Cancer

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cancer cell made in 3d software

Cancer is the most pressing health challenge of our time. By the age of 85, cancer will affect 1 in 2 Australians. While health and medical research has improved the outlook for cancer patients in recent decades, cancer is still a leading cause of death worldwide. Our researchers are investigating multiple aspects of cancer biology to identify the mechanisms that drive disease progression, to understand the role of the immune system in patient outcomes and to identify novel treatment mechanisms. This work harnesses local strengths in cutting edge imaging and personalised medicine. 

Research groups

Ananthanarayanan Group: Cytoskeleton and Motors Lab

Curious how cells are kept running like well-oiled machines, Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan uses high resolution, live cell imaging to investigate cellular dynamics within the crowded environment inside mammalian cells. 

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Biro Group: Cell Motility and Mechanobiology Lab

The Biro Group investigates how immune cells locate and kill cancer cells, adopting multi-disciplinary methods encompassing biophysics, cell biology, immunology, cancer biology, advanced microscopy, image analysis, and mathematical and coputational modelling.

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Davis Group: Calcium Signalling Lab

The Davis Lab explores how intracellular calcium signalling orchestrates the development, function and regeneration of the mammary gland. Our research utilizes genetic model organisms and quantitative imaging (across the scales of cells, tissues and the organ as a whole).

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Faridani Group: Single Cell Technologies and Precision Oncology

The Faridani lab uses state-of-the-art technology in the field of "single cell omics" to tackle hard-to-crack problems of cancer treatment, with a focus on pancreatic cancer and other solid tumours. The main goal of the lab is to tailor treatment for each patient.

Hardeman & Gunning Group: Cytoskeleton Therapeutics Research Unit (CTRU)

The CTRU studies the building blocks of cell architecture and develops therapeutic strategies based on drug-targeting these building blocks. Our focus is the actin cytoskeleton that is responsible for the internal scaffolds of cells, the generation and reaction to force exerted by the environment and the movement of cells throughout the body. 

Holst Group: Translational Cancer Metabolism Laboratory

Our laboratory utilises a variety of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo techniques to dissect out the role of key transporters and metabolic enzymes in cancer growth. We have determined a number of metabolic pathways that are differentially regulated in breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma and more recently glioblastoma.

Khachigian Group: Vascular Biology and Translational Research

The Khachigian Group has 2 principal aims:

  1. To better understand how potentially harmful genes are controlled in vascular cells. 
  2. To develop novel vascular therapeutic agents for cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, tumour growth and metastasis. 
Kovacevic Group: Tumour Microenvironment Group

The critical role of the tumour microenvironment in cancer growth and survival suggests it is vulnerable to intervention. We aim to improve the survival rate of cancer patients by deciphering and therapeutically exploiting elements of the tumour microenvironment that facilitate chemoresistance.

 

Lock Group: Cancer Systems Microscopy Lab

The Cancer Systems Microscopy Lab aims to contribute to improved cancer treatment outcomes by advancing: Precision Diagnostics; Targeted Therapies; and Fundamental Insights.

Luciani Group: Systems Immunology and Artificial Intelligence

Our research group is at the intersection of systems immunology and artificial intelligence (AI). Our vision is to develop cutting-edge knowledge and tools to unravel the intricate workings of T cells and harness their potential in modern immunotherapy.

Phillips Group: Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research

Our team is dedicated to improving treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer. We have developed a patient-centered drug development pipeline focusing on the unmet clinical challenges faced by patients which include, the heterogeneity of tumours, the scar tissue fortress, and tumour metastasis.

Pimanda Group: Stem Cell Lab

We are a molecular and cell biology laboratory with a research focus in blood development and leukemia. Our research interest lies in identifying critical components of the hematopoietic transcriptional network in healthy and leukemic blood stem cells and how these govern stemness. 

Poole Group: Cellular Mechanotransduction

The Poole group are interested in how cells can "feel" their surroundings. Our research seeks to identify how cells sense and respond to changing mechanical inputs by identifying the molecules that can convert forces into electrical or biochemical signals that influence cell behaviour. 

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Vittorio Group: Metal-Targeted Therapy & Cancer Immunology

Despite an overall improvement in survival in children with cancer, survival rates for those with aggressive cancers, such as high-risk neuroblastoma and brain tumours, remain dismal. Moreover, survivors frequently have life-long health issues due to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Targeted and less toxic therapies are urgently required.

Wu Group: Laboratory for Ageing Research

Our lab studies the molecular and metabolic mechanisms that underlie biological ageing, with a focus on its impacts on female fertility. A key mechanistic interest for the lab is the role of altered metabolism, including the molecular metabolism of the redox cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+).

Research Centres

Centre for Molecular Oncology

The Centre for Molecular Oncology applies basic, translational and clinical approaches to understanding cancer biology through patient-centred discovery programs, and uses this information to improve patient outcomes through clinical trials.