Alumni Feature: Dr. Mei Ling Yap
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE 2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT.
Dr. Mei Ling Yap was a Clinical Fellow at UTDRO from 2011 to 2013. She now works as a Staff Specialist Radiation Oncologist at the Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre in Sydney, Australia. When asked about her most valued experience at UTDRO Mei said, “The fabulous mentors who taught me career and life advice, as well as the opportunity to commence an academic career.”
Mei’s clinical interests are in lung and breast cancers; areas which she trained in during her fellowship. She is currently undertaking a health services research PhD with the University of New South Wales (NSW), Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes, Research and Evaluation (CCORE), and the NSW Cancer Council. Her project uses big data to investigate the socio-demographic factors, which lead to inequities in accessing radiotherapy in NSW, the largest state in Australia.
Another area where Mei is making a significant impact is in her role as Co-chair of APROSIG (Asia-Pacific Radiation Oncology Special Interest Group), a volunteer group of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists in the Faculty of Radiation Oncology. This group partners with low- and middle-income radiation oncology departments in the Asia-Pacific region to help support the development of safe, sustainable and effective radiotherapy.
For the past few years, APROSIG has partnered with the National Cancer Centre (NCC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a comprehensive cancer centre, which has been a decade long project in the making. NCC started treating its first cancer patients with radiotherapy in April 2018. The primary approach that APROSIG has undertaken in working with their Cambodian partners is to provide in-country training of radiation therapists, medical physicists and radiation oncologists through Australasian volunteer trainers, who spend six- to 12-month secondments in Cambodia.
Mei describes how this year APROSIG hosted eight Cambodian oncology professionals in Sydney for a month each to undertake observership. “This project is very important to me as I believe that all cancer patients globally
should have access to radiotherapy,” said Mei. “This centre will allow the chance for many Cambodian patients to have access to radiotherapy, which was not previously possible.”
When asked about her most memorable moment at UTDRO, Mei describes taking part in the Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2012, “It kick started my addiction to cycling!”
This year, Mei received the inaugural UTDRO Alumni Award. This award was established to recognize excellence in professional creativity, education, research and global health in individuals following their graduation from UTDRO. The recipient of this year’s award embodies the UTDRO values and has achieved impact on multiple fronts, which has in turn benefited the radiation medicine community at large, and ultimately our patients.
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