Panel Discussion: Translating Targeted Alpha Therapy for the Benefit of Australian Patients

Australia is at a pivotal point in the development of Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT), with growing research, clinical interest, and investment creating significant opportunities to improve patient outcomes.

This expert panel will bring together leaders from nuclear medicine, radiopharmacy, radiochemistry, manufacturing, regulation, and clinical translation to explore the practical steps needed to make TAT more accessible to Australian patients. Through a forward-looking discussion, panellists will examine challenges such as radionuclide supply, manufacturing capability, regulatory pathways, workforce development, and clinical trial infrastructure, while highlighting the opportunities that could position Australia as a leader in this rapidly emerging field.

Attendees will gain valuable insights into the current landscape and the collaborative efforts required to bring TAT from research and clinical trials into routine clinical practice.

Meet the panel

Dr Leena Burgess

Nuclear Medicine Development Manager and Principal Radiochemist, ANSTO

Dr Leena Burgess is Nuclear Medicine Development Manager and Principal Radiochemist at ANSTO. She leads multidisciplinary programs spanning radionuclide and radiopharmaceutical development, product and process development, research infrastructure, and translation into manufacturing. Prior to her current role, she managed ANSTO’s radioisotope research capability, supporting the development of emerging radionuclides and associated production methods.

Professor Andrew Scott 

Director, Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health

Professor Andrew Scott AM is Director of the Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy at Austin Health and Head of the Tumour Targeting Laboratory at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute. His clinical and research interests focus on targeted cancer therapies, molecular imaging, and oncology. He is a former President of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2017.

Professor Paul Donnelly

Richard Robson Chair of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne

Professor Paul Donnelly is an inorganic chemist at the University of Melbourne whose research focuses on developing metal-based radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy. His group designs tumour-targeting agents incorporating radionuclides including copper, gallium, zirconium, lutetium and actinium, with a strong emphasis on clinical translation and collaboration with hospitals and industry.

Dr Matthew Griffiths

Principal Nuclear Medicine Medical Physicist, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

Dr Matthew Griffiths is a medical physicist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital with expertise in nuclear medicine imaging and theranostics. He was a co-author of the first published human ²¹²Pb-PSMA targeted alpha therapy SPECT/CT imaging study, helping advance the clinical evaluation of targeted alpha therapies for patients with advanced prostate cancer.