Professor Loi is a Medical Oncologist specialized in breast cancer treatment as well as a clinician scientist (group leader) with expertise in genomics, immunology and drug development at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia. She is recognised internationally as a leading clinician scientist whose work has led to new insights into the breast cancer immunology field as well as leading international clinical trials in breast cancer immunotherapy.Her ground-breaking research primarily focuses on characterizing the immune infiltrate in breast cancer, understanding its clinical significance, and uncovering the molecular intricacies of immune subsets concerning treatment resistance and long-term protection against recurrence. Her goal is to develop innovative immune approaches for breast cancer patients.She spent nearly a decade doing a PhD and post-doc in Europe. She subsequently returned to a tenured position in Melbourne, Australia at the start of 2013 to begin her career as an independent group leader and clinical position as a medical oncologist in the Breast Service, as well as leading the Breast Oncology Trials unit since 2016.Loi is co-chair of the Swiss based international breast cancer study group (IBCSG) as well as a non-Executive Director and Scientific Committee Member of Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) Australian and New Zealand breast cancer cooperative trials group.She is a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.Her research has earned her numerous accolades, including induction into the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS 2018), and the State of Victoria Honor Roll (2022), the Prime Minister’s Award for Life Scientist of the Year (2021), and the prestigious Jian Zhou Medal from AAHMS (2021). She has also received numerous international awards, including the American Academy of Cancer Research (AACR) Outstanding Investigator for Breast Cancer Research (2020); the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Breast Cancer Award (2020), and the Bruce Cain New Zealand Oncology award (2019). In 2017, Loi became the inaugural recipient of a National Breast Cancer of Australia Endowed Chair, highlighting her far-reaching impact on the field of breast cancer immunotherapy.
