Research Projects
Discovering new genetic causes of brain cancer in Tasmania
Discovery Theme: Tumour Microenvironment
Our research focuses on uncovering new genetic and epigenetic drivers of brain cancer, using the unique familial and clinical resources available in Tasmania. Our team will map genetic changes in families with brain cancer, and use animal models to determine whether and how these give rise to brain tumours.
Ultimately, our research should help identify new strategies for treating and potentially preventing brain cancer.
Champions
Director of Cancer and Blood Services
Royal Hobart Hospital
Clinical Professor Rosemary Harrup FRACP FRCPA trained in Medical Oncology and Clinical and Laboratory Haematology, completing a dual Fellowship in 2000. She is a full-time clinician and current Director of the Cancer and Blood Services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. She has a strong interest in clinical research, particularly in the areas of Brain Cancer, Malignant Haematology and Late Effects. She serves as a board member of the Cancer Council of Tasmania, the RHH Research Foundation and Deputy Chair of COGNO, the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro Oncology and is a Tasmanian representative on the Australian Teletrials Project. Dr Harrup is a member of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission Expert Advisory Panel from 2022. She is passionate about delivering the best possible cancer care and support to all cancer patients throughout the cancer journey.
Related research projects:
Professor Rosemary Harrup
Royal Hobart Hospital
Leader Cancer Genetics Group
Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Professor Dickinson began her career as a cancer biologist in the Joint Oncology Program led by Professor John Kerr, a world-recognised pioneer in apoptosis research where she gained a PhD in Pathology from the University of Queensland. Later relocating to Tasmania Jo trained with eminent Australian ophthalmologist Professor David Mackey in eye disease genetics and then with award winning human geneticist Professor Simon Foote, then Director of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research.
Prof Dickinson now leads the Cancer Genetics team at the Menzies Institute and her passion is to understand how inherited differences in our genes drive the development of complex diseases, in particular cancers including brain cancers. Highlights of her career have included working with cross-disciplinary teams applying genetic approaches to solving scientific problems in a variety of fields and the opportunity to work with indigenous communities. A particular focus of her work is employing genomic innovation to deliver improved health outcomes for those diagnosed with diseases with historically poor outcomes such as brain cancer. In addition to understanding the genetic basis of human disease development and progression, she has a strong interest in the ethical and legal issues associated with biobanking and the application of genomics in medicine.
Related research projects:
Professor Jo Dickinson
Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Senior Research Fellow
Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Dr. Owen Marshall is a Senior Research Fellow at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, where he leads a research group investigating how epigenetic factors influence brain development and disease. His career began with a focus on understanding how the packaging of our genetic material changes during cancer development, and led to him developing new tools to profile these changes in living organisms. His current research builds on these foundations, aiming to uncover the mechanisms that drive the healthy development of our brains, and understand how these are disrupted in the formation of brain tumours. Dr. Marshall’s work is driven by the hope that understanding these processes at a molecular level will lead to better ways to prevent and treat brain cancer in the future.
Related research projects:
Dr Owen Marshall
Menzies Institute for Medical Research
University of Tasmania
A/Prof Phillippa Taberlay is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, and Principal Research Fellow in Epigenetics at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania.
Phillippa’s research centres on understanding ‘epigenetics’ (meaning, ‘above DNA’), and particularly how DNA is packaged in 3D space inside cells to control how genes are turned on and off in the right cell type at the right time. Her laboratory uses cutting-edge methods to understand how abnormal epigenetic switches drive the development of brain cancers, with the goal of identifying novel options to reverse these changes.
Related research projects:
Associate Professor Phillippa Taberlay
University of Tasmania