Prof Marco Herold
Prof Marco Herold
Chief Executive Officer, ONJCRI
Head, Genome Engineering and Cancer Modelling Program
Head, Blood Cancer and Immunotherapy Lab
Head, La Trobe University’s School of Cancer Medicine
My vision at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute is to improve treatments and outcomes for cancer patients.
I am excited to lead our staff and students and ensure our people are collaboratively striving to make ground-breaking discoveries that can be translated into the clinic that will benefit cancer patients and deliver maximum benefit to the community.
I am a NHMRC L2 Investigator, an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and a former Broomhead Centenary Fellow.
I completed my PhD and first postdoctoral studies at the University of Würzburg, Germany, where I trained in cell death research and mouse genetics. During this time, I worked with the German Pharma Company Taconic Artemis developing methods to establish novel pre-clinical models of disease.
In 2008, I moved to Australia and joined the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) where I served as a Laboratory Head in the Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division and Head of the Melbourne Genome Editing Centre (MAGEC). My research team specialised in applying CRISPR gene editing techniques to identify critical gene targets required for the development and sustained growth of cancer cells. Recent findings identified DNA repair as fundamental for TP53-mediated tumour suppression (Janic et al., Nature Medicine 2018).
My current research is focused on using advanced genome wide CRISPR screening, including gene activation and base editing in vitro and in vivo (Deng et al., Nature Communications, 2022). At ONJCRI we use these research techniques to amplify the research conducted within all our labs to discover drug resistance factors and targets that enhance immune therapies.
Since joining ONJCRI in 2023, my primary role as CEO of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) is to steer our Institute towards a new phase of growth and impact by achieving our strategic priorities. This includes fostering collaborations both within ONJCRI and with external entities while capitalising on existing strengths, assets, and successes of ONJCRI.
Deanne Aitken
Deanne Aitken
Human Resources Manager
A strategic, senior business partner with more than 25 years experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, focused on delivering improved business outcomes and supporting leaders to enable high performance culture. Skilled in the suite of HR/ER/OD services with extensive experience in talent acquisition, organisational design, strategy, employee engagement, cultural transformation, employee relations and leadership coaching.
As the Human Resources Manager, I lead and manage the Institute’s HR function, partnering with the executive and leadership teams to help shape an inclusive and impactful culture, where staff and students are engaged and can flourish.
Khay-Lin Teoh
Dr Khay-Lin Teoh
Chief Operating Officer
Company Secretary
As Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary, Khay-Lin leads and manages the Institute’s Research Support function and staff to facilitate the delivery of quality services which support the Institute in meeting its strategic, operational, compliance, and risk management objectives.
With a background combining governance, business management and science, Khay-Lin takes an analytical and rational approach to management and brings a wealth of experience and insight to the position. His skills and experience include governance, strategic planning and risk management, financial management, human resource management, business planning and development, procurement and contract negotiations, and research management.
Khay-Lin has worked in both the for-profit sector (ASX listed company) and for-purpose sector (higher education, medical research) and for the last 16 years in the medical research industry.
He has a PhD, MBA and is a member of the AICD.
Prof Hui Gan
Prof Hui Gan
Clinical Research Lead (ONJCRI Executive Team)
Clinician Scientist, Tumour Targeting Laboratory
Co-Director, Centre for Research Excellence in Brain Cancer
Director, Cancer Clinical Trials Centre, Austin Health
I completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne before training in the care of cancer patients and becoming a Fellow of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Medical Oncology). I have a PhD from the University of Melbourne (Medicine), as well having completed Drug Development Fellowship at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto.
As a clinician at Austin Health, my main areas of responsibility are to care and manage patients with solid malignancies, particularly those with tumours of the brain, and head and neck. I also lead the Phase 1 Program for patients seeking novel treatments after they have exhausted standard of care treatments. In addition to direct patient care, I am the Medical Director for Cancer Clinical Trials at the Austin Hospital.
As a clinician-scientist at the ONJCRI, my research interests include the development of novel drugs for cancer patients, especially those with brain tumours. Whilst working with many types of biological treatments, a key focus are the development of novel antibody based treatments, particularly those targeting tumour specific targets on the tumour surface and tumour microenvironment. I have played a substantial role in the translation of many such drugs into the clinic, including several targeting the ErbB and Eph receptor tyrosine kinases.
Prof Matthias Ernst
Prof Matthias Ernst
Head, Tumour Environment and Immunology Program
Head, Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory
Conducting research in close proximity to clinicians provides my group with an opportunity to use our scientific curiosity to address the most urgent needs of cancer patients.
After gaining my PhD at the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, Switzerland, I received postdoctoral training at the Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories in Pennsylvania in the area of bone biology.
With the aim of extending my studies into the molecular mechanisms which underpin the growth of cancer cells, I joined Prof Ashley Dunn’s laboratory at the Melbourne-Parkville Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR).
In 1996, I returned to Switzerland, to join Novartis as the Deputy Head for Bone Biology Research Department. I was invited back to LICR in 1998 as Group Leader and was appointed Acting Director in 2009.
In 2012, I moved to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, where I continued to explore state-of-the-art molecular biology and genetic tools to understand mechanisms which corrupt the normal renewal of the lining of the bowel and stomach, resulting in tumour formation. I joined ONJCRI in late 2014 and my laboratory team explores novel strategies to target mechanisms by which tumour cells and normal cells communicate and develop new treatments for gastrointestinal cancers.
