LIVER CANCER BIOMARKERS, RISK PREDICTION & PROGRESSION
With
Dr Rodrigo Carlessi
Senior Research Fellow & Lead of Cancer Genomics Group,
Curtin Medical Research Institute,
Curtin University,
Perth, Western Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Perth, Australia | August 2025
Dr. Rodrigo Carlessi is an expert in Cancer Genomics and Molecular Biology, with an extensive track record in liver cancer research. He leads the Cancer Genomics Group within the Liver Disease and Regeneration Laboratory at the Curtin Medical Research Institute. He has an impressive publication record, with 43 manuscripts that have collectively garnered over 2,680 citations. His research leverages cutting-edge genomics and transcriptomics technologies, as well as long-read DNA sequencing, to explore mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and develop therapeutic targets in liver disease and cancer.
Dr Carlessi graduated from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, with a B.Sc. in Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2007, then joined the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, where he obtained a M.Sc. from the Department of Molecular Genetics in 2011. He further obtained a PhD in Molecular Endocrinology from UFRGS in 2016, prior to joining Curtin University in Western Australia as a postdoc in 2016. He undertook postdoctoral training in pancreatic beta cell biology and received awards from the Australian Diabetes Society and the Heart Foundation. In 2019 he was recruited to start and lead the Cancer Genomics group in the Liver Disease & Regeneration Laboratory. With nine years of postdoctoral experience, Dr Carlessi has held a prestigious Cancer Council of Western Australia Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from 2021 to 2024.
His recent work led to a groundbreaking discovery in liver cancer risk prediction, earning him national and international recognition, following publications in top tier journals including Cell Genomics, Science Advances and Nature between 2023-2025. This achievement has been highlighted by invitations to present at prominent events, including Oz Single Cell, the Australian Liver Cancer Experts Gallipoli Meeting, WYMM Melbourne 2025, the First International Conference of Liver Pathobiology: From Bench to Bedside in Crete (2023), and the Thomas Ashworth Symposium 2025. His work has also catalysed collaborations with prestigious global institutions, such as The University of Edinburgh, the University of California San Diego, Monash University, and the University of New South Wales.
Currently, Dr. Carlessi focuses on discovering novel biomarkers and developing innovative approaches to assess risk and monitor disease progression in liver cancer patients. Additionally, he is pioneering RNA therapy technologies to target oncogenic pathways, paving the way for the next generation of liver cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0038-7391
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CASE STUDY High blood pressure and shorter sleep may worsen brain decline
People with high blood pressure who also lack sleep may be at increased risk of reduced cognitive performance and greater brain injury, Monash University research has found.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers assessed whether the combined effect of hypertension and short sleep duration had a negative impact on brain health.
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CASE STUDY Link between levels of extracellular vesicles in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases
A landmark study led by WEHI and La Trobe University has found a potential new diagnostic marker that could be used to better detect the level of tissue damage in our bodies.
This study revealed, for the first time, a link between levels of EVs in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases such as leukaemia.
Researchers hope to leverage the critical new insight to develop a blood test to monitor cancer patients with tissue damage, which could, in future, enhance treatment strategies for blood cancers and other diseases.
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Personalised approaches to lung therapy
Dr. Adams’ research focus is on lung cancer, which is the deadliest of all cancers worldwide. He is working towards developing personalised approaches to pinpoint a therapy that is going to be most effective for the person with that disease. Dr. Adams’ research is focusing on chemotherapy and targeted therapy, and he is trying to identify upfront which of those tumours are likely to be resistant to the therapy. He then identifies strategies that will resensitize or increase the sensitivity of the tumour to the standard of care that is targeted therapy or chemotherapy.
