Emeritus Professor Robert Alexander (‘Frank’) Gardiner is a retired academic urologist with an honorary consultant urological appointment at Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and remains based at University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research for his ongoing research activities. For his international, national and community service activities, research achievements and clinical commitments, he was honoured as a Member, Order of Australia (AM) in 2010, received a Medal & Certificate of Outstanding Service to Fellowship by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2012 (again in 2022) and, in 2014, was presented with a Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Distinguished Research Award and made a Fellow Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand.

EP Gardiner was the first to demonstrate the lymph drainage of the human prostate using lymphoscintigraphy, developed and published new surgical techniques and undertook the first dendritic cell vaccine studies in prostate cancer in Australia (including one Randomised Controlled Trial) and, in the quest for an early non-invasive diagnostic test for prostate cancer, reported the presence of abnormal prostatic cells in ejaculate of 75% of men with prostate cancer. Since 2000, with colleagues, he initiated 3 unique and actively participated in the genesis and running of 6 completed and published randomised controlled trials (RCTs)in South East Queensland including the only RCTs on which he is the Principal Investigator of cognition and androgen deprivation therapy and, more recently, robotic and open prostatectomy.

His clinical work has almost exclusively been as a consultant urologist at RBWH from 1980 to 2016. During this time, he served as Head of the Urology Unit and Head of the University Department of Surgery. Among other duties, he undertook 7 public clinical sessions per week for the first 19 of these years. He currently is an adjunct professor at Edith Cowan University and previously held adjunct professorial appointments at Griffith University and with Queensland University of Technology.

In addition to roles in formulating prostate cancer guidelines nationally and internationally, EP Gardiner has been an editorial board member of 7 peer-reviewed international journals fulfilling roles as sub-editor and section editor in two and associate editor in another. Between 2005 and 2012, he initiated and instigated Fingertip Urology (FTU) with international colleagues via BJU International (BJUI). FTU was designed to provide props for patient consultations together with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Urologists world-wide, being a one-stop shop for up-to-date information for contemporary Urological Practice via the internet. The free primary slides, in particular, consistently received many hits with this initiative firmly establishing the educational credentials of the BJUI journal. Its successor, BJUI Knowledge, is widely accepted as CPD for urologists throughout the world.

EP Gardiner was invited to the closed membership of the Urological Research Society in 1997 and served as its president in 2009. As well as being a member of a WHO-sponsored committee in 2000, he was a Foundation Member of Executive of Academic Surgeons of Asia 2000 and was a Member of the Advisory Board of the Asian Pacific Prostate Society (APPS) from 2011: he convened the APPS’ annual scientific meeting in Australia in 2013.

Among other commitments, EP Gardiner was a member of Board of Councillors, Cancer Council Queensland 2004-2015 and a member, Board of Directors, Cancer Council Australia 2010-14: he is honoured to be Patron of the Redlands Branch of Cancer Council Queensland. He was a member from 2008 and served as chairman, Medical & Scientific Research Committee, Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia in 2013, was chairman, Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, Cancer Council Queensland 2006-15 and chairman and member of Executive, Viertel Cancer Research Centre 2006-15.

From 2001-2019, EP Gardiner was a member of the Board of Andrology Australia and was an Advisory Board Member of its successor, Healthy Male until the end of 2021. He continues as a reviewer of the Question Bank, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons first part examination in Pathology having re-joined in 2016: previously, he was a member of the Pathology Committee 2001-2012 (chairman for the last 3 years) and, for 2 years, a member of the Urology Examination (first part) Committees of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Currently, he is also a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Research Foundation.

Qualifications

1991           MD (thesis) University of Queensland
1969           MB BS University of Queensland
1981           Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
1973           Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons (England)
 

