I am an early career researcher with a passion for improving outcomes in bowel cancer patients. As a child I have always had an inquisitive personality, always asking adults how things worked and more importantly ‘why’ they do. Developing into my adulthood, this curious nature has now propelled me into a career in academia. The pursuit of knowledge, the scientific method and the ability to deeply interrogate things have become the forefront of my character. Currently my focus lies in understanding the interactions of the immune system with bowel cancer in hopes of developing lasting treatment

Outside of science, my interests lie in arts, nature and wellness. I find exercising my body in a variety of ways incredibly beneficial and important. Moreover, I find great personal joy being in nature, going for hikes in mountains and forests and swimming in streams and beaches. The remainder of my time are spent reading books, attending concerts and art galleries.

Through my years I have found great fulfillment from the exercise of both my mind and body balanced with the care of my mental health.

Bowel cancer impacts the world as the 3^rd most common form of cancer and the 2^nd most common cause of cancer-related death. In Australia, there is an estimated 15,000 new diagnoses in 2025 with more than 5,000 deaths. Despite this, the reality is that the majority of patients diagnosed with bowel cancer actually survive. The problem lies in those with treatment resistant and late stage disease, with only less than 15% survive.

When their cancer spreads to other organs of the body, there are limited treatment options with any real benefit.

Immunotherapy represents a new era of treatment that has revolutionized the outcomes for several other cancer types. Utilizing the patient’s own immune system, immunotherapy mobilizes the existing cells in the body to fight the cancer. Unfortunately, this type of therapy has not been effective in bowel cancer. Despite extensive research it is still not fully understood why.

The proposed project aims to uncover the processes underpinning resistance to immunotherapy in bowel cancer. Patient derived organoids are 3D structures that allow us to accurately depict and study the patient’s individual disease. Coupled with immune cells from the patients, I can model the effects of immunotherapy in the laboratory. By performing a genetic screen with this model, we can pinpoint directly which genes are involved that allows the cancer to persist.

By understanding these better we have the potential to greatly improve outcomes in bowel cancer patients. Not only can we treat patients with late-stage disease but also prevent their development.

Supervisors: Professor Vicki Whitehall, Dr Greg Kelly and Dr Catherine Bond