The Research Day Keynote Address is one of the highlights of Alfred Health Week each year, and this year we are delighted that Professor Ricky Johnstone, Executive Director of Cancer Research at the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, and head of its Gene Regulation Laboratory, will be our keynote speaker.
Prof Johnstone will be sharing a story of translational research success – “From Fundamental Research to Clinical Care: The Story of CAR T Cell Immunotherapy at Peter Mac” – an address which will not only offer a fascinating insight into world-leading research, but is certain to resonate strongly within our patient-focused translational research, education and healthcare community.
After receiving his PhD from the University of Melbourne and completing a postdoc at Harvard Medical School, Prof Johnstone returned to Melbourne in 2000 to establish the Gene Regulation Lab at Peter Mac. Here he used genetic mouse models of hemopoietic malignancies and solid tumours to understand the epigenetic changes that underpin tumour onset and progression & to develop new therapies that target epigenetic and transcriptional regulatory proteins. Recently, he discovered how epigenetic based-agents can engage the host immune system to drive prolonged therapeutic responses.
A full Professor in the Department of Pathology at Melbourne University, he has published over 230 peer-reviewed papers and was awarded an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship in 2015.
We look forward Prof Johnstone’s contribution to Research Day, and to welcoming visitors and Alfred Research Alliance researchers, clinicians, staff and students to the precinct to hear this fascinating address. It will also be an opportunity to view the posters which will be displayed throughout The Alfred corridors to showcase the research done on this precinct.
The Keynote Address will be held in the Lecture Theatre of the Education Centre at 80 Commercial Road, Melbourne, at 12 noon on Tuesday 18 June, 2019 and is open to all. It will be followed by the presentation of the 2018 Alfred Research Alliance Research Prizes. A light lunch will be served after the presentation.