Professor John Forbes, AM, MS, FRACS, FRCS, has been involved in breast cancer research throughout his professional career, in particular, with national and international clinical trials to develop new treatments for all types of breast cancer and ultimately for prevention of breast cancer.

He is Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Newcastle (Australia); Director, Department of Surgical Oncology at the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital; and Director of Research for the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group.

He completed his medical studies and surgical training at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and was awarded the Australian Nuffield Fellowship in Medicine and studied at the Welsh National Medical School, Cardiff, Wales.

On his return to Australia, he led the formation of the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group, and helped establish the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG), formerly known as the Ludwig Breast Cancer Study Group.

Professor Forbes has been invited visiting Professor in many countries, has presented papers at scientific meetings throughout the world, and published over 250 papers on many aspects of breast cancer – in particular on prevention and endocrine treatment of breast cancer. He is a member of Steering Committees for national and international breast cancer clinical trials, including ATAC, ATLAS, IBIS I and II, BIG 1-98, and IES.

In 2007 he was recognised as one of the top 10 most highly cited researchers in the world for peer-reviewed publications in 2005-2006. In November 2010 he was awarded the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia’s (COSA) Tom Reeve Oration Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cancer Care and in 2012 he was honoured with a Membership of the Order of Australia (AM), being recognised for service to medicine in the field of breast cancer research, to the development of improved clinical practice standards and service to the community.