Our Research Focus
Innovative clinical trials in lymphoma
We develop investigator led clinical trials to test promising new treatments alone, or in combination with standard care treatments in both Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. These aim to improve the depth and duration of disease response to treatment, with fewer treatment related adverse effects.
Optimising tools to measure patient reported outcomes which better reflect the patient experience of treatment and their cancer
New treatments available to patients in the clinic and on trial impact our patients’ quality of life in different ways to traditional chemotherapies. Working with patient consumer partners, active patients on treatment and their clinicians, we aim to find the best way to accurately document this and change current practice where necessary to improve the patient experience.
Mapping the immune system’s response to cancer
Through a large tissue bank and collection of lymphoma biopsies, and other biospecimens in patients having standard treatments and new treatments on trial, we work with our scientist collaborators to understand how the immune system tries to control cancer, and the dysregulation the cancer causes in the immune system. Then we explore ways to better manipulate the immune system with immunotherapy to improve outcomes for lymphoma patients.
Recent Publications
Fast facts
While lymphoma is divided into two main types, Hodgkin Lymphoma and non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), there are more than 80 distinct subtypes and different treatments are required for each.
Fortunately some patients can be cured by available treatments. However, we currently have no tests that can reliably predict who will, or won’t be cured and many treatments have significant side effects. Also, when a patient’s disease relapses, they may require many further lines of treatment and these are often not able to cure the lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and arise in lymphatic tissues, this means they can arise anywhere in the body including the lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, stomach and central nervous system.
Blood Advances
Nivolumab and rituximab in treatment naive follicular lymphoma: the phase II '1st FLOR' study
DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024015487
Jan 2025 (Online ahead of print)
Leukemia
Immune priming with avelumab and rituximab prior to R-CHOP in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: the phase II AvR-CHOP study
DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-01863-7
11 March 2023
British Journal of Haematology
The value of semiquantitative PET features and end-of-therapy PET in grade 3B follicular lymphoma
DOI: 10.1111/bjh.19823
December 2024
Our team
- Prof Eliza Hawkes – Head, Lymphoma Clinical Innovations Laboratory; Chief Clinical Research Officer; Lymphoma Lead and Oncologist
- Jodie Palmer – Lymphoma Program Manager
- Rebecca Nightingale – Lymphoma Clinical Coordinator
- Arina Martynchyk – Honorary
- A/Prof Geoff Chong – Honorary
- Denise Lee – Honorary
- Tania Cushion – Honorary
- Ashley Bigaran – Honorary
- Caroline Dix – Honorary
- Charmaine Smith – Honorary
- Darcy Vicke – Honorary
- Paul Cortissos – Patient Consumer Partner
- Zoe Loh – PhD Student
- Elizabeth Goodall – PhD Student