Nico van Zandwijk

Professor Emeritus Nico van Zandwijk, MD, PhD, FRACP, FCCP, serves as a thoracic oncologist and Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, within the Concord Clinical School. He earned his MD in 1973 and PhD in 1976 from the University of Amsterdam, where his doctoral thesis addressed pulmonary injury elicited by chemotherapeutic agents. Early in his career in the Netherlands, he founded and led the Department of Thoracic Oncology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, establishing himself as a leader in the field.

Relocating to Australia in 2008, Professor van Zandwijk joined the University of Sydney and held key appointments at Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, and as Director of the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) until January 2017. His research specializes in thoracic oncology, focusing on asbestos-related lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and related biomarkers and therapies. He is recognized for emphasizing that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic. Among his contributions, he has secured significant research funding, including $3.5 million in 2012 for asbestos-related cancer studies. Professor van Zandwijk has authored over 180 publications, with key works including 'A multidisciplinary review of several aspects of Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer (ARLC)' (2024), 'Asbestos-related cancers: the 'Hidden Killer' remains a global threat' (2020), 'Editorial: Emerging Therapies for Malignant Mesothelioma' (2020), 'Prognostic Significance of 99mTc Hynic-rh-Annexin V Scintigraphy during Chemoradiotherapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer' (2006), and contributions to serum osteopontin discussions in asbestos-exposed populations (2005). His scholarship has advanced understanding of asbestos diseases, influencing global health policy and clinical oncology practices. As a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP), he maintains active involvement in research through the Sydney Local Health District.

Professional Email: nico.vanzandwijk@sydney.edu.au