Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)

Nicole Scobie

Nicole is a parent of a childhood cancer survivor and advocates for better treatment access and the development of improved therapies for all children. She is Chair of the ACCELERATE Board and long-serving member of its Scientific Steering Committee, and was a founding member of Zoé4life, a Swiss non-profit supporting children with cancer, their families, and research. With extensive experience in incorporating patient perspectives into research strategies and clinical trial design, Nicole is a founding member of the ITCC and SIOPEN Advocate Committees. She serves on the board of CAC2, an international childhood cancer umbrella organization, and is a member of CCI-Europe’s R&I committee.

Laurence Hibbert

Laurence is the father of Rhys who was diagnosed in 2008 with acute myeloid leukaemia at 18 months of age.  Rhys was an inpatient at the Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney, Australia for 5 months for his treatment.  In 2025, Rhys graduated high school and has now set up a charity to promote blood and other donations by young people (www.donatefor.life).  Prior to Rhys's diagnosis, Laurence had been studying law which he returned to later and is now a solicitor working in a different area of law than originally planned, succession planning. 

Since then Laurence has undertaken a wide range of consumer activities.  He remains active in ward-level support for today's patients at Westmead.  For several years he was member of executive committees at the Children's Hospital at Westmead and then its successor organisation, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. As Rhys approached 18, Laurence reduced his activities at the Network and he is most proud of his final major role as Co-Chair of the consumer committee for the development of the new acute services building at Westmead. Laurence's advocacy also resulted in him becoming a founding consumer member of the Australian and New Zealand Children's Haematology/Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) working within its consumer group on clinical trial related activities including trial document review and funding applications.  As well as being an advocate on Glo-BNHL, Laurence is also an associate investigator on two other clinical trials in paediatric health related areas. 

Through his exposure to the clinical trials environment, Laurence is passionate about raising awareness of the critically important role of clinical trials in paediatric oncology and the need for appropriate funding for the participation of patients in available trials.

Vickie Buenger

Vickie's daughter, Erin, fought neuroblastoma for seven years. After Erin’s death in 2009, Vickie continued her academic career while devoting time and energy to launching the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2) on behalf of the many dedicated organisations and individuals striving to make a difference for children with cancer.  She continues pursuing that vision in a variety of roles, including as President Emeritus at CAC2, and on the Board of the ACCELERATE Platform. She combines her academic background with her interest in the science and policy of childhood cancer as an advocate representative on the National Cancer Institute’s National Council of Research Advocates, on the Agent Prioritization Committee of the Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network, and in numerous other advocacy capacities.

Willemijn Plieger-van Solkema

Willemijn's son, Hidde, was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma at the age of four and is now 25 and doing well. Originally trained as a lawyer, Willemijn worked in the legal field for many years before focusing on advocacy. Hidde’s illness, and the deep gratitude for the treatment that helped him, led Willemijn to join the Dutch Childhood Cancer Organization - an organisation that supports families affected by childhood cancer and advocates for better care and research. She is now actively involved as a patient advocate in research projects aimed at improving survival and quality of life during and after treatment. Willemijn is honoured to be a part of the Glo-BNHL team, where she contributes her advocacy experience to support research focused on improving outcomes for children with cancer.

Amanda Monteiro

In 2018, Amanda's first born daughter, Edie, died from acute myeloid leukemia at just 20 months old — an experience that propelled her into palliative care and ignited a lifelong commitment to advocacy for children with cancer and the families who love them.

Amanda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in palliative and critical care, working alongside patients and families navigating serious illness, advance care planning, and loss. In the United States, she advocates for children with cancer and their families, collaborating with the Multi-Regional Clinical Trial Center, Blood Cancer United, and other organizations dedicated to accelerating treatments for children. She brings additional expertise in healthcare strategy, quality improvement, and program design.

She joins the Glo-BNHL team carrying Edie's story into every room she enters — ensuring that the weight of what families experience is never lost in the science, and that research remains anchored in the human beings it is ultimately meant to serve.