
B App Sc, Monash University, Australia
B Sc (Hons), Monash University, Australia
PhD, Monash University, Australia
MSc, University of Sydney, Australia
Dr Ballinger oversees a program of work focused on genetic cancer risk. Key to this is the International Sarcoma Kindred Study (ISKS). Since 2009 she has overseen recruitment of over 3600 families worldwide. Dr Ballinger developed the Surveillance study in Multi-Organ Cancer prone syndromes (SMOC+) which includes adult TP53 mutation carriers and other individuals with genotype identified high cancer risk. She leads a similar surveillance study in the paediatric population - SMOC Junior. Dr Ballinger is Head of Clinical Cohorts for Omico including the Genetic Cancer Risk in the Young (RisC) Study investigating the heritable aspects of cancer in a young population suggestive of a genetic etiology (>1400 families). Her clinical training is in genetic counselling. Dr Ballinger has created powerful tools in these cohorts for both discovery and translation, and has well developed skills in clinical cancer genetics, genetic counseling, cohort research, and clinical interventions. Her work has changed clinical practice by impacting on clinical risk management guidelines both nationally and internationally in Li Fraumeni syndrome. Dr Ballinger's goal is to utilize these cohorts to define the extent of heritable risk in sarcoma and other cancers, and to continue to utilize these cohorts as vehicles for intervention to change practice and improve outcomes for families.
2022-2024 Petersen Family Foundation: Surveillance study in Multi-Organ Cancer predisposition syndromes in pediatrics (SMOC Junior) $75,000
2022-2026 MRFF: LUMOS: Low and Anaplastic Grade Glioma Umbrella Study of Molecular Guided Therapies $1,982,681 H Gan (CIA), ML Ballinger (AI)
2022-2026 MRFF: P-OMICS-flow Integrating precision oncology into clinical programs $5,868,917 N Taylor (CIA), ML Ballinger (CI)
2022-2024 Australian Government (Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources): Precision Oncology Screening Platform enabling Clinical Trials (PrOSPeCT) Project Number MMIMCS000002, $185,400,000
2020-2025 Australian Department of Health MRFF Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research Initiative: ASPiRATION: assessing the impact of genomic profiling in lung cancer $12,135,000
2019-2023 Australian Government (Department of Health): Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Program $50M
2019-2023 NSW Office of Health and Medical Research: Genomic Cancer Medicine Program $12,052,872M
2018-2020 Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellowship
2002-2005 Australian Post Graduate Award
2002-2005 Baker Foundation Award
2003 National Heart Foundation Travel Grant
2003 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Travel Grant to present at 18th International Diabetes Federation Congress
2003 Australian Diabetes Society Travel Grant to present at 18th International Diabetes Federation Congress
2002 Australian Vascular Biology Society Student Award
Head of Cohorts - Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Program (Omico)
Group Leader – Genetic Cancer Risk, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Conjoint Senior Lecturer – St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales
Global Study Co-ordinator - International Sarcoma Kindred Study
My Research Supervision
Milita Zaheed