Research areas and publications
Our recent academic outputs demonstrate the cross-disciplinary nature and expertise of our cancer prevention team.
Professor Patrick Humbert
Professor Humbert is interested in how cell asymmetry and tissue organization can regulate cancer initiation, progression and metastasis with the ultimate aim to devise therapeutics to help tumours to “reorganize” themselves, thereby stopping the cancer’s growth and spread.
Recent publications
- 2018: A genome-wide Drosophila epithelial tumorigenesis screen identifies Tetraspanin 29Fb as an evolutionarily conserved suppressor of Ras-driven cancer
- 2018: Cell Polarity Regulation - from Atomic to Macroscopic Scale
- 2018: Identification of Pik3ca Mutation as a Genetic Driver of Prostate Cancer That Cooperates with Pten Loss to Accelerate Progression and Castration-Resistant Growth
- 2018: The Scribble Cell Polarity Module in the Regulation of Cell Signaling in Tissue Development and Tumorigenesis
- 2018: Regulation of cellular and PCP signalling by the Scribble polarity module
Professor Jonathan Cebon
Professor Cebon successfully integrates laboratory and clinical teams to better understand immune responses to cancer and develop breakthrough therapies based on this knowledge.
Recent publications
- 2018: Divergent T-cell receptor recognition modes of a HLA-I restricted extended tumour-associated peptide
- 2018: Multiplex immunohistochemistry accurately defines the immune context of metastatic melanoma
- 2018: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is an independent predictor of outcome for patients undergoing definitive resection for stage IV melanoma
- 2018: Isolation and characterization of NY-ESO-1-specific T cell receptors restricted on various MHC molecules
Associate Professor Alex Dobrovic
Associate Professor Dobrovic focuses on developing feasible approaches for the analysis of tissue and liquid biopsy samples from cancer patients to enable the implementation of precision medicine.
Recent publications
- 2018: Mismatch Repair Protein Defects and Microsatellite Instability in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
- 2018: DNA methylation profiling of breast cancer cell lines along the epithelial mesenchymal spectrum—Implications for the choice of circulating tumour DNA methylation markers
- 2018: Somatic GNAQ mutation in the forme fruste of Sturge-Weber syndrome
- 2018: Fresh Frozen Plasma Transfusion Can Confound the Analysis of Circulating Cell-Free DNA
- 2018: Optimizing Amplification of the GC-Rich TERT Promoter Region Using 7-Deaza-dGTP for Droplet Digital PCR Quantification of TERT Promoter Mutations
Professor Matthias Ernst
Professor Ernst focuses on dissecting molecular mechanisms that link inflammation to tumour development to identify targets that prevent cancer growth.
Recent publications
- 2018: MACROD2 Haploinsufficiency Impairs Catalytic Activity of PARP1 and Promotes Chromosome Instability and Growth of Intestinal Tumors
- 2018: Mitophagy in Intestinal Epithelial Cells Triggers Adaptive Immunity during Tumorigenesis
- 2018: Interleukin 33 Signaling Restrains Sporadic Colon Cancer in an Interferon-γ–Dependent Manner
- 2018: ADAM17 is required for EGF-R-induced intestinal tumors via IL-6 trans-signaling
- 2018: Inflammasome adaptor ASC suppresses apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by an IL18-mediated inflammation-independent mechanism
Associate Professor Sophie Hill
Associate Professor Hill is the Head of the Centre for Health Communication and Participation at La Trobe University. The Centre investigates the best ways to increase the participation of consumers in health care through effective communication.
Recent publications
- 2018: Health Information and the Quality and Safety of Care for People With Disability: An Analysis of Australian Reports of Reviewable Deaths in Residential Care
- 2018: Research priority setting in childhood chronic disease: a systematic review
- 2018: Qualitative focus groups with stakeholders identify new potential outcomes related to vaccination communication
- 2018: Face-to-face interventions for informing or educating parents about early childhood vaccination
- 2018: Research priorities in health communication and participation: international survey of consumers and other stakeholders
Associate Professor Conor Hogan
Associate Professor Hogan works at the interface of electrochemistry and photochemistry and has pioneered several new approaches to detection science.
Recent publications
- 2018: Electrochemically, Spectrally, and Spatially Resolved Annihilation-Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of Mixed-Metal Complexes at Working and Counter Electrodes
- 2018: Electrochemically Sensitized Luminescence from Lanthanides in d‐/f‐Block Heteronuclear Arrays
- 2018: Electrochemiluminescence of cyclometalated iridium (III) complexes
- 2018: Mixed annihilation electrogenerated chemiluminescence of iridium(iii) complexes
Professor Catherine Itsiopolous
Professor Itsiopolous' major research interests include randomised controlled clinical intervention studies in diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome utilizing the Mediterranean diet as a model of intervention.
