Women have taken out all four spots in the Jeanie Ferris Awards for their commitment to driving significant advances in equity for Australians affected by cancer. The award recipients include Lisa Briggs, Margaret Heffernan OAM, Professor Gail Garvey AM and Associate Professor Mei Ling Yap.
Established in 2013, the Jeannie Ferries Award is a prestigious honour celebrating those who have made a notable and enduring mark on cancer care, support and outcomes.
The awards were created in honour of the late Senator Jeannie Ferris, who sadly passed away from gynaecological cancer in 2007.
Professor Gail Garvey AM
A proud Kamilaroi woman, Professor Garvey was recognised for her internationally acclaimed leadership in Indigenous health research.
With more than 30 years dedicated to improving cancer and wellbeing outcomes for Australia’s First Nations peoples, she has developed culturally safe, patient-centred tools that have transformed cancer care, founded the World Indigenous Cancer Conference, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024.
Professor Garvey said she was “honoured to receive the 2025 Jeannie Ferris Award”.
“This recognition inspires me to continue advancing to close the gap in cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through culturally safe, community-driven care.”
This week, at Parliament House, the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Disability and the NDIS, named the 2025 recipients of the awards.
Read more about the recipients of the Jeannie Ferris Awards Here.
