DRUG DELIVERY OF TARGETED THERAPIES FOR PANCREATIC CANCER, MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE
Associate Professor Kara Vine-Perrow,
Deputy Director Community Partnerships and Impact,
Molecular Horizons Research Institute, University of Wollongong &
Group Leader, Targeted Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory
University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | October 2026
Associate Professor Kara Vine-Perrow is a cancer researcher, educator and research leader in the Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health at the University of Wollongong, where she serves as Deputy Director (Community Partnership and Impact) of the Molecular Horizons Research Institute and leads the Targeted Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory. Her research focuses on developing innovative drug delivery technologies, implantable medical devices and RNA-based therapeutics for difficult-to-treat diseases, with a particular emphasis on pancreatic cancer and motor neurone disease.
Assoc Prof Vine-Perrow is internationally recognised for her work in translational therapeutics, advancing discoveries from the laboratory towards clinical application through partnerships with clinicians, industry, government and patient advocacy organisations. She leads multidisciplinary programs that combine nanomedicine, biomaterials and localised drug delivery to improve treatment outcomes for patients with limited therapeutic options.
A key focus of her research is ResectAssist™, an implantable drug delivery platform designed to deliver therapeutics directly to pancreatic tumours. Supported by funding from the NHMRC, Cancer Institute NSW, Australian Economic Accelerator, FightMND, and Tour de Cure, her research aims to accelerate the translation of innovative therapeutics and medical technologies from the laboratory to patient care. She also works closely with industry partners to accelerate commercialisation and real-world patient impact.
Beyond research, Assoc Prof Vine-Perrow is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and has supervised numerous PhD and Honours students into successful careers across academia, healthcare and industry. She is committed to ensuring that research outcomes translate into meaningful improvements patients and the broader community.
Source and images: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6871-1149
-
Brain ageing, dementia and psychiatric disorders
Professor Perminder Sachdev graduated from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, in 1978 and completed his MD in Psychiatry there in 1983. Following time in New Zealand, he relocated to Australia, where he completed psychiatric training and a PhD at UNSW in 1991. His doctoral work examined ethnopsychological concepts in Māori culture. His early research focused on drug-induced movement disorders, including akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, while his later work has centred on dementia and pre-dementia syndromes, particularly neuroimaging, biomarkers and risk factors.
-
Environmental exposure to function of lung epithelial stem cell biology
Dr Clare Weeden has recently commenced as a Laboratory Head at WEHI in 2025, supported by the CSL Centenary Fellowship.
Dr Weeden specialises in lung epithelial cell biology in the context of homeostasis, inflammation, and lung cancer, particularly in people who don’t smoke. Her work endeavours to understand how past environmental exposures shape the responses of lung cells and the molecular mechanisms underlying this cellular recall, with the aim to develop novel early detection strategies for lung disease.
-
Nuclear medicine & theranostics for molecular imaging & targeted therapy
Dr Aviral Singh is a globally renowned Nuclear Medicine Physician with special interest in Theranostics.
Dr Singh is based in Perth, Western Australia since 2024 and serves as the Clinical Head of Theranostics and Nuclear Medicine at GenesisCare Australia. He is also a Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician at Fiona Stanley and Royal Perth Hospitals, in addition to pursuing national and international consulting physician roles as Director at Infinity Theranostics.
