The Precision and Systems Biomedicine Laboratory aims to improve modifiable health outcomes by developing better diagnostics and integrative study of cell membrane disturbance that lead to diseases. We focus on early disease detection and non-drug prevention approaches, to provide Australians tools for actively maintaining health.
Our research combines cell biology and biochemistry knowledge with cutting edge multi-omics technologies in the wet-lab with sophisticated computational algorithms (dry-lab) to model the complex biomolecular systems. The laboratory has a strong philosophy for inter-disciplinary collaboration, community and industry engagement to ensure translation of research outcomes.
CURRENT RESEARCH
- blood tests for early detection of cancer, including oesophageal adenocarcinoma, ovarian and pancreatic cancer
- liquid biopsy for precision oncology, including detecting – prostate cancer metastasis, breast cancer subtyping and metastasis, multiple myeloma relapse
- mechanisms of obesity in cancer, particularly the role of membrane lipids
- exercise as medicine in cancer
- novel clinical diagnostics including mass spectrometry and spectroscopy
- biomarker discovery and development through proteomics and metabolomics
Staff
- Dr Renee Richards, Laboratory and Research Manager
- Dr Julie Webster, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Dr Cathryn Kolka, Research Officer
- Harley Robinson, PhD Student
- Ruichao Zeng, PhD Student
- Henry Cairns, Honours Student
- Jennifer Nicol, Visiting PhD Student
- Patharee Oungsakul, Visiting PhD Student
- Dr Thomas Stoll, Metabolomics Core Scientific Technical Officer
Internal Collaborators
- Professor Kum Kum Khanna
- Professor Greg Anderson
- Professor Grant Ramm
- Professor Rachel Neale
- Dr David Reid
- Associate Professor Antiopi Varelias
- Associate Professor Anthony White
- Associate Professor Louisa Gordon
- Associate Professor Jason Lee
- Associate Professor Gunter Hartel
External Collaborators
- Professor Frank Gardiner & Dr Matthew Roberts, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital
- Dr Tina Skinner, School of Human Movement and Nutrition, University of Queensland
- Professor Alan Mackay-Sim & Dr Alexandre Cristino, Griffith University
- Professor Robert Parton, University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Biosciences
- Dr Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland
- Professor Peter Soyer, Professor Mark Morrison, Professor Ian Frazer & Associate Professor Emma Hamilton-Williams, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute
- Professor Matt Trau & Dr Alain Wuethrich, University of Queensland Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
- Associate Professor Peter Mollee, Princess Alexandra Hospital
- Professor Kirsten Spann, Queensland University of Technology
- Professor Bayden Wood & Associate Professor Michelle Dunstone, Monash University
- Associate Professor Ethan Goddard-Berger & Dr Ahmed Mohamed, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
- Professor Markus Wenk, National University of Singapore
- Professor Leonard Foster, University of British Columbia
- Professor Paul Morgan, Cardiff University
- Professor Albert Heck, Utrecht University
- Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation
- MRFF Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners Rapid Applied Research Translation