Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka
Conjoint Lecturer
PhD in Pharmacogenomics 2014 (University of Tuebingen, Germany)
Masters of Biotechnology 2011 (Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland)
Bachelor of Science 2009 (Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland)
Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine
Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka is a Group Leader of the 3D Epigenome in Cancer group at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Conjoint Lecturer at St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney. Joanna completed her PhD in 2014 at the University of Tuebingen, Germany supported by prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship, studying epigenetic biomarkers in breast cancer.
Following her PhD, Joanna joined the Epigenetics Research laboratory of Prof Susan Clark at the Garvan Institute, where she established cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches to study the 3D genome organization. Dr Achinger-Kawecka has made significant contributions to the field, publishing in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and Genome Research. She has been awarded competitive research funding from NHMRC, CCNSW and NBCF and established her own research group at the Garvan Institute in 2023.
The main goal of the group’s research is to understand the role of 3D genome architecture in cancer, including its cell-to-cell and temporal variability. For that, they combine and integrate cutting-edge genomics technology, single-cell epigenome profiling, genome editing and pre-clinical models to study the interplay of the 3D genome and epigenome in cancer and how these 3D epigenome changes can be targeted with epigenetic therapy. Beyond fundamental discoveries, their main goal is to uncover new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for the treatment of metastatic disease.
E-mail
Location
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
- Publications
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- Grants
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- Research Activities
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- Teaching and Supervision
| Title of Project | Role in Project | Funding Organisation | Start Date | Duration | Total Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Assessing the role of the tumour ecosystem in epigenetic therapy response in ER+ endocrine-resistant breast cancer
|
CIA | NHMRC Ideas | 2024 | 3 years | $1,090,079 |
|
Targeting epigenetic hallmarks in neuroendocrine-like prostate cancer
|
PI | Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia | 2023 | 2 years | $100,000 |
|
Targeting enhancers to overcome breast cancer resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition
|
PI | UNSW Cancer Research EMCR Seed Grant | 2023 | 1 year | $50,000 |
|
3D EPIGENOME AS A TARGET FOR EPIGENETIC THERAPIES IN ENDOCRINE-RESISTANT BREAST CANCER
|
PI | National Breast Cancer Foundation Investigator Grant (IIRS) | 2021 | 3 years | $366,000 |
|
Targeting the Three-Dimensional Epigenome in Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer
|
CIA | Cancer Council NSW Project Grant | 2020 | 3 years | $434,000 |
|
Decoding 3D genome architecture in individual single-cells to establish molecular mechanisms of gene regulation in cancer
|
PI | UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute Seed Grant | 2020 | 1 year | $99,000 |
|
Single-Cell Hi-C: A Novel Tool to Identify Key Epigenetic Drivers of Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer
|
PI | Estee Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Campaign | 2019 | 1 year |
$15,000 |
|
Genetic perturbations to the 3D genome architecture: Implications for endocrine resistance in breast cancer (Clark S, Achinger-Kawecka J) |
Co-I | National Breast Cancer Foundation | 2017 | 1 year |
$200,000 |
2019 - Best Selected Speaker Prize, 2019 Post-Doc Symposium, Garvan Institute
2018 - CASS Foundation Travel Grant
2017 - The Ian Potter Foundation Travel Grant
2016 - Best Postdoc Prize, 24th St Vincent’s Campus Research Symposium
2016 - Heliflite Young Explorer Award
2015 - Best Oral Presentation Prize, 23rd St Vincent’s Campus Research Symposium
2011 – EU FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network “Fighting Drug Failure” Fellowship