Issue 10 Newsletter Vol 7 | Jun 2017 Editor | Tracy Hayward In this issue ADSA PHD SCHOLARSHIP ANNA NOWAK RECEIVES MARF AWARD NCARD RAs IN PROFILE IMMUNOLOGY BAKING! four year period. As Joost had received the NHMRC fellowship, he shares the Cancer Council fellowship with another researcher, Curtin University’s Associate Professor Georgia Halkett. In February Joost also learned that he is one of 22 applicants selected to DR JOOST LESTERHUIS. PHOTO COURTESY CANCER COUNCIL OF WA present at the US-Australian Emerging Cancer Biomedical Technologies Workshop in Washington DC in A SUCCESSFUL FELLOW mid-June. A collaboration between the US National Cancer Institute, Virginia NCARD senior researcher Joost Lesterhuis had quite a start to 2017: Tech and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, the workshop he effectively was made a fellow three times over in the first few weeks will include a reception hosted by the of the year, with the awarding of an NHMRC Career Development Australian Ambassador. Fellowship, the inaugural Bernie Banton Fellowship, and a Cancer Council of WA Fellowship. It’s a tremendous success for Joost, who emigrated with his family from The NHMRC Career Development Banton Fellowship, which the NHMRC the Netherlands to Western Australia Fellowship, Exploring and exploiting established “to commemorate the life in 2014 to work at NCARD after a novel therapeutic avenues in of Bernie Banton through supporting two year stint as a visiting scientist mesothelioma, was one of just three health and medical research related here, working especially with Richard awarded to researchers based in to mesothelioma”. As the first Bernie Lake. A clinician-scientist characterised Western Australia. The fellowship will Banton fellow, Joost recognises this as by his energy and enthusiasm, Joost’s provide $425,000 in funding over a particular honour. current research includes combination four years. immunotherapy and chemotherapy for The Cancer Council of WA also mesothelioma, and the use of network As the most highly ranked applicant awarded a fellowship to Joost, for science to discover why some cancer working on mesothelioma research, Identifying new effective treatments for patients respond to therapies, while Joost was also awarded the Bernie mesothelioma, which also runs over a others do not. NATIONAL CENTRE FOR ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES – JUNE 2017 ADS PHD SCHOLARSHIP Melita Markey, Chief Operating Officer, Asbestos Disease Society of Australia Inc. Through the generous donations received from the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia Inc. (ADSA) Steve Aiberti memorial Walk for Medical Research and Asbestos Awareness, the ADSA will be funding a three and a half year PhD Scholarship into translational mesothelioma research. This will be advertised around the world as the Asbestos MR STEVE AIBERTI PRESENTING A CHEQUE TO PROF NOWAK FROM THE 2015 WALK AT NCARD. SADLY STEVE PASSED AWAY FROM MESOTHELIOMA IN JUNE 2016 BUT HIS COMMITMENT TO SAVING LIVES Diseases Society of Australia WAS STEADFAST EVEN AS HE BATTLED HIS OWN MESOTHELIOMA DIAGNOSIS. PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED Inc. PhD Mesothelioma COURTESY OF THE ASBESTOS DISEASES SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC. © 2015. Research Scholarship later this year to attract the best clinicians/scientists working with mesothelioma patients. The scholarship will commence in the second half of 2017 and is to be supervised by Professor Nowak and the NCARD team at The University of Western Australia. The ADSA and our members recognise NCARD as being at the forefront of mesothelioma research, and we want to give the hardworking team a boost in resources. We hope to attract further funds to match our donation and work toward treatments that further extend 2017 ERIC G SAINT MEMORIAL AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT, ADSA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, SUNDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2017. DR HELEN CLAYSON FLANKED BY PROF ANNA NOWAK AND DR JOOST LESTERHUIS. life, relieve symptoms and indeed PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE ASBESTOS DISEASES SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC. © 2 017. provide a cure for mesothelioma in the near future. Please support our walk for life saving research funds this year from September 10th – 15th. We look forward to marching with the NCARD team through the city to Solidarity Park to end the walk and we welcome those that can join us for all or part of the walk. ADSA MANAGER & COUNSELLOR ROSE MARIE VOJAKOVIC; DR HELEN CLAYSON, 2017 WINNER OF THE PROFESSOR ERIC G. SAINT MEMORIAL AWARD AND PROF ANNA NOWAK. PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE ASBESTOS DISEASES SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC. © 2 017. 