John Curtin Distinguished Emeritus Professor Lin Fritschi has been awarded the 2026 Professor Bruce Armstrong Cancer Research Career Achievement Award, one of Western Australia’s highest research honours, recognising her leadership, mentorship, and lifelong contribution to cancer research.
A cancer epidemiologist and public health physician, Professor Fritschi has spent decades studying how workplace exposures cause cancer, with her research helping reduce exposure to carcinogens and prevent cancer before it develops.
Cancer Council WA CEO, Ashley Reid, said the outcomes of her work exemplify the incredible impact and life-saving changes that a career of cancer research can bring about, and demonstrate the importance of ongoing cancer research funding.
“Professor Fritschi’s work has been pivotal in improving worker safety in Western Australia while also influencing policy nationally and internationally,” Mr Reid said.
“She has delivered tangible benefits through research that has changed practice and prevented harm.
Her career shows that WA research can shape policy, strengthen workplace safety, and prevent cancer around the world.
Professor Fritschi has led landmark occupational cancer studies and developed OccIDEAS, a web-based tool now used internationally to assess exposure to carcinogens.
Her work has also helped inform Australian workplace safety policy, including contributing to the evidence supporting the national ban on engineered stone.
Mr Reid said Professor Fritschi’s legacy extends well beyond her own research.
“Professor Fritschi has supervised more than 30 research students and mentored numerous early career researchers, many now working in cancer prevention and public health,” he said.
“She has built the next generation of researchers and public health professionals who will continue this work for decades to come.”
Mr Reid said Cancer Council WA’s research funding program was only possible through the generosity of the WA community and the support of the State Government.
“In 2025/26, together we contributed more than $4.1 million towards cancer research taking place right here in WA,” he said.
We congratulate Professor Fritschi and all of this year’s funding recipients, and we thank the community and State Government for helping us work towards a cancer free future.
The successful recipients of Cancer Council WA’s 2026 Research Funding Program were recognised on Friday 18 September at The Westin Perth, celebrating the achievements of WA’s leading cancer researchers.
Further Research Excellence Award recipients
2026 Cancer Researcher of the Year
Dr Bo He cancer researcher at The University of Western Australia and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, has been named Cancer Council WA’s 2026 Cancer Researcher of the Year for his pioneering work improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Dr He and his team have discovered that by reprogramming cells surrounding tumour blood vessels, it was possible to create pathways for immune cells to enter and attack cancer. Around 80 per cent of cancer patients do not respond to immunotherapy because there are too few immune cells inside their tumours. The research creates immune ‘training hubs’ inside tumours where immune cells can gather, learn to recognise cancer, and coordinate a stronger attack. This approach is giving WA patients early access to a promising new treatment strategy and represents an important step towards more effective cancer therapies.
2026 Early Career Cancer Researcher of the Year
Dr Allison Barraclough from South Metropolitan Health Services, Fiona Stanley Hospital, is a passionate cancer researcher with a strong track record in lymphoma research. At the core of her passion is the drive to constantly improve the patient experience and treatment outcomes. She is the lead of a national investigator initiated lymphoma study (ALLG), the primary investigator for multiple lymphoma clinical trials and the recipient of two NHMRC grants. Her advocacy and outreach work is evident through involvement as a committee member of Lymphoma Australia, ALLG and Lymphoma registry. She is a founding member of the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance. She completed a PhD in novel approaches to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma.
View all 2026 successful cancer researchers and projects.
