cancer

summary

Our cancer research group interacts closely with The Royal Children's Hospital Children's Cancer Centre, which treats the largest number of children with cancer in Australia per year.

Around 40-50 children in our community continue to die each year of incurable cancers. Of those children who survive, some still experience a range of long-term side effects resulting from their cancer and/or associated treatment.

Our research includes laboratory based to understand the causes of cancer, as well as research to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children with cancer.

group leader(s)

  Dr Elizabeth Algar
  Cancer
  Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
  Royal Children's Hospital
  Flemington Road
  Parkville Victoria 3052
 
  T +61 3 9345 4355
  F +61 3 9345 4993
  E elizabeth.algar@rch.org.au

  group leader biography

 
  Professor Paul Monagle 
  Cancer
  Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
  Royal Children's Hospital
  Flemingtone Road
  Parkville Victoria 3052

  T  +61 3 9345 5161
  E paul.monagle@rch.org.au

  group leader biography

current research projects

The research laboratories of the Children's Cancer Centre are within the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and affiliated with the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics.

Children's Cancer Centre has made innovative contributions to the research and treatment of all types of childhood cancer, including:

Hodgkin's disease
Ewings Sarcoma
Acute leukaemia
Bone Marrow transplantation
Brain tumours

This research and innovation has seen childhood cancer cure rates increase from around 20% (early 1970's) to almost 80% for acute leukaemia and Hodgkins disease. Some cure rates remain disappointing.

team members

• Sultan Alasmari - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
• David Ashley - Honorary Research Fellow
• Zac Chatterton - Research Assistant
• Vinod Dagar - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
• Karen Egan - RESEARCH AFFILIATE
• Christine Hawkins - HONORARY RESEARCH FELLOW
• Jennifer Houlihan - RESEARCH AFFILIATE
• Wendy Hutchison - Scientific Officer

• Dylan King - Research Assistant
• Jane Loke - Research Assistant
• Francoise Mechinaud - HONORARY MANAGER / GROUP LEADER
• Dean Popovski - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
• Lin Rigby - Research Officer
• Maria Scoyne - Data Manager
• John Silke - HONORARY RESEARCH FELLOW
• Priscillia Siswara - Research Assistant

publications

• Algar E., Dagar V., Sebaj M., Pachter N. An 11p15 imprinting centre region 2 deletion in a family with beckwith wiedemann syndrome provides insights into imprinting control at CDKN1C. PLOS ONE 6 (12) (2011)
• Birks DK., Donson AM., Patel PR., Dunham C., Muscat A., Algar EM., Ashley DM., Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK., Vibhakar R., Handler MH., Foreman NK. High expression of BMP pathway genes distinguishes a subset of Atypical Teratoid / Rhabdoid Tumors associated with shorter survival. Neuro-Oncology (2011) PubMed

competitive funding

Australian Cancer Research Foundation

collaborations & affiliations

Leukaemia Research Fund Stem Cell Laboratory
The Tumour Immunology Laboratory
The BMDI Cord Blood Bank
Apoptosis Laboratory
Molecular Oncology Laboratory