Head, Blood Cancer Drivers and Therapeutics Laboratory 

Clinical Haematologist, Austin Health

Dr Andrew Guirguis is a clinician–scientist with a strong background in haematology and cancer research. He leads the Blood Cancer Drivers and Therapeutics Laboratory and holds a dual appointment as a Clinical Haematologist at Austin Health.

Dr Guirguis completed his clinical haematology training in Australia before pursuing a PhD investigating the mechanisms of disease progression in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). He subsequently undertook postdoctoral training at the Broad Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston as well as the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he gained expertise in CRISPR-based functional genomics, protein degradation, murine modelling of haematological malignancies and RNA epigenetics in immmuno-oncology.

His research now focuses on pre-leukaemic myeloid syndromes, including MDS, chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), and clonal haematopoiesis, with the goal of identifying non-genetic drivers of disease progression and transformation to secondary acute leukaemia. His laboratory employs cutting-edge technologies such as barcoding, CRISPR-based screening, and spatial transcriptomics, with an emphasis on uncovering mechanisms that drive clonal fitness and immune evasion.

Dr Guirguis is actively involved in training and mentoring young scientists and clinicians. He currently sits on the acute leukaemia and MDS working group for the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group and is one of two Victorian Councillors for the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand. He has previously received funding through mRNA Victoria, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the American-Australian Association and the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Guirguis’ long-term vision is to translate discoveries made at the bench into early intervention strategies that improve survival.