Otago oncologist wins Beaven Medal for improving cancer care

Professor Christopher Jackson, a Dunedin medical oncologist, has received the Health Research Council (HRC) Beaven Medal for research and leadership that have improved cancer care in New Zealand.

Jackson led the five-year HRC-funded PIPER project, which examined more than 5,600 patients with colorectal cancer. The project helped shape national bowel cancer standards and quality measures.

HRC Chief Executive Professor Hannah Buckley says Jackson is an exceptional clinician-researcher whose work has transformed the country’s cancer system. She credits the reach of his research into national policy to its real-world impact.

Jackson also developed a national reference library that sets standards for chemotherapy treatment. He led the removal of more than 400 low-value chemotherapy schedules, which has helped make care more consistent across the country.

His advocacy, alongside Dr Diana Sarfati, was instrumental in establishing the New Zealand Cancer Control Agency | Te Aho o Te Kahu. He also played a key role in securing the largest expansion of publicly funded cancer medicines in New Zealand’s history, giving thousands of people access to treatments they could not get before.

Jackson held leadership roles with the Cancer Society (2015-2021) and Te Aho o Te Kahu. The funding increases he influenced have supported 14 new cancer treatment sites and service expansions at 15 existing locations.

Jackson says he returned from subspecialist training in London struck by what patients told him about delays, inconsistent treatment and missed opportunities for care. He says the Beaven Medal, which recognises excellence in translational health research, is meaningful because he has always wanted research findings to lead to better practice.

His current focus is reducing waiting times for specialist assessment and treatment for people with advanced cancer. His latest programme of work is looking at how changes to health system processes and clinical practice could improve timely access to care.