Recent publications
- 2018: Economic evaluation of a dietary intervention for adults with major depression (the “SMILES” trial)
- 2018: Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients Attending Two Metropolitan Hospitals in Melbourne, Australia; High Risk Status and Low Prevalence
- 2018: Improvement in dietary inflammatory index score after 6-month dietary intervention is associated with reduction in interleukin-6 in patients with coronary heart disease: The AUSMED heart trial
- 2018: Randomization to 6-month Mediterranean diet compared with a low-fat diet leads to improvement in Dietary Inflammatory Index scores in patients with coronary heart disease: the AUSMED Heart Trial
- 2018: Effect of resveratrol supplementation on cognitive performance and mood in adults: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Associate Professor Marc Kvansakul
Associate Professor Kvansakul's interests include understanding the molecular mechanism underlying cell polarity regulation using a range of structural biology techniques including X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering.
Recent publications
- 2018: Human ‐defensin 2 kills Candida albicans through phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate–mediated membrane permeabilization
- 2018: Cell Polarity Regulation - from Atomic to Macroscopic Scale
- 2018: Grouper iridovirus GIV66 is a Bcl-2 protein that inhibits apoptosis by exclusively sequestering Bim
- 2018: Drosophila melanogaster Guk-holder interacts with the Scribbled PDZ1 domain and regulates epithelial development with Scribbled and Discs Large
- 2018: A Structural Investigation of NRZ Mediated Apoptosis Regulation in Zebrafish
Professor John Moses
With a background in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, the primary research interests of the Moses research group are in the design and syntheses of new functional molecular entities.
Recent publications
- 2018: Quantitative and Orthogonal Formation and Reactivity of SuFEx Platforms
- 2018: 1-Bromoethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride (BESF) is another good connective hub for SuFEx click chemistry
- 2018: Mechanism of intersubunit ketosynthase–dehydratase interaction in polyketide synthases
- 2018: Photochemical activity of membrane-localised polyketide derived marine natural products
- 2018: SuFEx Chemistry of Thionyl Tetrafluoride (SOF 4 ) with Organolithium Nucleophiles: Synthesis of Sulfonimidoyl Fluorides, Sulfoximines, Sulfonimidamides, and Sulfonimidates
Dr Belinda Parker
Dr Parker studies the mechanisms of cancer cell spread (metastasis) to distant tissues and organs.
Recent publications
- 2018: Discriminating the earliest stages of mammary carcinoma using myoepithelial and proliferative markers
- 2018: Sustainable Syntheses of (−)-Jerantinines A & E and Structural Characterisation of the Jerantinine-Tubulin Complex at the Colchicine Binding Site
- 2018: Tumor inherent interferons: Impact on immune reactivity and immunotherapy
- 2017: Beyond the vicious cycle: the role of innate osteoimmunity, automimicry and tumor-inherent changes in dictating bone metastasis
- 2017: Correlation between severe infection and breast cancer metastases in the EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 trial: Investigating innate immunity as a tumour suppressor in breast cancer
Associate Professor Helena Richardson
Associate Professor Richardson uses the vinegar fly, Drosophila, to model tumourigenesis, with the vision of understanding how regulators of cell polarity and the actin cytoskeleton impact on cell signalling and cell proliferation.
Recent publications
- 2018: A genome-wide Drosophila epithelial tumorigenesis screen identifies Tetraspanin 29Fb as an evolutionarily conserved suppressor of Ras-driven cancer
- 2018: Phosphorylation of Drosophila Brahma on CDK-phosphorylation sites is important for cell cycle regulation and differentiation
- 2018: Src Cooperates with Oncogenic Ras in Tumourigenesis via the JNK and PI3K Pathways in Drosophila epithelial Tissue
- 2018: Drosophila melanogaster Guk-holder interacts with the Scribbled PDZ1 domain and regulates epithelial development with Scribbled and Discs Large
- 2018: POSH regulates Hippo signaling through ubiquitin-mediated expanded degradation
Professor Alan Shiell
Professor Shiell’s research interests are use of systems theory to improve population health, economic evaluation of complex public health interventions, social capital, social networks and the promotion of health and well-being.
Recent publications
- 2018: Evidence suggests a need to rethink social capital and social capital interventions
- 2018: How much does Australia spend on prevention and how would we know whether it is enough?
- 2018: A method for the inclusion of physical activity-related health benefits in cost-benefit analysis of built environment initiatives
- 2018: Harnessing advances in computer simulation to inform policy and planning to reduce alcohol-related harms
- 2017: A new model of collaborative research: experiences from one of Australia’s NHMRC Partnership Centres for Better Health
Professor Carlene Wilson
Professor Wilson's current research focuses on ways to reduce risk of cancer through the modification of critical lifestyle behaviours.
Recent publications
- 2019: The impact of a social media literacy intervention on positive attitudes to tanning: A pilot study
- 2018: Connecting the dots between breast cancer, obesity and alcohol consumption in middle-aged women: ecological and case control studies
- 2018: Factors associated with referral offer and acceptance following supportive care problem identification in a comprehensive cancer service
- 2018: Effect of a spa bath on patient symptoms in an acute palliative care setting: A pilot study
- 2018: Parental feeding practices to manage snack food intake: Associations with energy intake regulation in young children