Research Team Publications

Research Team Publications

Professor George Kannourakis

MB, BS, B(Med)Sc, PhD, FRACP

Director

Professor George Kannourakis oversees all research and administrative operations at the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute. As the Institute’s founding Director, he has shaped its scientific direction, culture, and community-centred approach since its earliest days — transforming Fiona’s dream into a world-class cancer research facility based in regional Victoria. With a career spanning more than four decades, George brings a wealth of expertise in cancer cell biology, immunology, and translational medicine. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne for research undertaken at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and completed postdoctoral studies at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Prior to relocating to Ballarat, he led the Cancer Research Unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, while also treating paediatric oncology and haematology patients — a dual role that shaped his enduring commitment to bridging research and care. Alongside his leadership at FECRI, George has long served the Ballarat region as a practising medical oncologist and clinical haematologist, with appointments across St John of God Health Services, Ballarat Health Services, and visiting roles in Stawell, Ararat, Horsham and Melbourne. He is Adjunct Professor of Cancer Biology at Federation University and Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Notre Dame Medical School. George’s research contributions span the biology of blood cancers, immune system modulation, and rare diseases like Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. His vision has always been clear: to bring cutting-edge science to regional Australia, build strong collaborations, and foster a new generation of researchers — all without government funding, and all in the name of hope.

Publications

Associate Professor Prashanth Prithviraj

MBBS MSc MPH FRACP PhD

Honorary Senior Research Fellow

Dr Prashanth Prithviraj, who recently completed PhD in cancer biology at The Austin Hospital (Oliva Newton-John Cancer Research Institute) joined the institute in September 2017 as Senior Research Fellow. After earning his medical degree, Prashanth pursued Medical Oncology training at Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, he furthered his education and completed training with a Fellowship in Medical Oncology at The Austin Hospital in Melbourne. Prashanth has extensive research experience and his other qualifications apart from FRACP include Masters of Science (Biotechnology) from University of Western Sydney and Master of Public Health (Epidemiology and Statistics) from the University of Newcastle. Prashanth has presented at major national and international meetings, and authored publications in prominent cancer related peer reviewed journals. He has a special interest in transitional research and immunotherapy, and is a lead investigator in a number of clinical trials, and also is involved in development and conduct of clinical trials. His research goals are to develop innovative models to establish EMT mechanism as an important biomarker for cancer progression, resistance to therapy and as a biomarker of responsiveness to immune therapy, with the aim of developing/designing EMT-based therapies in cancer.

Publications

Professor Nuzhat Ahmed

BSc Hons (DU), MSc (KUL), PhD (ANU

John Turner Professorial Fellow

Nuzhat joined the Institute in 2015 and is the John Turner Professorial Fellow. She holds an adjunct professorial position with the Federation University, Ballarat which strengthens links between the Institute and the University. Professor Ahmed is an experienced cell and molecular biologist and brings a wealth of experience to Institute, particularly in cancer biology. She has a long-standing interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms of ovarian cancer spread. She did her postdoctoral research training in Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, New Zealand, University of Newcastle, Australia, Kanagawa Cancer Centre, Japan and BC Cancer Agency, University of British Columbia in Canada. From 2002-2014 Nuzhat led the Cancer Metastasis Group in Women’s Cancer Research Centre, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. Her significant contribution has been in establishing novel interactions of cell adhesion molecules with the signalling pathways in cancer, identifying early stage biomarkers for ovarian cancer screening and understanding the mechanisms of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer patients. These studies have led to several international patents, competitive international and national grants and publications (>80) in reputable cancer journals. Nuzhat has a long-standing interest in understanding the immune cell irregularities in ovarian cancer patients.

Publications

Associate Professor Aparna Jayachandran

BSc, MSc, PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Jayachandran is an internationally recognised cancer researcher, with her most recent appointment prior the Institute was as the Head of the Liver Cancer Unit at the Gallipoli Medical Research Institute at the University of Queensland. She has also held appointments at the Liebig University, Germany and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, University of Melbourne, Latrobe University, and the Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute. Her background and expertise in cancer biology, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cells, and organ fibrosis is an asset to the team.

Publications

Dr Rodney Luwor

BSc PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Luwor joined the Institute in 2021, bringing with him almost two decades experience in using human cancer models and human patient samples to investigate the genetic and molecular alterations associated with cancer. Further to this Dr Luwor has expertise in developing molecular therapeutics for inhibition of tumour growth and progression. In particular, Dr Luwor has performed pre-clinical, therapeutic evaluation of several agents designed to block tumour growth. More recently, Dr Luwor has expanded his research interests to explore tumour resistance to both molecular targeted therapy and standard chemotherapy.

