ROLE OF METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Dr Jennifer Gunter (Filmed March 2024)
Senior Research Associate (Cancer Metabolism),
Australia Prostate Cancer Research Centre – Queensland (APCRC-Q) & Group Leader, Cancer Metabolism Group,
Translational Research Institute (TRI),
Queensland, Australia
Dr Jennifer (Jenni) Gunter is a mid-career researcher, with a metabolic research background spanning almost 15 years. She leads a research team examining the metabolic plasticity of cancer cells with the aim of identifying therapeutic targeting strategies that extend patient survival. Jenni completed her PhD in 2005 at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Oxford University.
She returned to Australia in 2006 with a University of Queensland Postdoctoral Fellowship at the UQ Diamantina Institute to pursue studies into the turnover and metabolism of adipocytes in obesity.
In 2010, Jenni joined the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, at QUT to research the intersection between chronic metabolic disorders and their emerging relationship to cancer. These studies were focused on the role of insulin and the relationship between the insulin and androgen signalling axes.
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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Trials in treating STIs, vaccines and lipid lowering medications
Since joining Paratus Clinical Research in 2022, Dr Pi Lip Seet has served as both Principal Investigator and Sub-Investigator across Phase I–IV industry-sponsored clinical trials. His research experience spans vaccines, immunology, cardiovascular and endocrine disease, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, pain management, sleep medicine and adult psychiatry. He has been involved in multiple vaccine development programs, including RSV, influenza, COVID-19, herpes zoster and pneumococcal studies.
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Food and fasting periods as medicine to prevent disease
Professor Leonie Heilbronn is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), where she leads the Obesity and Metabolism laboratory. Her research is at the interface between basic and clinical science. She is internationally recognised for her work in nutritional modulation in humans and has made major contributions to our current understanding of mechanisms underlying conditions such as insulin resistance, particularly inflammation and lipid metabolism. She has also contributed significantly to current concepts of caloric restriction (CR), intermittent fasting (IF) and time restricted eating (TRE) in humans. She has published more than 110 peer reviewed papers in scientific journals and is an Associate Editor of Obesity, and Obesity Research and Clinical Practice.
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CASE STUDY: Transforming surgical waitlist into a ‘preparation list’
The DIAMONDS initiative aims to transform the surgical waitlist into a “preparation list,” enabling healthcare professionals to optimise patient care in the months leading up to elective surgery starting at pre-admission phase.
Patients are will be able to complete pre-admission forms online, receive timely updates, and access educational resources to ensure thorough preparation. This will allow staff to spend more time with patients.
