Biography

A/Prof Kerry Taylor is an experienced clinical haematologist at Icon Cancer Centre South Brisbane and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland. His particular clinical interest is the area of malignant blood disorders incorporating myeloma, leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes.

A/Prof Taylor trained at the University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, and the Alfred, Melbourne. He did postgraduate work in the USA in Baltimore and Houston where he pioneered supportive care approaches in autologous transplantation and the use of molecular techniques to unravel cell lineage in leukaemia.

Since his return to Australia, A/Prof Taylor has played a critical role in research into and management of malignant blood disorders at a local, state and national level. He took up the post of director of haematology at the Mater Hospital. He established a molecular genetic laboratory on campus to facilitate diagnosis and monitoring of malignant blood diseases. Together with Dr Robyn Rodwell, he established Queensland’s first Cord Blood Bank in 1995, allowing that source of stem cells (umbilical) to be utilised in patients who could not find donors. Together with Dr Tim Hughes (Adelaide), he played a critical role in the use of Glivec in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia, participating in a key international study (New England Journal of Medicine 2003 and 2006) which changed the way that disease is managed. He has extensive ongoing research experience and is currently involved with many trials examining new therapies in multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

A/Prof Taylor held the position of chairman of the HOCA Research Centre (now Icon Cancer Foundation) until March 2010. At a national level, A/Prof Taylor has been President of the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand. In addition he has had key administrative roles within the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.

A/Prof Taylor was most recently the Carl de Gruchy Orator at Blood 2018, the combined Annual Scientific Meeting of the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion and Thrombosis, and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand.