Cassandra Mazza is an Oncology Nurse Practitioner at the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, and a PhD Candidate at the University of Queensland. She was the clinical and project lead for the establishment and implementation of the Rapid Access Clinic Expansion (RACE) service at Sunshine Coast University Hospital - a nurse-led model designed to reduce emergency department presentations for oncology patients.  Cassandra’s clinical and research work focuses on improving access and equity across the cancer continuum, advancing specialist lung cancer nursing models of care, and developing sustainable, evidence-based oncology services. Her contributions have been recognised by the Cancer Council Queensland as the Oncology Nurse of the Year (2022) and by the Australian College of Nursing as an Emerging Research Leader (2024). Her work continues to influence advanced nursing practice and whole of trajectory cancer care nationally.