New Concepts Symposium

The New Concepts Symposium is designed as an innovative forum to engage a broad cross-section of the GI Cancer Trials membership. The session offers delegates the opportunity to present embryonic new concepts and receive feedback through discussion with the audience, as well as insights from invited faculty on perspective and international interest.

This forum allows ideas to be tested and helps determine whether they should progress through the GI Cancer Trials Research Prioritisation and Development Framework (RPDF).

Winners of the New Concepts Symposium will be announced at the 28th ASM in Nipaluna / Hobart, with details of the Best New Concept and Runner-Up Awards published on the GI Cancer Trials website and in the Annual Report.

For any enquiries, please contact GI Cancer Trials.

Submit a concept

Submission deadline: Monday 7 September 2026, 9:00am AEST

Eligibility criteria

Fulfils the definition of translational or clinical research
International competitive science
Contribution to area of unmet need in Australia
Accepting Phase II and Phase III trials only

Please note that to submit a concept, you must be a member of GI Cancer Trials, have a valid Conflict of Interest Declaration, and able to commit to attending the meeting in person.

Assessment process

Concept submissions will be peer reviewed.
Three concepts will be chosen for presentation.
Selected concepts will be reviewed by a statistician with suggestions for improvement provided to the Investigator prior to printing the concept in the program book.
Following presentation of the concept a critique will be provided.
Delegates will then be invited to provide comments and the presenter will have opportunity to respond.
The process is intended to be constructive and result in refinement of the concept.

Past recipients

2025 winner: Dr John Mak

Best New Concept – Winner

CRCadian – A Randomized Phase III Trial of Morning Versus Afternoon Administration of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in dMMR/MSI-High Metastatic Colorectal Cancer – Dr John Mak

Best New Concept – Runners up

PALM-RC – Patient choice in the Approach to Localised Management of Rectal Cancer – Dr Norma Bulamu

NEOCYT – Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Prior to Cytoreductive Surgery for Peritoneal Disease from GI Cancers – Professor Tim Price

The 2025 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Multitude Therapeutics.

2024 winner: Associate Professor Amitesh Roy

Best New Concept – Winner

DYNAMIC-IV: Circulating Tumour DNA Analysis Guiding Adjuvant Therapy in resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases: A multi-centre phase II/III randomised controlled study – Associate Professor Amitesh Roy, Professor Jeannie Tie, Dr Wei Hong, & Associate Professor Rachel Wong

Best New Concept – Runners up

APPETITE: Anamorelin for Appetite Stimulation in People with Pancreatic Cancer: A Randomised Controlled Trial – Dr Kate Furness

FOLFIRINOX: Combined FOLFIRINOX and 32P Implantation (Oncosil) versus FOLFIRINOX Only in Treatment-Naïve Patients with Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Randomized Controlled Trial – Professor Nam Nguyen

2023 winner: Dr Alex Flynn

Best New Concept – Winner

Randomised Phase 3 Trial of personalized versus standard dosing of 5-fluorouracil in first line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer – Dr Alex Flynn

Best New Concept – Runners up

Immunotherapy – Biliary neoplasm, OXaliplatin, Fluorouracil, Folinic acid, nal‐Irinotecan ChemothErapy for late / advanced tumours A randomised, phase 1b study (i-BOXOFFICE) – Associate Professor Andrew Dean

FOLFOX and nivolumab combined with Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy: Phase 2 trial in advanced gastric carcinoma (PIPAC) – Professor Tim Price

The 2023 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by AstraZeneca.

2022 winner: Dr Helen Mohan – Award accepted by Dr Sonia Gill on her behalf

2022 runner-up: Dr Laura Tam – Award accepted by Professor Niall Tebbutt on her behalf

Best New Concept – Winner

COALA concept: changing outcomes after low anterior resection – a rectal cancer survivorship trial of pelvic floor prehabilitation prior to reversal of ileostomy – Dr Helen Mohan

Best New Concept – Runner up

BIL-PPP: Combination PD1 and PARP inhibitor as maintenance treatment following platinum-gemcitabine for unresectable locally-advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancers – Dr Laura Tam

Best New Concept – Winner

‘The ACE study’ – investigating amivantamab activity in colorectal carcinoma previously treated with an EGFR monoclonal antibody – Associate Professor Tim Clay

Best New Concept – Runner up

BIOMARCER1 – biomarker informed optimal management of advanced RAS wild type colorectal cancer – Dr Shehara Mendis

The 2021 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Amgen.

