Melanoma is one of Australia’s most common cancers with over 13,000 new diagnoses per year in Australia. In one out of ten patients, the melanoma diagnosis comes too late, as the melanoma has already spread throughout the body, drastically diminishing the chances of survival. With more than 1,700 Australians dying every year from melanoma - one every 5 hours, we urgently require a better understanding of how the melanoma spreads and why certain tumours respond to current treatment while others are resistant to treatment.
As part of the Centre for Precision Health, our research aims to develop non-invasive blood-based tests to enable personalised cancer monitoring and facilitate therapeutic decisions. Our focus is on the analysis of biomarkers such as circulating tumour cells (CTCs), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicles and autoantibodies.
Historically, our research has focused on melanoma biomarkers. Given the interest across the oncology field in liquid biopsies, we are now applying our expertise for research projects in lung, ovarian, breast and other cancers.
We use cutting-edge methods such as droplet digital PCR, next-generation sequencing, microfluidic devices and single-cell RNA sequencing that allow sensitive measurement of these rare cells and DNA mutations. Translational projects explore the relationship between these biomarkers and disease progression, drug resistance, tumour genetic evolution and treatment outcomes, to further their clinical implications and define their specific context of use.
Group Leader
Professor Elin Gray
Contact details: e.gray@ecu.edu.au
Research Team
- Dr Leslie Calapre Beasley, Postdoctoral Scientist
- Ms Anna Reid, Clinical Study Coordinator
- Ms Anna Mills, Senior Research Assistant
- Dr Tharani Senavirathna, Research Assistant
- Ms Jessica Gornall, Research Assistant
- Ms Sharon Middleton, Admin Coordinator, cancer cohort study
Collaborating researchers
- Dr Aaron Beasley, Centre for Precision Health
- Dr Vivian Chua, Centre for Precision Health
- Dr Pauline Zaenker, Centre for Precision Health
- Professor Helen Rizos, Macquarie University
- Professor Jonas Nilsson, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sweden
- Associate Professor Jason Waithman, Harry Perkins Medical Research Institute
HDR students
- Dr Aesha Gandhi (PhD)
- Lidia Medhin (PhD)
- Nikayla Batohi (PhD)
- Manjot Singh (PhD)
Current projects
- Cancer Blood Biomarkers Cohort Study
- Extracellular vesicles-derived signature of response to immuno-oncology (EnVISION)
- ctDNA-guided clinical management of melanoma
- Western Australian Melanoma Initiative (WAMI)
- Enabling advanced single cell cancer genomics in WA
- Integrated multimodal precision liquid biopsy to enhance melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (IMPLEMENT)
- Understanding the heterogeneity of circulating melanoma cells
- cEVsig: A novel liquid biopsy for predicting and enhancing immunotherapy response
- Liquid biopsy for personalised monitoring of melanoma patients
- Extracellular vesicles as a biomarker of drug resistance
- Liquid biopsy to predict and monitor response to neoadjuvant therapy in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC)
- Blood based biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in advanced lung cancer
For ways to support us or for more information, contact Professor Elin Gray
Postgraduate student project opportunities
For more information see the Centre for Precision Health graduate opportunities webpage
