Minoti Apte named as Woman of the Year 2015 in New South Wales

Indian pancreatic cancer researcher in Australia, Minoti Apte has been named as New South Wales (NSW) Woman of the year 2015 for her enormous contributions to medical research, tertiary education and the Indian community.  She received the award from NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Women Pru Goward.

Minoti Apte

• Apte is a Professor of Medicine at the South Western Sydney Clinical School of the University of New South Wales. 
• Apte is a very active member of the Marathi Association of Sydney, which is an organisation that serves Indian population residing in Sydney. 
• Last year, Apte was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her services to medical research. 
• Apte is director of the Pancreatic Research Group, which is based at Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. 
• Apte was the first person in the world to develop a method to isolate pancreatic stellate cells.
• Apte investigates pancreatic cancer at a cellular level to find out how and why the cancer is so aggressive and spreads so quickly.

Pancreatic Cancer

• Pancreatic Cancer occurs in Pancreas in which the cells in the organ begin to multiply in an uncontrollable manner and form a mass. 
• Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include tobacco smoking, obesity, diabetes, and certain rare genetic conditions.
• Pancreas is an endocrine gland present in the abdominal cavity behind the stomach.  
• Pancreas secretes hormones such as insulin, glucagon, pancreatin polypeptide, and also digestive enzymes & Pancreatic juice.  
• The Pancreas is about 15 cm long.