Cancer Genetics, Epigenetics And Targeted Therapies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$873,684.00
Summary
I aim to gain greater insight into how blood cancers arise and how we should ultimately treat patients with these diseases. I will identify the genetic defects that underpin the development of blood cancers, how these genetic defects de-regulate gene expression through so-called “epigenetic” changes to allow these abnormal blood cells grow and survive. I will test the activity of small molecules that interfere with the cancer-causing epigenetic and signaling pathways in experimental models.
Programmed cell death regulates the fate of cells during development and adult life. Working at the frontier of biology and chemistry, I lead research programs committed to uncovering cell death processes implicated in a wide range of diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases and tissue damage. I will develop novel small molecules that will act as powerful tools to increase our understanding of how cell death participates in these conditions and help develop new drugs to treat them.
Growth Regulatory Transcriptional Networks And Novel Therapies In Vascular Pathobiology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,760.00
Summary
Cardiovascular disease and cancer together account for the majority of all deaths. Underpinning both these conditions are cellular and molecular changes in our blood vessels. This Fellowship will enable Professor Khachigian to enhance our understanding of fundamental mechanisms regulating the pathogenesis of vascular disease, and by harnessing this new knowledge in preclinical and human trials, generate novel strategies to combat a range of diseases through strategic partnership, collaboration a ....Cardiovascular disease and cancer together account for the majority of all deaths. Underpinning both these conditions are cellular and molecular changes in our blood vessels. This Fellowship will enable Professor Khachigian to enhance our understanding of fundamental mechanisms regulating the pathogenesis of vascular disease, and by harnessing this new knowledge in preclinical and human trials, generate novel strategies to combat a range of diseases through strategic partnership, collaboration and training.Read moreRead less
This research draws together my expertise in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology and virology to design and develop new compounds that we can use to interrogate and regulate human and viral proteins that cause disease. Protein, cell and animal studies relevant to major 21st century health burdens (such as inflammatory, infectious and metabolic diseases, cancer, pain and viral infections) will provide important new information on mechanisms of disease development and drug action.
Breast And Ovarian Cancer: Beyond Genome Wide Association Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,910.00
Summary
My research is focused on using genetic approaches to understand the basis of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian cancer. Although many risk factors have been identified for these cancers, they do not lend themselves to primary prevention, except for high risk individuals who opt for prophylactic surgery, and so there is an urgent need to understand the aetiology of these cancers in order to develop better risk prediction algorithms and risk reduction medications.
HIV/AIDS remains a major global threat with ?37 million individuals living with HIV in 2014. Antiretroviral drugs have transformed HIV from a death sentence into a chronic disease. Public health organisations recommend dramatic scale up of drugs for HIV treatment and prevention. However, a major threat is that drug options will be exhausted in the long-term due to drug resistance and toxicity. The major aim of this study is to advance the development of an entirely new drug class for HIV.
Genetics And Genomics Of Breast And Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$714,745.00
Summary
Our knowledge of the number and nature of the genes involved in breast and ovarian cancer is limited. To rapidly define the critical breast and ovarian cancer-causing genes my laboratory uses an integrative genomics approach whereby information from several genome-wide platforms are combined. A key initiative that will underpin much of our work is Lifepool, which is a unique cohort of 100,000 Victorian women attending BreastScreen that will support a range of research into breast cancer.
Strategies For Enhancing The Treatment Of Colon Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,785.00
Summary
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer related death in Australia. Strategies to improve outcomes for these patients are urgently needed. This NHMRC SRF Fellowship will seek to identify new molecules in cancer cells which can be targeted to treat this disease, and to discover genes which can be used to improve patient response to treatment.
Research Fellowship – Genetic Epidemiology Studies Of Hormonal Cancers To Inform Improved Healthcare
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$772,209.00
Summary
This study aims to identify genetic factors that influence the development of endometrial and other cancers, and to develop statistical and laboratory methods that can better determine if variation in a known cancer gene is disease-causing. The results will be used to identify and prioritise individuals at greatest risk of cancer for the most appropriate clinical management. Discovery of novel cancer genes will improve our understanding of disease development to develop future therapies.
Molecular Mechanisms And Functional Consequences - Understanding Endocrine Tumorigenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$124,530.00
Summary
A/Prof Marsh is focused on discovering the causes of both inherited and non-inherited endocrine tumours, translating this knowledge into medical practice for the improved diagnosis of cancer and using this knowledge to highlight new therapeutic options for people who have cancer. She is internationally recognised for her work on a protein linked to the development of parathyroid cancer and is working towards improving our understanding of women’s cancers.