
BSc, Dip Ed, MSc, PhD
Graeme Melville
Contact :
email: gmel@tpg.com.au + g.melville@unsw.edu.au
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor of Science - Majoring in Physics and Mathematics (UNSW)
Dip. Ed. (UNSW)
Master of Science in astrophysics (Univ. of Wollongong - 1993)
Certificate IV in Computing – Assessment and Workplace Training in IT (2002)
PhD in Nuclear Physics (University of Western Sydney - 2003)
2016 - Visiting Research Fellow/Hon Associate Professor – Astrophysics (UNSW) and Nuclear Physics.
2015 – 2016 PT Lecturer at Macquarie University Physics Department
2011 - 2015 Senior High School Maths/Physics Teacher
2009 – 2010 Department of Defence (Assistant Director in DSTO) - Science International
Relations
2001 - 2008 Nuclear Physics Researcher (UWS/St George Hospital)
1997-2000 Senior Physics and Maths Teacher. Director of Physics.
1993-96: Astrophysics Researcher - Univ. of Wollongong and lecturer at UWS.
1983-93: Science/Maths Teacher
1980-83: Professional Tennis Player with ATP ranking.
Activities
G. Melville1 , L. Kedziora-Chudczer1 , J. Bailey1
1School of Physics, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
Abstract https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1074
Lubin, Jack B.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Zhou, George; Conroy, Kyle E.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Collins, Karen; Stevens, Daniel J.; Labadie-Bartz, Jonathan; Stockdale, Christopher; Myers, Gordon; Colón, Knicole D.; Bento, Joao; Kehusmaa, Petri; Petrucci, Romina; Jofré, Emiliano; Quinn, Samuel N.; Lund, Michael B.; Kuhn, Rudolf B.; Siverd, Robert J.; Beatty, Thomas G.; Harlingten, Caisey; Pepper, Joshua; Gaudi, B. Scott; James, David; Jensen, Eric L. N.; Reichart, Daniel; Kedziora-Chudczer, Lucyna; Bailey, Jeremy; Melville, Graeme.
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 844, Issue 2, article id. 134, 12 pp. (08/2017).
Leung KN1, Leung JK2, Melville G3
1 Nuclear Engineering Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Berkion Technology, Hercules, CA 94547, USA. Electronic address: knleung@lbl.gov.
2 Berkion Technology, Hercules, CA 94547, USA.
3 Department of Astrophysics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
G. Melville
Future Oncology: November 2015 ,Vol. 11, No. 22, Pages 3065-3067 , DOI 10.2217/fon.15.189
(doi:10.2217/fon.15.189)
G. Melville, P. Melville
Centre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St George Cancer Care Centre, Gray Street, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes 72 (2013) 152–157
G. Melvillea and B J Allenb, c
aUniversity of Western Sydney, Penrith NSW, Australia
bCentre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St George Hospital, Gray St, Kogarah NSW 2217, Australia
cClinical School, University NSW, Australia
Applied Radiation and Isotopes Volume 67, Issue 4, April 2009, Pages 549-555
Applied Radiation and Isotopes Volume 65, Issue 9, September 2007, Pages 1014-1022
G. Melville, Sau Fan Liu and B.J. Allen
Centre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St. George Cancer Care Centre, Gray St. Kogarah, NSW, Australia
Applied Radiation and Isotopes Volume 64, Issue 9, September 2006, Pages 979-988
Links: - 5Th Australian Exoplanet workshop 2015; 6th Australian Exoplanet Workshop – 2016; 2015 Controlling Cancer; Dirac Lecture 2015; Exoplanet Workshop -2018; 8th Space Forum & 19 Australian Space Research Conference – 2019; International Conference on Emerging Cell Therapies – 2012; European Week of Astronomy and Space Science – Prague 2017; Davos Exoplanet Conference – 2016; World Congress on Medical Physics – 2003; 15th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference – 2006. AIP Summer Meeting at UNSW - 2017.
ASTROPHYSICS
NUCLEAR PHYSICS
New approaches in the treatment of cancer are necessary to overcome the limited therapeutic efficacy and high costs of currently available therapeutics. Conventional therapies often have negative side effects such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, general malaise and depression. This seriously affects the patient's overall health and quality of life. Moreover, the disease will most likely recur in time due to the survival and spreading of cancerous cells, or micro-metastases, from the original tumour to other areas in the body. Targeted Radionuclide Therapy is a new kind of cancer treatment. It combines new developments in molecular biology and in radionuclides for medical applications. Alpha-emitting radionuclides seem particularly promising to destroy cancer cells.
Probably, the most promising radionuclide is Ac-225 which decays to Bi-213. Bi-213 emits high energy but short range alpha particles making it very useful in ‘Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) for cancer’.
Alpha particle emitters are the most potent sources for lethal irradiation of single tumour cells and micro-metastases because of their short range and densely ionising radiation.
I am part of a research group with ANSTO whose aim is to produce Ac-225 in Australia for Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) for cancer. This will not only eliminate a type of nuclear waste but potentially save thousands of lives.
Association at UNSW
Dr Graeme Melville B.Sc, M.Sc. Dip.Ed., PhD., CertIV (IT), F.A.I.P.
CURRENT RESEARCH
I am in the astrophysics division of the School of Physics at UNSW and am currently doing research on the atmospheres of Exoplanets and polarisation of stars. Our group is headed by Prof Jeremy Bailey, which is part of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology, of which I am a member. Our group has just been successful in a research proposal to continue work at the Anglo Australian Telescope. Our group is one of the world leaders in astronomical polarisation and we have built the most sensitive polarimeter in the world.
My research involves producing a number of medical isotopes including Tc99m, Cu-64, Cu-67 and Ac-225. These can be produced by photons, neutrons or protons. I have also produced theoretical models for the production of Ac-225 by using gamma and neutrons. I have also shown experimentally that Ac-225 can be produced in commercial quantities, which could potentially reduce obsolete radioactive material, and displace the need for expensive importation of Ac-225 from the USA in the years ahead. For example, scaled up production of Ac-225 and the above mentioned radioisotopes, could be achieved by the use of a high current Rhodotron electron accelerator, high-power linac, cyclotron or neutron generator. Some of these devices are now being built and are due to come online in 2023.