Research Standing Commitee
The CNSA Research Standing Committee was inaugurated in 2009 with all committee members representing public and private clinical and academic institutions. Committee members are required to have either a research Masters or PhD qualifications.
Lauren Parkinson- Zarb
Lauren Parkinson- Zarb is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and a research project manager at Peter Macallum Cancer Centre. Lauren is an experienced cancer nurse, with clinical experience across a range of cancer nursing settings.
Lauren currently teaches postgraduate cancer nursing and is passionate about improving cancer care outcomes, by supporting the development and capability of specialist cancer nurses. Lauren also has an interest in improving equity in cancer care and conducts research in this area.
Lauren remains committed to improving cancer care, through education and research.
Professor Benjamin Tan
Professor Benjamin Tan is Professor and National Head of School (Nursing and Midwifery) at The University of Notre Dame Australia, and Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Oncology Nursing. He also holds Adjunct Professor appointments at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the University of Southern Queensland, Southwest Medical University Hospital, and Zunyi Medical University. Benjamin is internationally recognised for his research in integrative oncology and cancer symptom management and has been named in the prestigious Stanford/Elsevier list of the World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists. Working with an interdisciplinary research team, he has established and sustained strong international collaborations across Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, the UK, and China Mainland. These partnerships have resulted in more than 140 peer-reviewed journal publications and conference presentations, as well as over 30 funded research projects. His research has informed and been incorporated into numerous national and international clinical practice guidelines, including those developed by the European Society for Medical Oncology, the American College of Chest Physicians, Cancer Care Ontario, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the US Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense, the China Anti-Cancer Association, and the US Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
Natalie Williams
Natalie Williams is a registered nurse and Gynaecology Nurse Researcher at the Women and Newborn Health Service in Perth, Western Australia.
Natalie completed a Master of Philosophy (Nursing) investigating nurses’ perceptions of providing psychosexual care for women undergoing gynaecological cancer treatment. She also holds post graduate certificates in Women’s Health Care and Health Professional Education. Natalie has published and performs peer review for multiple international journals.
Her 15 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse have been predominantly in the area of gynaecology. She has been a member of CNSA for over 10 years and also serves as a committee member of the Gynaecological Oncology Nurses Specialist Practice Network (GYN SPN).
Ashlee Stirling
Ashlee Stirling is the McGrath Breast Care Clinical Nurse Consultant for Warwick and the Southern Downs, in rural QLD. She also holds positions as a sessional academic for the Australian College of Nursing, Griffith University and the University of Southern Queensland. She has nearly 20 years of nursing experience primarily in the fields of paediatrics, cancer care and clinical education.
Ashlee is an early-career researcher whose area of interest is women’s health, with a keen interest in improving diagnosis and management of women’s health concerns following cancer treatment. She has completed a Graduate Certificate in Breast Cancer Nursing, a Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care (both with the Australian College of Nursing) and is currently completing a Master of Public Health (Dissertation) at Griffith University. Her intention is to commence a PhD on completion of her Master degree.
Ashlee is thrilled to be a member of the CNSA Research Standing Committee and hopes to encourage and support rural nurses to engage in cancer research.
Carli Shaw
Carli Shaw is a Clinical Nurse Consultant working in Oncology and Haematology Clinical Trials in Mackay, Queensland.
She has completed a Master's of Nursing (Cancer and Palliative care) with a career focus on oncology nursing and nursing education.
Carli is an early career researcher and is currently completing a PhD exploring how cancer-related cognitive impairment impacts daily life after chemotherapy.
Carli is committed to rural and regional cancer nursing and the unique opportunities and challenges this provides.
Dr Bora Kim
Dr Bora Kim is a registered nurse and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
She is an early-career researcher with a strong interest in improving health services to enhance supportive care for people affected by cancer. Bora holds a Master’s in Research Methodology and a Graduate Diploma in Cancer Nursing. She has nearly 17 years of experience across clinical nursing, education, and research, primarily in cancer and palliative care. Her recent and current research work focuses on the areas of chemotherapy symptom management, patient-reported outcomes, and colorectal surgical outcomes.
Bora is passionate about improving the delivery of cancer care through service improvement and is committed to working closely with patients, families, and clinicians to bring tangible and meaningful benefits to clinical care.
A/Prof Olivia Cook
Associate Professor Olivia Cook is a registered nurse, educator and researcher with 20+ years experience in the fields of cancer nursing and women’s health. In July 2025, Olivia commenced a brand new joint appointment as Associate Professor of Cancer Care Nursing at Alfred Health and Monash University. This role is focused on building a nurse-led research program in cancer care and enabling nurse engagement in research. Prior to this appointment, Olivia was the Head of Nurse Education and Research at the McGrath Foundation, supporting the 300+ McGrath Cancer Care Nurses located across Australia.
Olivia’s research is focused on cancer care and the cancer nursing workforce, with the ultimate aim of driving equity and improving the experience and outcomes of people experiencing cancer. Olivia has been a member of CNSA for 10 years and has served on both the CNSA GYN-SPN and the Research Standing Committee previously and is very pleased to be re-joining the RSC.
Professor Kate White
Professor Cancer Nursing Sydney Local Health District , Director Cancer Care Research Unit & The University of Sydney.
Professor Kate White has worked for over twenty years in clinical, education and research areas specialising in cancer and palliative care. Kate has worked closely with cancer and palliative care organisations at both state and national levels . Kate is actively involved in the research and education activities to improve the care of those diagnosed with cancer, and their families, with an emphasis on rural communities. Kate is committed to mentor and support the development of research skills with clinical nurses, to support improvement in patient outcomes. She has supervised >30 HDR students to successful completion.
Dr Carla Thamm
Dr Carla Thamm is a Senior Research Fellow in the Cancer Survivorship Program at Flinders University, working from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. She is a nationally and internationally recognised leader in cancer nursing, bringing 20+ years of clinical nursing experience and 10 years of academic engagement. Carla’s career spans diverse roles in Australia and England, including advanced practice cancer nursing, clinical leadership and tertiary teaching and curriculum development. She leads a substantial research program focused on cancer survivorship, patient navigation, financial toxicity and nurse-led models of care, contributing to national programs and frameworks that inform practice and policy. Carla also actively contributes to advancing the nursing profession and cancer care through various professional leadership activities including being the chair of the High-Income Country working group for the American Cancer Society’s Global Alliance of Patient Navigation, Project Lead of the COSA Financial Toxicity working group and immediate past chair of the CNSA Education Standing Committee.
Please click here to access the Research Standing Committee Terms of Reference.