Who we are

Sam McGuane

Sam is a passionate strategic leader whose personal motto is ‘to always be in the service of others’.  For the last 10 years Sam has held several senior strategic positions with Cotton On Group, including managing global community initiatives and leading the development of innovative sports partnerships with the AFL and NRL, delivering powerful outcomes for customers and communities.

Sam is Director and General Manager of Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation.  Sam leads the strategy, governance, finance and general operations of the charity. His role in the Foundation has enabled Sam to develop a strong network across the brain cancer fundraising community and, in partnering with WEHI, has fostered his desire to accelerate brain cancer research efforts.

As the Chief Executive Officer for The Brain Cancer Centre, Sam is energised about making a real difference to patients and their families and to help end brain cancer as a terminal illness.

Associate Professor, Misty Jenkins AO
Laboratory Head, WEHI

Misty Jenkins is a NHMRC fellow and laboratory head in the Immunology Division at WEHI. Misty leads the immunotherapy program within The Brain Cancer Centre and is dedicated to discovering novel immunotherapy targets for high grade gliomas in adults and children. Her research focusses on the development of novel chimeric antigen receptor T cells for brain cancer. Her group also uses cutting edge two-photon microscopy combined with mouse models of brain cancer to investigate the tumour microenvironment and uncover unique biology of brain tumours.

Misty has a PhD in Immunology from The University of Melbourne, followed by postdoctoral positions at The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. 

A/Prof Jenkins was awarded the L’Oreal for Women in Science Fellowship (2013), was Tall Poppy of the year (2015), was awarded the Top100 Women of Influence award (2016) and was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2020.

In addition to her research career, A/Prof Jenkins is experienced in governance and strategy as a company Director, co-chairs a Federal Health Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and is a passionate advocate for gender equity and Indigenous Health and education. She was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2023 for distinguished service to medical science in Immunology, the support of women in STEM, and to the Indigenous community.

Dr Jim Whittle
Medical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Laboratory Head, WEHI

Jim is a medical oncologist specialising in neuro-oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.  He completed his PhD and was awarded the “Professor Lynn Corcoran PhD Prize” for his research understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for resistance to cell death in breast cancer. This work has provided the foundation for testing novel compounds in early phase clinical trials, together with industry collaboration. 

In 2020, Jim commenced working remotely with the Ligon laboratory, Dana Faber Cancer Institute, with a focus on uncovering resistance mechanisms to glioma. Jim is passionate about improving supportive care for patients and carers with brain cancer. Together with Prof Kate Drummond, he co-leads an MRFF funded program to develop an online supportive care platform.   

Dr Whittle & Prof Drummond have recently launched a world-first clinical trial Brain Pop, funded through The BCC, which will enable doctors to precisely see the effect of a new drug therapy on a patient’s brain cancer for the first time.

Assistant Professor Pratiti (Mimi) Bandopadhayay, MBBS PhD

Professor Tracey O’Brien FRACP, MBA, LLM (Health), GAICD, MBChB, BSc

Professor Brendan Crabb AC PhD FAA FAHMS FASM

Professor Martine Roussel PhD

Professor Brandon Wainwright AM

Dr. Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FAANS

Samantha Chandler, Consumer Representative