New approaches to blood and liver cancer therapies recognised with $2.5 million CSL Centenary Fellowships

Operations on 12 October, 2023

Boosting exhausted T cells: Dr Daniel Utzschneider, Melbourne and
On the path to a liver cancer vaccine: Dr Ankur Sharma, Perth are the two research programs selected as a part of the global biotechnology company’s long-standing promise to support scientists in Australia

MELBOURNE – 12 October 2023 – Two Australian scientists have each been awarded CSL Centenary Fellowships, valued at $1.25 million over five years. They are each developing new kinds of potential cancer therapies, based on their fundamental research into cancer biology.

The Fellowships were presented at the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Annual Meeting on Thursday 12 October 2023 in Brisbane.

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How cancer’s similarities to embryonic cell development could lead to a life-saving vaccine

Operations on 12 October, 2023

Dr Ankur Sharma, Laboratory Head at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 2024 CSL Centenary Fellow

Dr Ankur Sharma has discovered how liver cancer cells work together in a similar way to the rapidly dividing cells in a human embryo. He is now trialling ways to identify which liver cancers may respond to immunotherapy.

The 2024 $1.25 million CSL Centenary Fellowship will support his next bold step at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth. His vision is for vaccines against cancer, which could one day allow us to manage it as a chronic disease.

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Training T-cells for a marathon against cancer

Operations on 12 October, 2023

Daniel Utzschneider, The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, 2024 CSL Centenary Fellow

Immunotherapy is transforming cancer outcomes but only for about a third of patients.

Dr Daniel Utzschneider believes the reason for this may lie with T cells, white blood cells that are a key component of our adaptive immune system, which can become exhausted from the constant fight against cancer.

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