IDENTIFYING BIOMARKERS FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY USING SPATIAL BIOLOGY
With
Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe
Chair in Spatial Medicine and Principal Research Fellow,
Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, &
Founding Scientific Director,
Queensland Spatial Biology Centre,
Wesley Research Institute,
Queensland, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Sydney, Australia | October 2026
Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe is a Principal Research Fellow at The University of Queensland’s Frazer Institute, where he leads the Clinical-oMx Lab. He holds the inaugural Brazil Family Chair in Spatial Medicine and is the founding Scientific Director of the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre at the Wesley Research Institute. He completed his PhD at Queensland University of Technology.
A/Prof Kulasinghe is a pioneer of spatial biology in the Asia-Pacific region and among the first to apply spatial transcriptomics, proteomics and interactomics there. He combines these technologies in an integrated multi-omics approach to understand the biology that drives disease. His research centres on immuno-oncology in lung, skin, and head and neck cancers, with a particular focus on the tumour microenvironment and on finding biomarkers that predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy. He also develops liquid biopsy approaches for lung and head and neck cancer, and has led tissue-atlas studies of infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and pandemic influenza.
He has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications, in journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, The Lancet Microbe and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. His honours include Cure Cancer’s Researcher of the Year (2023), The Australian’s Top Innovators (2024), a Research Australia UNSW Frontiers Award (2026) and InDaily Queensland’s 40 Under 40 (2026). He has also been named on The Courier-Mail’s Queensland Power Lists for technology and medicine (2026). His work is supported by the MRFF, NHMRC, US Department of Defense, Cancer Australia, Cure Cancer, industry, and hospital and philanthropic partners.
- Source: Supplied
- Media Access Credit: Research Australia 2025-26 Health and Medical Research Awards
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3224-7350
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Role of metabolic dysfunction in advanced prostate cancer
Dr Gunter was drawn to the area of prostate cancer research and the intersection between chronic metabolic disorders and their emerging relationship to cancer. Her strengths include expertise in the metabolic syndrome, insulin signalling and metabolism, and she has a demonstrated record of successful and productive research projects in metabolic research where she now applies her efforts to understanding the role of metabolic dysfunction in advanced prostate cancer.
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Novel silk-based biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
Dr Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina is a Scientia Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow leading a multidisciplinary group at the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Sydney in Australia.
Her research interests are at the interface of biology and engineering, focusing on the development of biomimetic materials that direct cellular interactions for enhanced vascularisation and for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. In particular, she develops novel silk-based biomaterials and investigates how biomaterial properties translate to biological outcomes.
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Biopsychosocial approaches to obsessive-compulsive, body image and eating disorders
Dr Nicola Acevedo is a Neuroscientist and Research Fellow with extensive expertise in developing novel therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric disorders, contributing to more than ten clinical trials. She specialises in brain stimulation and psychedelic treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions, with a strong commitment to advancing personalised, evidence-based neurobiological therapies for severe psychiatric illness. Her approach integrates biopsychosocial and person-centred principles to improve treatment access and mental health outcomes.
