Georgia Frost wins Patron's Prize

Georgia Frost receives the Patron's Prize from Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir.

Masters student Georgia Frost has won the RPAH Patron's prize for the best presentation by a junior medical staff researcher.

Georgia is currently undertaking her Master of Philosophy under the supervision of Associate Professor Diona Damian and Professor Gary Halliday from the Dermatology Research Laboratories.

Her presentation on immune modulating effects of photodynamic therapy was one of 13 considered for the prize. Photodynamic therapy or PDT is a relatively new treatment for some types of skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in situ, which together affect 70 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women in NSW by age 70.

PDT involves application of a light-sensitising cream followed by exposure to an intense red light which activates the cream to destroy tumour cells. PDT enables treatment of skin cancers without surgical scarring, and is particularly useful for lesions on cosmetically sensitive sites, or on areas such as the lower legs where wound healing can otherwise be slow.

Dr Frost's research is investigating possible mechanisms of PDT failure, with the hope of improving the technique and reducing the risk of tumour recurrence.

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