Project grants

Prof Daniel Thomas from Adelaide University is investigating how a natural fatty acid could unlock the key to treating a form of liver cancer which often has poor outcomes. 

Prof Thomas is a Stanford-trained physician scientist who leads clinical trials at the Royal Adelaide Hospital with expertise in cancer metabolism. He also has an ongoing appointment at Stanford Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Institute as a visiting scholar. His lab has a strong track record in repurposing existing drugs for new uses in cancer treatment, finding new ways to target cancer using drugs, and predicting how cancer mutations might respond to targeted therapies.

Prof Thomas’s Cancer Council SA funded research focuses on cholangiocarcinoma, a form of liver bile duct cancer which currently has no known effective treatments. His team has found that a form of this cancer—specifically with the IDH1 mutation—could be vulnerable to alpha-linolenic acid. This study will test if using this natural fatty acid could form a safer, lower-cost treatment for patients. 

Prof David Waugh from Adelaide University is researching ways to improve treatment for advanced prostate cancer by targeting a specific protein that is a master regulator of inflammation. 

Prof Waugh is a strong supporter of developing inter-disciplinary and impactful research with a track record of boosting international cooperation to improve health outcomes for patients. After initially studying cardiovascular disease in the US, he pivoted his talents towards studying the molecular basis of cancer. In the United Kingdom, he was instrumental in developing a pipeline to translate academic discoveries and industry-led translations into early-phase clinical trials. Now, Prof Waugh is currently the Dean of Research and Dean of Health Innovation, Precincts and Partnerships at Adelaide University’s College of Health. 

Prof Waugh’s research aims to use newly-developed compounds to block the IKKalpha protein, which prostate cancer cells use to help the cancer grow and weaken the immune response. The study will test how well these drugs work, both alone and in tandem with other treatments, to improve the body’s natural ability to fight cancer cells.

Professor Gregory Goodall from Adelaide University is studying neuroblastoma, a form of cancer which grows in nerve tissue in children, and affects how it develops. 

Prof Goodall is the head of the Gene Regulation Laboratory at the Centre for Cancer Biology with expertise in the roles that microRNAs play in cancer metastasis. Across research centres in Adelaide, the USA and Switzerland, Prof Goodall has made significant strides in the world of RNA. He, along with his research collaborators, uncovered a microRNA family which were very strong controllers of the ability for cancer cells to metastasise. That landmark discovery led to Prof Goodall and his team being asked to join a consortium aiming to discover the impacts of microRNA on neuroblastoma. 

Prof Goodall’s research has developed a model which can help better understand how neuroblastoma develops in nerve tissue. By understanding how it develops and the key factors behind what causes it to develop, Prof Goodall aims to develop targeted therapy for individual neuroblastoma patients.