When I was a medical student in Melbourne, Australia, my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma—a cancer that starts in bone marrow. During his treatment, I learned the tremendous value of communication between doctor and patient. I wanted to get the chance to deliver the best care possible to people like my father, which is what drew me to oncology.

There were limited opportunities in the 1980s for oncologists in Australia—chemotherapy was not yet available there. So I came to NYU Langone, where chemotherapy and other modern advances in cancer treatment were available, for a research fellowship in medical oncology in 1985. When I landed in New York City, there was a tremendous sense of freedom that I’d never experienced anywhere else, and it’s still with me now.

At Perlmutter Cancer Center, I serve as director of the Lung Cancer Center and I specialize in the treatment of cancers of the lung and chest. I’m also conducting exciting research in immunotherapy, which helps us to enhance and harness the power of the immune system to eradicate cancer. This treatment causes fewer side effects and results in higher rates of remission. But good patient care is just as much about art as it is science. If you color by numbers, you’ll create a nice painting, but if you instead pour your heart into it, you occasionally produce a masterpiece.

I embark on a journey with each patient, trying to make the road better and smoother. I spend time with patients—joking around, talking about family, and easing their pain.