This International Clinical Trials Day, we celebrate the extraordinary patients who make medical breakthroughs possible—including one of the oldest teletrial participants on record, 98-year-old Veronica Leeman, who is proving you are never too old to help make medical history.
Born in 1928, Mrs Leeman’s lifetime parallels the very origins of research at Mater. In the same decade she was born, Sister Mary Chanel England purchased a second-hand microscope, launching a legacy of scientific inquiry that laid the groundwork for the world-class institute that Mater Research is today. Now, almost a century later, Mrs Leeman is both a beneficiary of that enduring research culture and an active pioneer shaping its future.
Diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in 2020, she was treated with immunotherapy. Because of the clinical trial participants who came before her, this treatment was an established standard of care that "gifted" her five precious years with her family that she otherwise would not have had.
Today, as that immunotherapy has stopped working, Mrs Leeman is paying it forward by enrolling in the MedCan3 clinical trial, led by Professor Phillip Good. The trial is investigating the efficacy of medicinal cannabis in managing advanced cancer symptoms.
To make participation as seamless as possible, the Mater Research Palliative and Supportive Care team enrolled Mrs Leeman into a teletrial, arranging for her clinic visits to be moved closer to home at Mater Private Hospital Redland.
Her decision to participate came as a surprise to her daughter, Margaret Normyle, who is a nurse at the hospital.
“I was shocked when I learnt she was willing to give medicinal marijuana a go,” Mrs Normyle said.
“It was very surprising, but I thought, if it gives her some quality of life, anything goes!”
Mrs Normyle said as a nurse, she sees firsthand how research serves as the vital link to advancing knowledge, improving patients' quality of life, and reducing suffering.
“A lot of treatments that are lifesaving have been possible because of research. Mum's immunotherapy is a good example of this—thanks to some very clever researchers and people willing to go on clinical trials to help others, we have been given five years of time with her that is priceless.”
From a second-hand microscope in the 1920s to cutting-edge clinical trials in 2026, healthcare relies on the continuum of research. This International Clinical Trials Day, we honour the researchers who lead these studies, the past patients whose participation gave Mrs Leeman more time, and the incredible current patients who are paving the way for the treatments of tomorrow.
