TRI Seminar Series: Tumour Models Mini-Symposium

Dr Mitchell Lawrence, Monash University

Title: Using patient-derived models to investigate high dose testosterone treatment for prostate cancer

Dr Mitchell Lawrence is a Laboratory Head in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University. He also has appointments at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Cabrini Health. In collaboration with the Melbourne Urological Research Alliance, Dr Lawrence is using patient-derived models to uncover why some patients’ tumours are more aggressive than others and to identify how to treat these tumours more effectively. This is leading to changes in international clinical practice, concurrent clinical trials, and partnerships with industry. 

Prof Nikolas Haass, The University of Queensland

Title: 3D modelling of melanoma heterogeneity and structural integrity

Prof Nikolas Haass is a clinician scientist with research interests in melanoma cell biology and experimental therapy at the Frazer Institute at University of Queensland. Using cutting-edge technology, including real-time cell cycle imaging in 3D culture and in vivo, his team studies the role of dynamic melanoma heterogeneity in melanomagenesis with the goal to develop novel therapeutic approaches by simultaneously targeting different tumor cell subpopulations. His laboratory and team combine sophisticated imaging and biosensor approaches with biochemical methods to provide unprecedented insight to the mechanisms of tumor heterogeneity, tumor-stroma interactions, and cancer immunology.

Dr Nathalie Bock, Queensland University of Technology

Title: ECM-mimicking hydrogel models of human adipose tissue identify deregulated lipid metabolism in the prostate cancer-adipocyte crosstalk under antiandrogen therapy

Dr Bock is Leader of the Bone & Tumour Bioengineering research group at QUT-TRI since 2018, and the Deputy Director of the International Max Planck Queensland Centre (MPQC) for Extracellular Matrices. Dr Bock’s research applies bioengineering strategies to study primary and metastatic cancers of the prostate, breast, kidney and lung, with the goal of identifying new mechanisms that may ultimately help to understand, prevent and treat disease. The specific focus is to develop and use biomimetic 3D tailorable tissue model systems for in vitro and in vivo use, to understand the role of cellular and extracellular microenvironments in modulating tumour microenvironments during progression and therapy response.

A/Prof Elizabeth Williams, Queensland University of Technology

Title: Patient derived platforms for prostate and bladder cancer research

A/Prof Elizabeth Williams established the Prostate Cancer Research Group at the Bernard O’Brien Institute in 2002. Since 2013 she has been the Tumour Models Group Leader at the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology. In 2010 she was accepted as a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. In 2016 she co-founded the Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI) with urologic oncologist Professor Ian Vela and is Research Director of their successful bladder cancer research program. Her research program focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underpinning the progression of prostate and bladder cancer, the development of new patient-derived platforms as research tools, and the development of biomarkers for bladder cancer diagnosis and monitoring.

Ms Elysse Morris, University of Queensland

Title: Uncovering dynamic changes in tumour associated vasculature using zebrafish models

Ms Elysse Morris is a PhD student in the Lagendijk Lab located at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, UQ. Ms Morris completed her honours project, focusing on the role of integrin signalling in cerebral cavernous malformations. Ms Morris PhD, focussed on establishing a novel zebrafish xenograft model to understand the role and relationship between childhood brain cancer, Medulloblastoma, and its associated vasculature. Ms Morris has also utilised this xenograft zebrafish model to understand how aggressive melanoma cells interact and utilise the vasculature during brain metastasis.

Dr Liam O’ Brien, Mater Research & The University of Queensland

Title: Generation, expansion, and potentiation of human antigen-specific Tumour-Infiltrating T cells from a humanized mouse model

Liam completed his PhD in 2022 at Mater Research in the lab of Professor Kristen Radford. During his Honours, PhD and postdoctoral studies he has generated multiple novel immune-humanized mouse models. These studies have led to the creation of the Australian Human Immune Model Facility at TRI.