Cancer under the spotlight
La Trobe’s Professor David Vaux, right, one of the pioneers of the study of apoptosis (cell death), and colleague Dr John Silke.
La Trobe’s Professor David Vaux, one of the pioneers of the study of apoptosis (cell death), and colleague Dr John Silke, together with Australia Research Council (ARC) Future Fellows Dr Hamsa Puthalakath and Dr Christine Hawkins, are investigating aspects of the mechanism of programmed cell death, with a view to applying their understanding to cancer treatment.
Another ARC Future Fellow, Dr Suzanne Cutts is studying how a well-known anti-cancer compound functions at a molecular level so that she can increase its efficiency and reduce side-effects. Two other senior researchers, Dr Mark Hulett and Dr Peter Lock, are probing how cancer cells spread throughout the body, the process known as metastasis.
LIMS will also focus on research into protein structure and function, genetics, medical chemistry, and parasitology. Laboratories investigating molecular recycling and molecules from past environments will be led by two other ARC Future Fellows, Dr Kaye Truscott and Dr Colin Smith.