Most recent appointments and commitments

  • Convenor, RACS Senior Surgeons’ Section RACS ASM Brisbane 3rd May 2022
  • Member, Research Advisory Committee, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital 2019-
  • Director, Frontier Foundation, Brisbane. Pty, Ltd 2019
  • Chairman, Human Ethics Committee Aquesta Pathology 2018
  • Invited Reviewer GSSE Question Bank, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 2016-
  • Patron, Redlands Branch of Cancer Council Queensland 2016-
  • Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Medicine University of Queensland 2017-
  • Professor of Urology (Personal Chair) University of Queensland 2005-2016
  • Adjunct Professor, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia 2013-
  • Consultant Urologist, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, 1979-2016
  • Honorary Consultant Urologist, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital 2017-
  • Fellow Urological Research Society 2005- (Member 1997-2005: President, 2009)
  • Chairman, Medical & Scientific Research Committee, Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia 2013
  • Chairman, Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, Cancer Council Queensland 2006-15
  • Chairman and member of Executive, Viertel Cancer Research Centre 2006-15: member 2016
  • Chairman, Queensland Head & Neck Cancer Centre Independent Scientific Advisory Board 2012-2013
  • Member, Urology Exam (First part) Committee for Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 2012-3
  • Member, NHMRC Expert Advisory Committee Evaluating the Evidence for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Testing 2012-3
  • Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital Distinguished Research Medal October 2014
  • Member, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia & Cancer Council Australia Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Guidelines Committee 2012-5
  • Member, Lead Advisory Group, Prostate Cancer Survivorship Research Centre, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia & Griffith University 2013
  • Reviewer Australian Medical Handbook – Australian Prescriber
  • Member, Board of Councillors, Cancer Council Queensland 2004-2015
  • Member, Board of Directors, Cancer Council Australia 2010-14
  • Member of Advisory Board of Andrology Australia 2001-2019
  • Member of Advisory Board Healthy Male 2019-2022
  • Member, Advisory Board, Asian Pacific Prostate Society 2011-
  • Member the Executive Committee of the Australian Prostate Cancer Collaboration 2001
  • Membership of Editorial Boards of international journals
    • BJU International (resigned 2016)
    • Urologic Oncology: seminars and original investigations
    • World Journal of Urology (resigned 2018)
    • Korean Journal of Urology (now Investigative & Clinical Urology)
    • Prostate International (Associate Editor)
    • Urological Research (1985-92)
    • Section Editor, Urology, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery (1992-2009)
  • Advocate Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Scientific Convenor, Asian Pacific Prostate Society ASM, Melbourne 2013
  • Consultant, Swinfen Charitable Trust 2009-

Select roles and previous achievements

  • Principal, Organising Committee for 50th Reunion of graduation in Medicine at UQ 2019
  • Member, Organising Committee for 45th Reunion of graduation in Medicine at UQ 2014
  • Instigated and appointed editor of a web-based resource through BJU International webpage, FingerTip Urology, designed to provide props for patient consultations together with CPD for Urologists world-wide in addition to being a one-stop shop for up-to-date information for contemporary Urological Practice 2005-2012
  • Member, Australian Cancer Network Working Party for the development of Clinical Practice 2008-10
  • Guidelines for the Management of Advanced Prostate Cancer 2008-2010
  • Member of WHO-sponsored committee, Stockholm 2000
  • Member, Steering Committee, Australian Genito-urinary Trials Group 2001
  • Trustee, Paul Bolton Foundation 1999-2004
  • Sub-editor of Urology Section of Australia New Zealand Journal of Surgery 1992-2009
  • Member of Queensland State Committee, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 1998-2003
  • Member of Ethics Committee, University of Queensland Dental School 1987-2002
  • Member of Editorial Board, Urological Research Journal 1985-1992
  • Member, International Board of Maritime Healthcare 2000-2003
  • Member, Specialist Advisory Committee for Overseas Doctors for Health Insurance Commission 2001-2003
  • The Australasian member of GU-Global Trials Group 2000-2005
  • Foundation Member of Executive of Academic Surgeons of Asia 2000
  • Member of Medical and Scientific Committee, Australian Kidney Foundation 1986-1999
  • Member, Specialist Advisory Committee, Health Insurance Commission 2001-2005
  • Member, Research Advisory Committee, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia 2007-13
  • Chairman (2005), NHMRC Clinical Careers Development Awards Committee (member 2003-2006)
  • Head of Department of Surgery, University of Queensland 1998-2001
  • Head of Unit, Department of Urology, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital 1996-1999
  • President, RMO Society Royal Brisbane Hospital 1975                                                              
  • Secretary to Junior Hospital Doctors’ Mess, Kent & Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury, Kent, 1971-2

Awards

2022        RACS Medal & Certificate of Outstanding Service to Fellowship
2010        Member, Order of Australia (AM)
2014        Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Distinguished Research Award
2014        Frank Gardiner Award instituted for highest score in SSE (Urol) of Australian and New Zealand Urology trainees by Board of Urological Society of Australian & New Zealand
2014        Fellow Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand
2012        RACS Medal & Certificate of Outstanding Service to Fellowship
2008-9    Bruce Pearson Fellow, Australasian Urological Foundation
2008        Paul Bolton Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
2008        British Association of Urological Surgeons Prize for the best paper at Urological Society of Australia & New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting
2004-6    Bruce Pearson Fellow, Australasian Urological Foundation
2002        Alban Gee Prize for best scientific poster, Urological Society Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting
1999         William Rudder Travelling Fellow, Queensland Cancer Fund
1995        Alban Gee Prize for best scientific poster, Urological Society Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting
1987        Alban Gee Prize for best scientific poster, Urological Society Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting
1985        Award for best scientific poster, Urological Society Australasia, Annual Scientific Meeting
 

Research activities

EP Gardiner pioneered urological research in Queensland such that Brisbane is recognised internationally for innovative studies in urology. He was the first to demonstrate the lymph drainage of the human prostate using lymphoscintigraphy, undertook the first dendritic cell vaccine studies in prostate cancer in Australia (including one Randomised Controlled Trial) and has promoted the use of seminal fluid in the very early detection of prostate cancer which led to development of the Progensa™ PCA3 test by Canadian and Dutch colleagues. Since 2000, with colleagues, he initiated 3 unique and actively participated in the genesis and running of 6 completed and published randomised controlled trials (RCTs)I n South- East Queensland including the only RCT of robotic and open prostatectomy on which he is the Principal investigator. Currently, he is working with colleagues at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland in developing non-invasive tests for prostate and other cancers.

