Welcome
It is our pleasure to welcome you to Darwin (Garramilla) and the Larrakia Nation, the Traditional Owners of Gulumerrgin Country encompassing the land where the city of Darwin is located, for the 8th International Pacific Rim (PacRim) Breast and Prostate Cancer Meeting. The magnificent Darwin Botanical Gardens with its unique natural and cultural history and extensive plant collections provides an idyllic setting for this international “think-tank” to identify critical issues and solutions necessary to improve breast and prostate cancer patient outcomes.
The 21st anniversary of the PacRim meeting series (www.pacrimmeeting.com) brings together leading international researchers to debate issues and challenge dogma in the field of breast and prostate cancer. Over 4 days, 130 participants will contribute to a highly engaging and interactive discussion of contemporary topics, share new ideas, develop new collaborations and enjoy the food, culture and natural beauty of the Northern Territory (NT).
Highlights of the meeting include the Ron Ross and Rob Sutherland Awards, which are presented to an outstanding senior and early/mid-career scientist, respectively. These awards are made in recognition of the seminal scientific contributions and mentoring of trainees by Ron Ross and Rob Sutherland in the field of hormone-dependent cancers. We congratulate all nominees/applicants for this year’s awards. Awards will also be made for the best poster presentations by trainees.
The Great Debate is another highlight of PacRim meetings. The topic for this year’s debate is ‘130 years of endocrine therapy: are we done yet?’ For those who have not been to a PacRim meeting, this is not necessarily a serious academic debate, but one designed to address the topic, be provocative and have fun. Teams are very creative with their arguments, props, and musical numbers. Cal Roskelley started the trend of needing a debate winning song at the 2007 PacRim meeting in Whistler, when he appeared with a guitar as the last member of the “For” team and performed an original composition titled “If I had a million base pairs”. Karen Knudsen’s team lost that debate and Karen spent 3 years writing 2 songs to ensure her team won the following PacRim debate. No pressure on the Teams this year!
The 21st Anniversary dinner at PeeWees, an iconic Darwin dining destination, will be a very special event, featuring some of the best Territory food, and entertainment from Adam Scriven, a renowned NT guitarist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with an array of instruments including harmonica, stomp box and yidaki (didgeridoo). The Ron Ross, Rob Sutherland and poster awards will be presented at the Anniversary dinner.
Sunday evening affords an opportunity to visit the world-famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets where you can sample local cuisine including barra’ (Barramundi, a local NT fish), roo’ and croc’, experience some terrific NT artists, and purchase local arts and crafts including some of Australia’s best indigenous art. The combination of local food, arts and culture, set to the backdrop of the spectacular sunset, creates an electric atmosphere.
We hope that the 8th PacRim Meeting challenges dogma and stimulates new ideas and new collaborations. We encourage you to engage in the interactive discussion and poster sessions, and networking events, the latter providing excellent opportunities to make new friends and colleagues. We also hope you enjoy experiencing the “Top End” of Australia and its unique natural and cultural features.
Finally, but not least, thanks to our generous sponsors, and all participants, without whom this meeting would not exist. We thank Casey Peters, Teesha Downton and Marie Pickering who were integral to the organisation of this year’s meeting, everyone who advised on the program, especially Jason Carroll and Lisa Butler, and our judges.
Wayne Tilley
Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories
University of Adelaide
Elgene Lim
Connie Johnson Breast Cancer Research Laboratory
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