Best New Concept – Winner

RESOLUTE: Randomised Phase II Trial to Evaluate the Strategy of Integrating Local Ablative Therapy with First-Line Systemic Treatment for Unresectable Oligometastatic Colorectal Cancer – Associate Professor Jeanne Tie

Best New Concept – Runner up

Phase 2 trial of Interim MRI, FDG PET, and circulating tumour HPV DNA during chemoRadiotherapy In p16-positive AnaL squamous cell carcinoma: The IMPERIAL study – Dr Natalie Collier

The 2020 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Servier.

Best New Concept – Winner

A phase II study of oncolytic immunotherapy of metastatic neuroendocrine tumours using intralesional rose Bengal diodium in combination with pembolizumab – Dr Mark McGregor

Best New Concept – Runner up

A pilot study to define the feasibility of randomized controlled study incorporating organoid sensitivity testing driven treatment for patients with chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer – Dr Grace Gard

The 2019 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Specialised Therapeutics.

Best New Concept – Winner

A pilot feasibility and discovery study of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX followed by immunotherapy for resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas – Dr Lorraine Chantrill

Best New Concept – Runner up

Using the CancerAid® mobile app to collect toxicity and quality of life data to improve the efficiency of trial data collection – Dr Wee Loon Ong

The 2018 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Specialised Therapeutics.

2017 winner: Dr Katherine Geddes

Best New Concept – Winner

The prevalence and significance of sarcopaenia in patients with operable adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastro‐oesophageal junction undergoing treatment with curative intent and the impact of altered body composition on chemotherapy delivery – Dr Katherine Geddes

Best New Concept – Runners up

Biliary neoplasm, OXaliplatin, Fluorouracil Folinic acid nal‐Irinotecan ChemothErapy for late / advanced tumours (BOXOFFICE) – Dr Andrew Dean

A Feasibility Study using Mfolfirinox And STEreotactic Radiotherapy for Pancreatic cancer with Locally AdvaNced disease (MASTERPLAN) – Dr Andrew Oar

A Randomised, Multicentre, Open label Phase II Study of novel formulation Deflexifol in combination with Oxaliplatin (Delox) vs FOLFOX in subjects with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer – Professor Phillip Clingan

The 2017 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Specialised Therapeutics.

Best New Concept – Winner

Inducing immunogenicity in rectal cancer: A Phase I/II trial of aspirin +/- PD1 inhibitor in combination with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: The INTIMACCI study (Inducing Tumour IMmunogenicity with Asprin, chemoradiation and Checkpoint Inhibition) – Associate Professor Eva Segelov

The 2016 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Specialised Therapeutics.

2015 winner: Prof Rob Ramsay

Best New Concept – Winner

Vaccination against Adenoid cystic and Colorectal Carcinoma Using MYB cDNA – VACCUMeD clinical trial – Immune Modulatory Therapy in Colorectal and Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma – Professor Rob Ramsay

Best New Concept – Runners up

Managing bowel symptoms after colorectal cancer: an online dietary advice intervention – Associate Professor Barbara Mullan and Dr Haryana Dhillon

The 2015 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Specialised Therapeutics.

Best New Concept – Winner

A randomised Phase 2/3 study of Infusional FU/LV with panitumumab V FU/LV/capecitabine with bevacizumab as first line therapy for never resectable, RAS and RAF wild type metastatic colorectal cancer – Dr Matthew Burge

Best New Concept – Runner up

A phase II, single arm, multi-site study utilizing ctDNA to prospectively determine the evolution of cetuximab resistance prior to radiologic progression in metastatic colorectal cancer – Dr David Lau

The 2014 New Concepts Symposium was proudly sponsored by Specialised Therapeutics.