NOVEL THERAPY FOR PANCREATIC CANCERS, TARGETING MOLECULAR FOUNDATION
Dr Michael KC Lee,
Medical Oncologist,
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre,
Melbourne, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | February 2026
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.
His care philosophy, embodied in his practice name, “Can-Therapy,” promotes a CAN-do approach to CANcer care: empowering patients to thrive beyond cancer through cutting-edge research and personalised, values-driven care. Beyond the clinic, he leads research as a clinician scientist, developing therapeutic strategies that target RNA processing – the molecular blueprint cancer hijacks to fuel its growth and resistance – by altering its sequence is like changing words in a sentence to redefine cancer’s trajectory.
Supported by Pancare Foundation, the Paul Dear Post Doctoral Fellowship and his industry collaboration, his work aims to revolutionise outcomes for patients with this aggressive cancer by targeting its molecular foundation.
He is a recognised expert in pancreatic cancer care, combining research insights with exceptional patient care, while also providing comprehensive treatment for all cancer types.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8075-3608
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Healthcare associated infection prevention
Professor Philip Russo is an internationally regarded expert in healthcare associated infection prevention, and led the recently completed the Australian National Healthcare Associated Infection Point Prevalence Survey, the first in Australia for 34 years. He is also Past President of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC), the peak body for Infection Prevention and Control professionals in the Australasian region.
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Neonatal respiratory trials in sick & preterm newborn infants
Prof Brett J. Manley leads and collaborates on large national and international randomised clinical trials in neonatology. He previously collaborated on 4 randomised trials of nasal high-flow as non-invasive respiratory support for preterm and term infants, all of which were published in N Engl J Med. Recently he led the PLUSS trial of intratracheal budesonide for extremely preterm infants, that recruited in 21 NICUs across 4 countries, the results of which were published in JAMA. PLUSS was awarded the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Trial of the Year in 2025. Another passion of his is mentoring and supervising early career researchers to undertake their own clinical trials.
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Better biomarkers for predicting the incidence of having atherosclerosis and heart attack
Assoc Prof Bursill is a vascular biologist with interests and expertise in vascular inflammation, atherosclerosis and angiogenesis. She completed her PhD at The University of Adelaide in lipid metabolism then headed to Oxford University for five years to undergo a postdoctoral post in the Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine and Pathology. Her postdoctoral time triggered her interest in the mechanisms that cause atherosclerosis and in particular the role of small inflammatory proteins called chemokines.
