Clinician-Scientist Dr Andrew Guirguis has been awarded a prestigious Cancer Research Fellowship from Cancer Council Victoria. This research will be undertaken at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, the La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine
This fellowship provides support for his important work to understand and prevent the progression of pre-leukaemic blood conditions into acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Most blood cancers do not appear overnight. Conditions such as chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) and the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are often described as “pre-leukaemic” disorders, as they can exist for years before transforming into AML. During this time, people living with CMML or MDS may experience severe anaemia, recurrent infections, bleeding complications and a reliance on frequent blood transfusions.
For up to one in three patients, these conditions eventually progress to AML, which is associated with very poor prognosis
Dr Guirguis’ fellowship will support research aimed at stopping that progression. His work focuses on understanding the biological changes that allow abnormal blood cells to grow, how they interact with their surrounding environment, and evade the immune system.
The research will use state-of-the-art barcoding approaches, patient bone-marrow samples and advanced immune-profiling technologies.
Reflecting on the award, Dr Guirguis said: “This support from Cancer Council Victoria means a great deal as I establish my research group at ONJCRI. It gives us the opportunity to tackle urgent questions in pre-leukaemia biology and pursue discoveries that could change the outlook for people living with CMML and MDS.”
As both a clinician and a researcher, Dr Guirguis is motivated by the unmet needs he sees in patients with these conditions. “As a clinician, I see firsthand how challenging these diseases can be,” he said. “This funding allows us to move closer to preventing their progression.”
Dr Guirguis expressed his appreciation for the support behind the fellowship, saying, “I am deeply grateful for Cancer Council Victoria’s commitment to improving outcomes for people with blood cancers.”
By focusing on the earliest stages of disease evolution, Dr Guirguis’ work has the potential to reshape how pre-leukaemic conditions are understood and managed in the future.