Professor Phoebe Phillips is an internationally recognised translational cancer researcher, academic leader and advocate dedicated to improving outcomes for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She is Associate Dean (Partnerships and Engagement) at UNSW Sydney, leads the Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Group and co-leads the Molecular Screening and Therapeutics Program for Pancreatic Cancer (MoST-P).

For more than 25 years, Professor Phillips has focused on understanding the complex biology and tumour microenvironment that drives pancreatic cancer progression and treatment resistance. Her research has pioneered innovative human tumour models and therapeutic strategies that have translated into multiple clinical trials, including the current Phase II SPEAR trial and several precision medicine studies. Her program is supported by major competitive funding and industry partnerships, with technologies and discoveries increasingly being applied to other difficult-to-treat cancers.

A passionate advocate for research translation and patient-centred care, Professor Phillips brings together researchers, clinicians, industry partners, patients and consumers to accelerate the development of new treatments and improve cancer outcomes. She is committed to ensuring that lived experience informs research priorities and healthcare innovation.

Professor Phillips has extensive leadership experience across the research and not-for-profit sectors, including serving as President and Board Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research and currently as a Board Director of Cancer Council NSW. Her contributions to pancreatic cancer research, medical research advocacy and health policy were recognised with appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022. She was awarded an Eisenhower Global Fellowship in 2019 and, in 2026, was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAAHMS) in recognition of her outstanding contributions to health and medical research.