Translational Oncology Discovery

Dr Bill Dougall

Group Leader

The Translational Oncology Discovery Group is particularly interested in engineering novel antibody-based cancer therapies that can directly target certain tumour cells and, simultaneously, also targets key immune cell proteins, therefore combining two cancer therapy approaches in one drug. . We are validating these drug candidates using genetically-engineered mouse models of cancer along with state-of-the art flow cytometry, transcriptomics analysis and other tissue imaging platforms.

Importantly, our approach to cancer drug development is informed by the “reverse translational research” paradigm. This means that we utilise cutting-edge translational experiments using patient-derived materials from on-going cancer clinical trials to help understand mechanisms and design the next generation of cancer therapies.  Currently, we are engaged in clinical trial activities that include experimental treatments for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer and breast cancer.

CURRENT RESEARCH

  • Enhancing the efficacy of conventional cancer immunotherapies
  • Determining biomarkers and mechanisms of checkpoint inhibitor response in clinical trials of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
  • Defining the immunosuppressive effects of RANKL/RANK pathway in tumor control
  • Development of new bi-functional antibodies for the treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma (HNSCC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC)
  • Defining the role for specialised lymph node cells (lymphatic endothelial cells and sinusoidal macrophages) in cancer immunity
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Renal Cell Carcinoma
  • Ovarian and endometrial cancer
  • Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
  • Blood Cancers

Staff

  • Ashmitha Sundarrajan, Research Assistant
  • Clay Winterford, Research Assistant
  • Greg Kelly, Research Officer
  • Jason Madore, Scientific Officer
  • Kimberley Stannard, Affiliate
  • Rhianna McKechnie, Research Assistant
  • Sergio Irac, Research Officer

Internal Collaborators

  • Jason Madore
  • Siok Tey
  • Christian Engwerda
  • Nic Waddell
  • Kyohei Nakamura
  • Vicki Whitehall

External Collaborators

  • Dr Brett Hughes, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital/Prince Charles Hospital
  • Dr Martin Batstone, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
  • Professor Geoff Lindeman, WEHI
  • Professor Jane Visvader, WEHI
  • Liz Ahern, Monash University
  • Christopher Mueller, University of Strasbourg, France

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following funding agencies

  • National Health and Medical Research Council (Development Grant)
  • EpimAb Biotherapeutics
  • QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

STUDENT PROJECTS

No Student Projects