Surgeon. Scientist. Artist. Mother. In consulting, Anannya blends her depth of experience in all of these fields to provide the most comprehensive, contemporary, aesthetic and empathetic strategies to help guide her patients through their journey- tailored to ensure the most suitable outcome.
Anannya, born in the UK and brought up in Australia, obtained her medical degree in 2005 with a distinction in Surgery from the University of Otago. Her journey as a surgeon began in reputable tertiary training centres in Australia, including The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital and Monash Hospitals. She qualified as a General Surgeon in 2017, and completed the BreastSurg ANZ accredited postfellowship subspecialty training program in 2020 at Robina Oncoplastic Breast Unit, Gold Coast and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. She has also been selected to complete a Royal Australasian College of Surgeons funded European oncoplastic fellowship with Dr Krishna Clough, Paris, European Institute of Oncology, Milan and with Professor Mike Dixon, in Edinburgh.
Anannya’s experience as a scientist is no less comprehensive and is central to her life. Early projects during surgical training, within the world renowned Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), included studies in triple negative breast cancers, and was followed by a hiatus into basic scientific research for a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) undertaken at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in collaboration with Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), looking at mechanism of tumour metastasis, evasion and long term dormancy. She was a part of the National EMPathy project and her laboratory research allowed great proficiency in cell culture techniques, molecular biology and diagnostics with application into translational and clinical research. The findings were presented at national and international meetings with numerous scholarships and awards recognising the value and novelty of the work. Of note, National awards include AVANT New Fellow Medical Research Grant, Breast Cancer Trials Group Medal, Lorne Cancer Research Prize, RACS Breast Surgery Section Prize and Australian Postgraduate Award, Foundation of Surgery Research scholarships, Cancer Australia project grants. Anannya’s interest lies in recurrence and resistance and has current ongoing collaborations present with laboratories within the Olivia Newton John Cancer Centre, the VCCC and she holds an honorary VMO research position with Lifehouse in Sydney and sits on an advisory board for Roche. She has also been involved with the NHMRC, having been a grant reviewer previously.
Anannya has also held numerous leadership roles, early as a co-chair of the JMO forum, providing a voice for the direction and rights of junior medical staff in early training, and has been a teacher and mentor to medical students and surgical trainees. She has also been a keen sportsman, representing teams at a state and national level in her youth, and has had a creative foray into makeup and fashion. Perhaps what Anannya is most proud of is her family- her supportive husband and three young children. Not only do they bring great joy to her life, but they also keep her grounded and remind her of the important blessings life has to give.
