BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES CONTRIBUTING TO METASTASIS OF BREAST CANCER AND OSTEOSARCOMA
Raluca Ghebosu, PhD Candidate
Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | October 2024
Raluca Ghebosu graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science with majors in Japanese and Biomedical Science (2018-2021). She then completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) with the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland in 2022, before pursuing a PhD with A/Prof. Joy Wolfram at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
Raluca is currently exploring the complex biological interactions of extracellular vesicles, with the goal of understanding how they can contribute to the metastasis of breast cancer and osteosarcoma. She will do this by uncovering how extracellular vesicles from breast cancer and osteosarcoma cells allow the cancer cells to evade the immune system and avoid being detected by Natural Killer cells. By shedding light on the complex role of extracellular vesicles in cancer metastasis she hopes to revolutionise nanoparticle and cell-based cancer treatments.
Since beginning her PhD in 2023, Raluca has published two first author and two co-author manuscripts in high-ranking journals, including a first author paper in the premier journal of her field, Journal of Extracellular Vesicles (IF: 15.5), and has gained over 500 citations across her publications. She has presented her work to various audiences including scientists, clinicians and consumers and is a University of Queensland, 2024 3 Minute Thesis finalist. Raluca is also involved with the Wonder of Science Outreach program that promotes scientific inquiry and engagement to school-aged students across Queensland. Raluca hopes to continue being an advocate for STEM education and sharing her work with consumers and the broader scientific community
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8839-3512
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Newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism
Assoc Prof Jack is passionate about the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents, with diverse research areas including the impacts of family friendly workplace initiatives, screening and management of thyroid disorders in infants and children. She supports her First Nations colleagues on Indigenous-led research projects funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, aiming to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations Children. Through her clinical and academic roles, Assoc Prof Jack hopes to make a positive difference to the health and well-being of children and their families.
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Professor Alex Fornito
PROFESSOR ALEX FORNITO
HEAD OF THE BRAIN MAPPING AND MODELLING RESEARCH PROGRAM
TURNER INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN AND MENTAL HEALTH, MONASH UNIVERSITY
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA -
Pancreatic and lung cancers driven by mutations in the cancer gene KRAS
Dr Mara Zeissig is a recently appointed Lab Head within the Tumour Inflammation and Immunotherapy Program at the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI).
Her research focuses on studying immune evasion mechanisms in lung and pancreatic cancers to identify novel ways to increase response to immunotherapy. Her expertise is in genetically engineered mouse models of lung cancer, CRISPR-Cas9 screening technologies and T cell based immunotherapies (e.g Checkpoint inhibitors).