2 NATIONAL CENTRE FOR ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES – JUNE 2017 Anna Nowak receives Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Pioneer Award NCARD’s Professor Anna Nowak was the 2017 recipient of the International Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s Pioneer Award, for her “exceptional achievements and dedication to mesothelioma research”. Anna was presented with the award to “thought leaders and allies” who while attending the International have substantially contributed to Symposium on Malignant the advancement of mesothelioma Mesothelioma in Bethesda, Maryland, research, treatment, care, support, at the conference awards dinner on education and advocacy. Anna is 27 March. “Last night was wonderful”, internationally recognised and is an PROF ANNA NOWAK RECEIVING THE MARF PIONEER AWARD PHOTO COURTESY MARF said Maja Belamaric, the Foundation’s instrumental figure in the mesothelioma Communications Director. “We were community. She currently serves honoured to present the award to as a member of MARF’s Scientific community; she is also an incredibly Dr Nowak”. Advisory Board. caring and humble clinician whose first and foremost priority is always the The Mesothelioma Applied Research “Not only is Dr Nowak a talented patient”, said Melinda Kotzian, the Foundation (MARF) is a non-profit scientist whose contributions to the CEO of MARF. “This Pioneer Award charity organisation based in the US. field of mesothelioma research and is one way in which we are able to It presents the Pioneer Award annually treatment bring hope to our patient honor her dedication and success”. NCARD RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Research Assistants (RAs) are the backbone of a laboratory. I asked NCARD’s RAs to answer some questions about themselves, including “What’s something about being a Research Assistant that you think other people may not understand?”, “What is frustrating about working in science?” “What gives you satisfaction in what you do?” Getting responses did not always come easy. Being a Research Assistant can often TOM CASEY involve unorthodox hours and requires a high level of organisation. It can I first came to NCARD during my be frustrating to work in science as honours year in 2014, working on a progress is slow. You often need a project under the supervision of Scott lot of negative results to achieve one Fisher. After completing this, I landed step forward. my first job at Curtin University with Delia Nelson and Connie Jackaman KIMBERLEY BURTON It’s satisfying to find new little pieces of as a research assistant in their tumour the puzzle which help us understand immunology lab. I worked there I started at NCARD in July 2015 and this disease better and therefore lead for nine months working on various before that was doing a Masters of to better patient outcomes. projects involving mesothelioma and Philosophy in Pharmacology. the innate immune system before taking Outside of work I am a dancer. up an opportunity with the immunology I work with Scott Fisher on two I primarily compete and teach west division at Lion’s Eye Institute under the projects: one is how different forms coast swing, which is a partner dance. supervision of Mariapia Degli-Esposti. of asbestos change mesothelioma There my work centred around murine development; and the second looks cytomegalovirus and it’s interactions at underlying genetic factors that may with the immune system. After a year in distinguish why some people develop that lab, I was offered an opportunity mesothelioma and others don’t. at NCARD once again with Scott 3 NATIONAL CENTRE FOR ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES – JUNE 2017 Fisher, and have been working here Creaney’s biomarkers team. In several since November 2016. ways at “the sharp end” of NCARD’s research work, obtaining consent I am currently working on a few from mesothelioma and lung cancer projects for Joost Lesterhuis and Scott patients, something which requires Fisher, mostly centred on checkpoint sensitivity, tact, and knowledge of how blockade therapy, which is a means to get around a very busy hospital. for reinvigorating a senescent immune Leesa has also recently done her system to attack cancer cells, and HANNE DARE phlebotomy training, with several how this can be used to supplement NCARD staff volunteering to have cancer therapies we currently use Hanne is an NCARD stalwart, having blood taken so that she could practice to make them more effective. I have worked with the group since 2004. under the firm but gentle supervision of also recently begun working on a She is a member of Jenette Creaney’s her colleague Justine Leon. new project that aims to target the Biomarkers team, and performs metabolism of tumour cells. The ELISAs (enzyme linked immunosorbent Before coming to NCARD, Leesa project aims to target the peroxisome assays), sample processing and worked as a laboratory technician in proliferator-receptor signalling handling. Hanne currently works three a pathology lab. pathway, which plays a role in days a week, and has two delightful metabolism regulation of the cell. daughters. She arrived in Australia from Outside of work, she likes to watch From our preliminary data, targeting Denmark in 2001, and loves returning TV series, see family and friends this pathway seems to specifically there when she can, and cooking up a and read molecular biology/ inhibit tumour cell growth while leaving storm with her Thermomix. biotechnology articles. normal cells unaffected. Leesa has the longest commute of I enjoy working in research as it gives anyone in the team, living in North me an opportunity to contribute to Mandurah, about 70kms away.