Publications

Dr Sushma Rao

PhD, MSc, BSc

Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Sushma Rao is mass spectrometry applications specialist with extensive experience in proteomics and metabolomics technologies. She brings in a unique skill set of integrating molecular biology, biotechnology, mass spectrometry and data analysis techniques. She completed a PhD University of Melbourne in proteomics/metabolomics mass spectrometry, studying the proteome and metabolome of rice suspension cell cultures during abiotic stress and identified signalling pathways that were most affected. After completing her PhD, she transitioned to apply her skill set in biomedical research. Dr Rao has held previous appointments at Children’s Medical Research Institute – Sydney and the National University of Singapore. Her role prior to commencing at the at FECRI was in the Mass Spectrometry team, leading Proteomic projects for the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. In this role she worked accross various research projects and clinical trials to identify plasma protein biomarkers in research areas ranging from, but not limited to, chronic myeloid leukemia, prostate cancer, cardiovascular research, stroke research, breast cancer, stem-cell research and neurogenetic disorders research. Dr. Rao is very excited to be a part of the amazing team of scientists at FECRI. She will be starting a Multiple Myeloma research project utilising proteomics to study the complexity of this difficult cancer. Additionally, she will be leading mass spectrometry applications across multiple project streams at the Institute, focused on proteomics and metabolomics.

Publications

Dr Sharon Olsen

BSc (Hons) PhD

Laboratory Manager and JG King Research Fellow

Sharon joined the Institute in May 2003. She has worked in the field of cancer research for her entire career. Sharon graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) and a PhD from the University of Melbourne. While at St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, her PhD studied parathyroid hormone-related protein and the biology of cancer. She then traveled to Canada to work on chemotherapy resistance by multi drug resistance protein at the Cancer Research Laboratories, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, prior to her return to Australia.

Publications

Dr Monirul Islam

BSc (Hons), MSc (PhD)​

Senior Scientist (Molecular Biology)

Dr. Monirul Islam joined the Institute in July 2003. Monirul obtained his Bachelor (Hons) and Master degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and his PhD in Molecular Biology from the medical faculty of Nagoya University in Japan. Before joining the Institute, Monirul was working as research associate at the Southern Methodist University, Texas, USA. Monirul also worked as a scientific officer at the Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Melbourne, Australia and as a Science and Technology Agency (STA) fellow at the National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan.

Publications

Dr Jason Kelly

B AppSc Bio Med Sc (Hons)

Post Doctoral Researcher

Dr. Jason Kelly is a leading researcher at the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, specialising in immune responses in colorectal cancer. His PhD, investigating how the immune system interacts with bowel cancer, was published in Immunology and Cell Biology and named one of the journal’s top 10 publications of 2019. In 2018, he received a FIMSA travel grant to present his work internationally in Bangkok. A Ballarat local, Dr. Kelly spent 20 years in diagnostic pathology, where he witnessed cancer’s toll on patients and families — a formative experience that inspired his transition into cancer research. His focus on bowel cancer is driven by a deep commitment to improving early detection and patient outcomes through immunology. Beyond the lab, Dr. Kelly is an active community leader — past president of Golden Point Cricket Club and a former Grand Master of the Ballarat Hash House Harriers. In 2024, he was honoured as a Damascus College ‘Shining Light’ for his scientific achievements and community contributions. With a “Think Global, Act Local” approach, Dr. Kelly continues to push the boundaries of cancer research while remaining rooted in the Ballarat community he serves.

Publications

Dr Arpita Poddar

PhD

Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Dr Arpita Poddar graduated with her PhD in 2021 at RMIT University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Melbourne, where she worked on the application of nanoparticles in cancer treatment. An interdisciplinary researcher – her interests are at the interface of materials science, biology and cancer research. Working in collaboration with NHMRC clinical trials centre in the University of Sydney, Graz University of Technology, Austria, the ALBA Synchrotron, Barcelona and the Elettra Sincrotrone, Italy, she developed non-viral alternatives using nanotech to target prostate cancer cells for gene therapy. She has been a recipient of several prestigious Scholarships/bursaries including CSIR-UGC National Eligibility (Govt of India), CSIRO-RMIT research and RMIT-HDR talent award (PhD program), Top Downloaded Paper 2018-2019 and the Australian Nanotechnology Network travel award (twice) to visit and work in Europe. Dr Poddar has since worked in the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, on understanding the structural biology of genes involved in Alzheimer’s Disease. She has held research fellowship at Monash University where she studied nanomaterials and their interaction with biomolecules. Dr Poddar has established novel nanomaterials as viable, physiologically stable and facile non-viral gene therapy systems, and she is currently applying the delivery systems across different cancer streams with a particular focus on triple negative breast cancer.

