distress in people with a chronic or life-limiting illness supporting their uptake into routine clinical care.
Celia Marston
Celia Marston is the Clinical Lead for Occupational Therapy at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and has specialised in oncology and palliative care for more than 15 years. She is also Research Lead for Occupational Therapy at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Adjunct Lecturer at Monash University.
Celia is completing her PhD at the University of Technology Sydney. Her PhD aims to produce a model of care that can best support carers and patients with advanced cancer when returning home from hospital.
Celia is involved with research in palliative care, cancer rehabilitation, and health services research. She is a member of the Cancer Symptoms Trials (CST) Scientific Advisory Committee and a member of the Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative. She has authored 19 peer reviewed publications, three book chapters and presented at several national and international conferences.
Dr Ruwani Mendis
Dr Ruwani Mendis is a medical oncologist and a palliative medicine physician. She holds sessional appointments at the Department of Cancer Services at Western Health, Banksia Community Palliative Care Service and an honorary appointment at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She is also the palliative care clinical trials lead at Western Health. Her areas of expertise are cancer symptom management, breast cancer and clinical trials.
Dr Wei Lee
Dr Wei Lee is a palliative care physician based in the northern districts of Sydney. He is a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, and directs the palliative care service in Mater Hospital (North Sydney).
Wei is passionate about palliative care research and teaching of symptom management. He has completed a doctoral program at UTS exploring depression in the end-of-life setting, and continues to find ways to optimise psychoexistential distress in the palliative care setting.
He has a strong interest in clinical trials. Being the deputy chair of the pain symptom node of CST and part of the IMPACCT Rapid Program trial committee, he looks for innovative ways of making clinical trials feasible for individuals with advanced life-limiting illnesses. Wei is the recipient of the CST Emerging Trialist Award 2022.