Meet Anna Nowak, Ph.D.
Asbestos Researcher & Expert ReviewerProfessor Anna Nowak is an internationally renowned asbestos researcher and an advocate for mesothelioma patients and asbestos victims worldwide. She is the associate dean of research and deputy executive dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at The University of Western Australia.
Last modified: December 20, 2022
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Certifications:Board Certified in Medical Oncology
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Expertise:Malignant Mesothelioma
Clinical Trials
Tumor Immunology
Tumor Response Imaging
About Anna Nowak, Ph.D.
Anna Nowak, Ph.D., is one of the most recognized and celebrated researchers in asbestos science. She currently serves as director of the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases at The University of Western Australia.
Nowak’s years working as a medical oncologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and as a professor at The University of Western Australia School of Medicine have led to significant progress for those affected by asbestos everywhere.
For her extraordinary contributions to mesothelioma research, Nowak received the Wagner Award in October 2021. The prize honors John Christopher Wagner, a pioneering South African research pathologist who first linked asbestos with pleural mesothelioma in 1960.
“What I’m most excited about is seeing the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy move into completed clinical trials and international clinical trials,” said Nowak after receiving the prize. “The hope is that this combination will offer a better treatment than chemotherapy on its own.”
In 1990, Nowak completed her medical training at UWA. She later attained a Ph.D. in tumor immunology at UWA in 2003 and completed medical oncology training (FRACP) in 2000. For decades, her research work and clinical focus have been malignant mesothelioma and neuro-oncology.
Nowak was invited to the Cancer Council Western Australia in 2020 and won the WA Cancer Researcher of the Year award in 2018. She also won the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Pioneer Award (U.S.A.) in 2017. In 2014, Nowak won the Emeritus Professor Eric G. Saint Memorial Award for excellence in research and care in asbestos diseases.
At UWA, Nowak supervises Ph.D. and postgraduate medical students through clinical-based teaching, mentoring, research projects, lectures and evidence-based medicine. Nowak is an instructor passionate about sensitive patient-doctor interactions who supports women in oncology and science.
Professor Nowak’s Role as Reviewer on Asbestos.com
Nowak’s years of mesothelioma research and clinical trial knowledge qualify her as an expert reviewer for asbestos content at The Mesothelioma Center. Thanks to her informed reviews, asbestos information and content remain factually correct, current and consistent across Asbestos.com.
