MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE TO MENIN INHIBITOR THERAPY AND ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA
With
Dr Rithin Nedumannil,
Consultant Haematologist and PhD Candidate,
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre,
Austin Health,
Eastern Health,
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Melbourne, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | June 2025
Dr Rithin Nedumannil (MBBS, MPH, FRACP, FRCPA) is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, undertaking his doctoral studies in collaboration with the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (Cambridge, UK) and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Melbourne, Australia). He is a clinical haematologist and haematopathologist with current appointments at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Austin Health and Northern Health.
After completing his medical degree at the University of Adelaide, Dr Nedumannil undertook advanced training in clinical and laboratory haematology across Melbourne’s major tertiary centres. He was awarded dual fellowships (FRACP and FRCPA) and went on to complete a subspecialty fellowship in Acute Leukaemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 2024. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of New South Wales.
His interest in translational leukaemia research has been shaped by extensive clinical experience and academic work focusing on measurable residual disease, novel fusion genes and treatment resistance in acute leukaemias. His PhD will explore resistance mechanisms to menin inhibitors in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) using genome-scale technologies including CRISPR screening, RNA sequencing and epigenomic profiling. His research will be conducted over two years at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and one year at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
For this work, Dr Nedumannil has been awarded the 2025 Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand and Leukaemia Foundation New Investigator PhD Scholarship, supporting his goal of translating molecular insights into improved therapeutic strategies for high-risk AML.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0883-3942
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Novel forms of brain stimulation & psychedelic assisted psychotherapy
Professor Paul Fitzgerald is the Head of the School of Medicine and Psychology at the Australian National University. He is an academic psychiatrist with a MBBS degree, Masters of Psychological Medicine and research PhD. He has conducted an extensive range of experimental studies and clinical trials, focused on the development of novel treatment options for patients with mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, autism and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Novel therapy for pancreatic cancers, targeting molecular foundation
Dr Michael Lee is an experienced medical oncologist, sub-specialising in gastrointestinal cancers and neuroendocrine tumours at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
He plays a key role in molecular tumour boards at VCCC Alliance (Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre) and MPCCC (Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium), ensuring the accurate and effective use of precision medicine in cancer care across the state.
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Optimising Rural Musculoskeletal Health
Adnan Asger Ali is a Director of Accelerate Physiotherapy and PhD candidate at The University of Sydney, where he is researching implementation strategies for musculoskeletal care pathways in rural Australia as part of the PACE-RURAL project.
A passionate advocate for physiotherapy, Adnan serves as Chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s National Musculoskeletal Committee and sits on the Capital Health Network’s Clinical Council. His commitment to clinical excellence was recognised when he received Physiotherapist of the Year at the 2023 Allied Health Awards.
