Mandy Ballinger

Current role

Deputy Director at the Centre for Molecular Oncology, University of New South Wales; Head of Cohorts for Omico (Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre).

Expertise

Associate Professor Mandy Ballinger is an internationally recognised cancer genetics specialist and translational researcher whose work focuses on understanding and managing heritable cancer risk. Central to this mission has been the establishment and leadership of large-scale clinical and research cohorts that have transformed cancer research and precision oncology in Australia. Since 2009, she has led the recruitment, operational delivery, and expansion of several pioneering national and international cohorts, including the International Sarcoma Kindred Study (>3,700 families), the Genetic Cancer Risk in the Young Study (>2,000 families), the Molecular Screening and Therapeutics (MoST) Study (~8,000 patients), and most recently the Cancer Screening Program (CaSP; >30,000 patients). 

Through her leadership roles in MoST and CaSP, A/Prof Ballinger has been instrumental in building Australia's national precision oncology infrastructure, enabling genomic profiling, clinical trial access, and translational research opportunities for tens of thousands of patients with cancer across the country. These programs have established a unique national platform integrating clinical, genomic, biospecimen, and outcomes data, providing an enduring resource for research discovery, biomarker development, and implementation of precision cancer care. 

A/Prof Ballinger also developed the Surveillance study in Multi-Organ Cancer-prone Syndromes (SMOC), strengthening opportunities to evaluate cancer surveillance in individuals with hereditary cancer predisposition. Trained as a genetic counsellor, she combines expertise in cancer genetics, genetic counselling, cohort research, and translational science. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, including first-author papers in Science, The Lancet Oncology, and JAMA Oncology. 

Her research has directly influenced clinical practice, particularly through advancing evidence-based risk management and surveillance recommendations for Li-Fraumeni syndrome, resulting in national and international guideline changes. Her work has also identified novel pathways underlying hereditary sarcoma predisposition, expanding understanding of inherited cancer susceptibility. By creating powerful research platforms that bridge discovery and clinical implementation, A/Prof Ballinger's overarching goal is to define the contribution of heritable factors to cancer risk and use these cohorts as vehicles for improving early detection, and outcomes for families affected by cancer. Her contributions have been recognised internationally, including through the prestigious 2023 Liddy Shriver Career Research Award.