Christine Aiken Memorial Award for Excellence in Study Coordination
The award is named in Christine’s honour to recognise her contributions to the success of GI Cancer Trials studies over many years, benefiting countless patients across the globe. It is presented annually to recognise a significant and outstanding contribution by a study coordinator of our trials.
The recipient will be announced at the 28th ASM in Nipaluna / Hobart and will receive up to $2,000 to cover flights, accommodation, and registration to attend next year's ASM, along with an opportunity to deliver an address (up to 5 minutes) at the meeting.
For any enquiries, please contact GI Cancer Trials.
Submission deadline: Monday 7 September 2026, 9:00am AEST
Assessment criteria
Applications will be judged on the following criteria:
- Willingness to participate in GI Cancer Trials studies
- Number of GI Cancer Trials studies coordinated relative to tenure
- Strategies employed to promote diverse clinical trial participation, including involvement in a teletrial cluster (either primary site or satellite site), utilisation of eConsent as applicable, and engaging patients from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
- Innovative workarounds to recruit and retain trial participants
- Engagement with the community
- Patient and community feedback
In memory of Chris Aiken
Christine (Chris) Aiken joined the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) in June 2004. She worked exclusively on GI Cancer Trials projects for 16 years as the first Monitor employed at the CTC, Trial Coordinator and Associate Oncology Project Manager. GI Cancer Trials studies that Chris worked on include TOP GEAR, REGISTER, ASCOLT, Advanced GIST and MASTERPLAN.
Chris was also a member of the ASM Study Coordinator‐Consumer Committee in 2018 and 2019.
Chris’ passion for her work and the importance of clinical trials to improve outcomes for others was always evident. Chris is deeply missed by all the staff at CTC and GI Cancer Trials. Her collegiality, enthusiasm, and expansive knowledge of obscure trial related facts will be long remembered.
Past recipients
2025 recipient
Congratulations to Chia Chia Tan, Research Officer from Fiona Stanley Hospital, on receiving the 2025 Award.
2023 recipient
The Award was presented to Kate Hunter from Peter Mac Moorabbin/Monash site. She was recognised for her dedication to TOPGEAR . Her site achieved the highest recruitment numbers globally, with a total of 54 patients, for this study.
2022 recipient
The Award was presented to Hui Ling Lau from the Fiona Stanley Hospital. She was recognised for her outstanding work on GCT trials NABNEC, CONTROL NETs, DYNAMIC-III, DYNAMIC-Rectal and DYNAMIC-Pancreas.
2021 recipient
The Award was presented to Joanne Parr from Latrobe Regional Hospital. Since the Cancer services Clinical trials unit was opened in September 2019, Joanne has served as the sole research nurse/ study coordinator for the Unit. She has been critical in developing the multidisciplinary approach to the FORECAST-1 trial coordination needed to open and recruit for this trial.