St Vincents Private Hospitals

Biography

Caroline is a senior clinical leader and researcher recognised for exceptional distinction within the field of Breast Surgery. She obtained her MBBS from Melbourne University in 1985, then did her fellowship training through St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne gaining her FRACS in 1994 in General Surgery. She then spent the next 5 years in the UK, initially broadening her experience in all surgical areas and then subspecialising in the emerging field of breast surgery, spending 12 months at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London, the UK's pre-eminent cancer hospital.

On her return, Caroline led the Breast Unit at Austin Health for seven years and since 2017 has been Director of Breast Surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital and St Vincent’s BreastScreen, where she has overseen the redevelopment and re-invigoration of the St Vincent’s Breast Cancer service.  

Caroline is a foundation member and current President of BreastSurgANZ, the national breast surgeons' representative group within Australia. She is a long-term member of the Australasian Society of Breast Diseases, a founding member of Melbourne's Breast Surgeons Journal Club and has been a member of the Australian and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG, now known as Breast Cancer Trials), entering patients in international clinical trials since 1996. There is known to be a clearcut survival advantage to patients who are offered access to clinical trials, and we will continue to support this in the future at VBOC. 

Caroline regularly teaches and lectures medical students from the University of Melbourne, junior doctors and registrars training through The University of Melbourne, lymphoedema practitioners, nurses and volunteers within the Breast Cancer Network of Australia. 

Caroline is married to Paul, who thankfully is not a doctor but rather an architectural draftsman! She has a much-loved daughter, Alice.