Smarter cancer trials: Dr Wei Hong wins 2025 TJ Martin Medal

Clinical trials are essential for medical progress, but they can be slow, costly and sometimes expose patients to less effective treatments. Dr Wei Hong, a medical oncologist, biostatistician, and recent PhD graduate, has shown there’s a smarter way.

In his award-winning PhD, Dr Hong explored how Bayesian adaptive trial designs can make cancer trials more efficient and ethical. These designs allow researchers to adjust the trial as it progresses, stopping early if results are clear, or allocating more patients to better treatments.

Using three real-world oncology trials, Dr Hong and his team built simulation software to test thousands of design options. The results were compelling:

• Smaller trials, stronger results: Adaptive designs reduced the number of patients needed or increased the chance of detecting a real benefit.
• Better patient outcomes: Adaptive randomisation helped steer patients away from less effective treatments.

Dr Hong’s work earned him the prestigious TJ (Jack) Martin Medal, awarded annually for the best PhD or MD thesis at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.

The medal is named after Professor Jack Martin AO FRS, the former Director of SVI (1988 – 2002) and Professor of Medicine at SVHM (1987 – 1998), who was recognised for his groundbreaking contributions to medical research, particularly in bone tumours and osteoporosis.

It celebrates excellence in medical innovation during St Vincent’s Melbourne Research Week.