Translational Research

Our work spans both molecular and patient biology to address the twin issues of cancer and stem cells in people. Our interdisciplinary and complementary research programme focusses on cancer stem cell biology and strongly integrates with other UNSW groups working on tumour initiation, the microenvironment and inflammation, stem cell biology, drug discovery, and early clinical trials.

The Molecular Carcinogenesis program aims to improve our understanding of the molecules and processes that initiate childhood cancer as currently very little is known about the factors that lead to the development of cancer in children

The long-term goal of the Leukaemia Biology program is to improve the treatment of children with leukaemia through the development of new therapies and their preclinical testing in clinically relevant experimental models

The Molecular Diagnostics program uses molecular genetics techniques to improve the diagnosis and risk classification of childhood cancers including leukaemia and neuroblastoma

This program aims to identify ‘molecular targets’ - critical genes and proteins that contribute to the growth and malignant behaviour of cancer cells, so that therapeutic strategies can then be developed to inhibit their action, with the goal of treating the cancer more effectively