Some recent grants

Movember: A Phase II randomised controlled trial of high dose vitamin D in localised prostate cancer with intermediate risk of progression. Gurney H, Nair-Shalliker V, Smith D, Gebski V, Patel M, Frydenberg M, Gardiner RA, Kimlin M, Fenech M, Gillatt D. $1 040 370: 2016-20

NHMRC: ASTROID: Active Surveillance and other treatment options for prostate cancer. Schofield P, Juraskova I, Frydenberg M, Chambers S, Gordon L, Gardiner RA.  $749 704: 2015-2021

Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital Foundation. Combined TMPRSS2:ERG PCA3 and SChLAP1 RNA in Urine for selective detection of Aggressive Prostate Cancer. Yaxley J, Koo K, Trau M, Roberts M, Coughlin G, Gianduzzo T, Lavin M, Gardiner R, Mainwaring. $500 000: 2019-24.

NHMRC: Centre for Research Excellence in Prostate Cancer Survivorship. Chambers SK, Newton R, Scuffham P, Baade P, Galvão D, Dunn J, Smith D, Wittert G, Davis I, Gardiner RA (Frank). $$2,498,842. 2016-20.

NHMRC: Improving sexual health in men with prostate cancer: a randomised controlled trial of exercise and psychosocial therapies. Galvao D, Chambers SK, Newton R, Gardiner RA, Cormie P, Spry N, Taafe D, Joseph D, Hamilton. $561 845. 2014-7

Cancer Council Queensland Strategic Research Partnership: A randomised controlled trial of open and robotic prostatectomy: Integrated multidisciplinary studies to guide patient management. Gardiner RA, Chambers SK, Dunglison N, Yaxley J, Occhipinto S, Carter R, Williams S, Lavin MF. $1 490 000: 2008-17

Other publications

Books

1.  Gardiner RA. Book: An Insider’s Perspective of Prostate Cancer: Understanding Effects, Management Options and Consequences. Elsevier Academic Press (3 September 2022) ASIN: BOBD7T3XX2. Page numbers source ISBN: 0443187096.

2. Gardiner RA (1990). Thesis: Experimental development of a reliable technique for replacing damaged segments of upper ureters using autologous urinary tract. Awarded MD by University of Queensland, 14/12/1990.

Journal articles

1. Robinson H, Roberts MJ, Gardiner RA, Hill MM. Extracellular vesicles for precision medicine in prostate cancer – Is it ready for clinical translation?  Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2023 Feb; 89:18-29. doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.01.003 https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:e787db5

2. Yaxley WJ, Mackean J, Desai DJ, Tsang G, Dixon J, Samaratunga H, Delahunt B, Egevad L, Gardiner RA, Yaxley JW. Oncological and urinary outcomes following low‐dose‐rate brachytherapy with a median follow‐up of 11.8 years. BJU Int. 2022 Nov;130 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):40-45. doi: 10.1111/bju.15845  https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:48869f2

3. Schofield P, Gough K, Hyatt A, White A, Frydenberg M, Chambers S, Gordon LG, Gardiner R, Murphy DG, Cavedon L, Richards N, Murphy B, Quinn S, Juraskova I. Correction to: Navigate: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of an online treatment decision aid for men with low-risk prostate cancer and their partners. Trials. 2021 Jan 27;22(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05070-6.

4. Gardiner RA (2002). Updates in Medicine: Urology. Invited manuscript. Med J Aust 2002; 176 (1): || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04275.x https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2002/176/1/urology   

5. GalvãoDA, NewtonRU, ChambersSK, SpryN, Joseph D, GardinerRA, FairmanCM, TaaffeDR. Psychological Distress in Men with Prostate Cancer Undertaking Androgen Deprivation Therapy: Modifying Effects of Exercise from a Year-long Randomised Controlled Trial. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. 2021 Sep;24(3):758-766. doi: 10.1038/s41391-021-00327-2. Epub 2021 Feb 8

6. Correction to: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT tumour intensity pre-operatively predicts adverse pathological outcomes and progression-free survival in localised prostate cancer. Roberts MJ, Morton A, Donato P, Kyle S, Pattison DA, Thomas P, Coughlin G, Esler R, Dunglison N, Gardiner RA, Doi SA, Emmett L, Yaxley J. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2021 Feb;48(2):655-656 doi: 10.1007/s00259-020-04983-9