Publications

Dr Farah Ahmady-Nield

BBioMedSc (Hons) PhD

Post Doctoral Researcher

Dr. Farah Ahmady is a passionate cancer researcher and immunologist with a strong foundation in molecular and cell biology. She began her academic journey with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Hons), investigating the role of zinc in type 2 diabetes, and went on to complete her PhD at the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute in 2022 through a prestigious HDR Scholarship. Her doctoral research explored immune cell subsets in ovarian cancer, presented at key national and international conferences including the 2019 Keystone Symposia on Cancer Metastasis. Now a postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Ahmady focuses on tumour-immune interactions and the microenvironment in glioblastoma and triple-negative breast cancers, with work published in leading journals. She is also expanding into pancreatic cancer research. Dr. Ahmady contributes to collaborative studies in renal and prostate cancer and actively co-supervises Honours and PhD students. A strong advocate for women in STEM, she is committed to mentoring future scientists. A proud member of the Ballarat community, she values public engagement and frequently shares her research with local audiences. In 2024, she was recognised among Ballarat’s 40 Under 40, honouring her scientific leadership and deep community commitment.

Publications

Dr Ruth Escalona

PhD

Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Publications

Dylan King

BMedSci (Hons)

Tissue Bank Coordinator and Research Assistant

Dylan King is a researcher at the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute with a passion for immunology, particularly the role of innate immune cells in cancer therapy. His research journey began as an undergraduate at La Trobe University, where he studied Biomedical Science and Biochemistry. In 2009, he was awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Scholarship, enabling him to undertake part-time research at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences throughout his degree. In his third year, he achieved first-author publication in the prestigious chemistry journal Langmuir. In 2011, Dylan completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons) at the University of Melbourne through the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, focusing on dendritic cell-based immunotherapy for neuroblastoma in paediatric patients. He went on to commence a PhD at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, investigating immune regulation of antibody effector mechanisms in cancer therapy. As an APA Scholarship recipient, he was also awarded a Harold Mitchell Foundation Travel Fellowship to present at the IBC Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics Conference in Los Angeles in 2014. In 2016, Dylan relocated to Ballarat, launching a window and gutter cleaning business to balance work with raising his young family. Introduced to FECRI by two clients, he patiently waited for the right opportunity to join the Institute’s research team — a move driven by his long-standing commitment to advancing cancer immunology. Today, Dylan brings both his scientific expertise and lived experience to FECRI’s research programs, motivated by a belief that the immune system holds the key to improving cancer treatments and outcomes.

Publications

Dr Jenée Mitchell

BAppSc (Hons), PhD

Don Mulhallen Cancer Research Fellow

Following graduation from Federation University with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons), Jenée joined the laboratory in 2012 as part of the team working on histiocytic diseases and completing her PhD this on the role of T cells in the immune regulation of Langerhans cell histiocytosis in 2019. She was appointed Post Doctorate Researcher at the Institute in 2020 and continues her work into Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Publications

Professor Stuart Berzins

BSc (Hons) PhD GCUT

Visiting Research Fellow

Publications

Dr Morgan Wallace

BSc (Hons) PhD

Visiting Research Fellow

Morgan Wallace is a lecturer in Biomedical science at Federation University and an Honoarary Research Fellow at the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute. Morgan has worked as a research scientist at several leading research institutes including the University of Massachusetts (USA) the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and St Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne. She is currently working with researchers at the Institute to investigate the role of the immune system in fighting haematological cancers including Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and Multiple Myeloma.

Dr Jenny West

BSc (Hons) PhD

Visiting Research Fellow

Jenny has a background in cell biology and biochemistry and joined the Institute in 2001 before retiring in 2017. She retains a connecting with the research team as a Visiting Research Fellow in supporting and mentoring researchers in their projects.

Dr Emma Gannan

BBioMedSci(Hons) MBBS(Hons) DipAnat MS(BreastSurg) FRACS BreastSurgANZ

Collaborating Clinician- Ballarat

Dr Emma Gannan is a specialist breast surgeon. Emma has a particular interest in oncoplastic breast surgery and manages all surgical aspects of benign and malignant breast disease. Emma performs the full range of oncoplastic breast surgery, including implant reconstruction. Emma practices multi-disciplinary breast cancer care and has an interest in medical research. Emma also enjoys her role as a lecturer teaching medical students.