Professor Monica Slavin

Citation for the Brownless Medal Award

Infectious diseases physician and clinical scientist, Professor Monica Slavin MBBS, FRACP, MD, FAAHMS, FECMM, is an internationally recognised change agent who has made an enduring commitment in her field of expertise, bringing about significant and lasting change that has improved outcomes for cancer patients nationally and internationally. As an alumna of the University of Melbourne (MBBS, MD) and current Chair of Infection in Cancer and Transplantation MMS, she has led transformational change in identifying risk factors and improving early diagnosis and prevention of infection in patients whose immune systems are compromised through the establishment of the National Centre for Infections in Cancer CRE, Synergy and leadership grants to continue to drive change in how infections in the immunocompromised host are prevented, diagnosed and managed. Moreover, she is an exceptional role model and mentor; universally praised for her grace, persistence, and determination in lifting the visibility of junior clinicians and researchers who she supervises.

Professor Slavin has made many, and lasting, contributions to research and clinical medicine. Her research has changed clinical practice and resulted in new management guidelines and the translation of new diagnostic tests into practice. As a principal investigator and protocol design committee member for numerous clinical trials she has facilitated access to emerging antifungal therapies for many Australians. She is a founding member of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases Mycoses Interest Group (ANZMIG), which under her leadership has defined the epidemiology of fungal infections in Australia (20 publications spanning epidemiology, susceptibility, and whole genome sequencing).

She has chaired the writing groups for the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases consensus guidelines for the use of antifungal agents for many years. The 2008 guidelines were independently rated most highly of all international guidelines and are referenced widely in Australia and beyond. In 2019 she delivered the Antimicrobial Society of Australia Howard Florey Oration and in 2022 was invited to become a lifetime Fellow of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology in recognition of her lifetime achievements in mycology. In 2023 she received a lifetime membership award from ASID in recognition of her contribution to teaching, mentoring, research and delivered the opening keynote lecture at the European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen, attended by 15,000 delegates, on the diagnosis and management of infections in the immunocompromised host.

Professor Slavin is a dedicated and committed mentor to the next generation of clinical scientists. Amongst her mentees she counts three full Professors and three Associate Professors. Her students won the University of Melbourne’s Chancellor’s prize for best PhD thesis, health sciences in 2018 and 2019 and, in the same years, the Victorian Premier’s prize for clinical research. Six of her recent PhD students have been awarded NHMRC or Victorian Cancer Agency (VCA) early career fellowships/investigator grants to progress their research careers.

In summary, Professor Slavin’s guiding ethos is patient-centred care and this is reflected in her absolute focus on changing clinical practice to improve outcomes. She has one vision and that is to create the best paradigms of patient management based on innovative and transformative research. Her research, her ability to design, test and implement new standards in managing patients that have compromised immune systems and infections will continue to improve the lives of countless people. Professor Slavin’s passionate quest to help the most vulnerable patients and indeed her achievements in this area must be lauded at the highest level. She is a remarkable person, clinician, scientist, and distinguished member of our community that should, without doubt be recognised with this Brownless medal.