Dr Kath Giles has carved a remarkable path from the surgical theatre to the cutting-edge of medical innovation.
As CEO of Nedlands-based company OncoRes Medical, Kath has shown how world‑class medtech can be driven from Western Australia.
She and her team are pioneering a handheld device cancer surgeons can use to ensure they capture all breast cancer during surgery.
“The outcomes are not good if surgery does not remove the cancer,” said Kath. “And yet, at the moment, the surgeon has to feel for any remaining cancer with their finger, trying to determine what is a tumour and what is just fatty tissue. Remember they are doing this with two pairs of gloves on.”
A medical foundation, viewed through a business lens
Kath’s story began in clinical medicine: a medical degree with honours from the University of Western Australia, followed by diverse postings in surgical, critical care, and even clinical trial monitoring roles.
But what sets her apart is how she merged clinical insight with business acumen - earning an MBA (Dean’s Honour list) from UWA and later joining venture capital firms Stone Ridge Ventures and then Brandon Capital Partners.
At Stone Ridge she backed early-stage innovation, and at Brandon she championed biomedical breakthroughs.
Her dual expertise led to tangible impact: creating an interactive iPhone breast‑checker with Breast Care WA and the McGrath Foundation, and later co-founding Spark Co‑Lab in 2016 - a not-for-profit aimed at galvanising WA’s medical innovation ecosystem.
These roles refined her belief that medical insights and entrepreneurial drive can combine to change lives.
The OncoRes Medical story
The serendipitous spark for OncoRes arrived when Kath, as an investment manager at Brandon in 2013, first encountered a hand‑held imaging probe being developed by Professor Christobel Saunders and Dr Brendan Kennedy at UWA and the Harry Perkins Institute.
Kath recognised its potential immediately - combining light-based imaging and elastography to produce real-time, microscale scans that translate a surgeon’s sense of touch into visual clarity. The mission was simple, yet powerful: reduce repeat surgeries, ease patient trauma, and streamline cancer care.
“It was love at first sight, and I’ve fallen increasingly in love with it as it’s grown and developed,” Kath expressed.
Convinced of its transformative potential, she spent three years securing funding, spearheading what became the first-ever WA government venture investment in health innovation.
From Investor to Founder‑CEO
In 2017, Kath transitioned from behind-the-scenes investor to the public face and driving force behind OncoRes as CEO.
Launching the company from Western Australia, she faced skepticism. Many people told her that it simply couldn’t be done in WA, without access to experienced people and funding.
Undeterred, she applied her unique blend of empathy, grit, and strategic thinking to build an interdisciplinary team - recruiting engineers, clinical advisors, and researchers from diverse backgrounds due to the limited local med-tech talent pool.
Kath also leaned into WA’s quality-of-life benefits, cultivating a culture of work-life balance that grounded the company and fostered loyalty.
Her leadership philosophy, borrowing from her surgical training and perspective as a mother, prioritised purpose, resilience, and real connection, proving vital in the early‑stage build.
OncoRes wasn’t merely a passion project, it delivered results. The company secured a US$3 million CRC‑P grant in 2019 and successfully concluded its series A raise well under budget and ahead of schedule.
Clinical studies followed: proof‑of‑concept trials delivered 95 percent accuracy across 153 microscopic breast‑tissue images.
Global recognition followed. OncoRes won a global pitch competition in London and earned praise from surgeons and US investors alike.
In October 2020, OncoRes earned FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, paving the way for expedited US approval.
Late‑2024 saw a feature on Channel 9 News showcasing the “Elora” device in real-time, including testimonials from survivors like Melanie Keily.
Looking ahead: Scaling and diversifying
Kath’s vision remains bold.
A first-in-human clinical trial is slated to wrap up soon, with plans to expand beyond breast cancer into other solid tumour applications, such as lung and prostate, where “optic palpation” tech may enhance robotic or minimally invasive surgery.
She foresees OncoRes having devices in operating rooms worldwide within five years.
Reflections: Joy, resilience, and what matters most
Kath’s journey is not without challenge: raising funds, attracting talent without guaranteed long-term roles, and overcoming logistical hurdles from Perth were constant struggles. Yet, she frames them as opportunities to innovate.
“I refuse to accept limitations because something hasn’t been done before. Anything is possible when you don’t let past limitations define your future,” she said.
What shines through most is Kath’s focus on joy: celebrating the small everyday wins, the camaraderie of a shared mission, and the privilege of doing meaningful work every day.
She believes an unshakeable team, rooted in empathy, trust, and diversity, will be what sets OncoRes apart.
Kath Giles’s journey from surgical doctor and investor to med‑tech CEO is a testament to the harmony of science, empathy, and boundary-defying ambition.
Under her leadership, OncoRes Medical is poised not just to reshape surgical oncology, but to inspire a new generation of purpose-led Australian innovation, all born right here in WA.
Connect with Dr Kath Giles on LinkedIn here, and learn more about OncoRes Medical here.
To learn more about WA’s innovation ecosystem:
Up next in our WA Startup Stories series, we’ll shine a light on Lucy Cooke, the founder behind SpaceDraft, the “Canva for spatial planning” used from film sets to mine sites. After launching her company from Perth and winning global recognition, Lucy is redefining how teams visualise movement, communication and planning across space and time. Her story shows how world-class tech innovation continues to emerge from WA’s creative and entrepreneurial talent.