A/Prof. Kotecha is a clinician scientist who graduated with honours in MB ChB from the University of Leicester, UK. He holds postgraduate qualifications from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and has served as a Consultant in Paediatric Haematology and Oncology at Perth Children’s Hospital since 2012.

He completed a laboratory based PhD at the University of Western Australia, developing expertise in preclinical models and molecular genetics. His thesis was recognised on the Dean’s List for outstanding achievement. He currently co leads the WA Leukaemia Translational Research program, has secured over $12 million in research funding as Chief Investigator A, and has authored more than 120 peer reviewed publications.

A/Prof. Kotecha was named the 2024 Cancer Council WA Early Career Researcher of the Year and is a recipient of two NHMRC Investigator Fellowships. He is an active member of several international clinical trial groups, including the Children’s Oncology Group, BFM study group, Interfant study group and ITCC Haematology Committee, contributing to the design and delivery of global paediatric leukaemia trials. He also serves as co Chair of the COG AALL2321 trial for infant acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

He is an inaugural member of the National Blood Cancer Taskforce, established to develop and implement a national action plan to improve outcomes for blood cancers. In 2021, he was appointed Leukaemia Lymphoma Chair of the national Zero2 Precision Medicine trial for children with cancer. He is currently the clinical lead for paediatric blood cancer in Western Australia and Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Leukaemia Lymphoma Group, where he leads strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to improve service delivery and equitable access to treatments.

His work focuses on translating preclinical discoveries into clinical trials through national and international collaborations, with the aim of improving outcomes for children with leukaemia.