GENOMICS AND RATIONALLY TARGETED THERAPIES IN ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA
Professor Deborah White
Theme Leader Precision Cancer Medicine &
Group Leader Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Group
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)
Adelaide, South Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Adelaide, South Australia | February 2025
Professor White is the Precision Medicine Theme Leader at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) in Adelaide. She is a NHMRC RD Wright Biomedical Research Fellow, a Beat Cancer Principal Research Fellow and Senior Principal Research Fellow with SAHMRI. She is a Professor in Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide and Health Sciences at University of South Australia.
Prof White’s research focus is genomics and rationally targeted therapies in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) and she holds peer reviewed grants from: The William Lawrence and Blanche Hughes Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (USA), the NHMRC, the Leukaemia Foundation Australia (LFA), Channel 7, Cancer Australia, Tour de Cure and the Cancer Council SA (CCSA). Professor White has presented more than 170 papers at scientific meetings, and authored more than 100 scientific publications as well as being an inventor on several international patents.
Professor White is the National Flagship Lead for the ALL Stream of Australian Genomics, and SA scientific lead for Zero Children’s Cancer She is an active member of the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) being a member of the NHMRC Academy, the Translational Research Program Advisory Committee, and the Women in Health Science (WiHS) Committee. She is a member of the Editorial Board for Cancer Letters.
In 2014 she was recognised as the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) Leading Light for her Medical Research and in 2016 was awarded the University of Adelaide James McWha medal. In 2019 she was awarded a prestigious NHMRC Research Excellence Award and awarded the Beat Cancer Women in Leadership Award in 2020.
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Precision and personalised nutrition
Laureate Professor Clare Collins is helping people access effective medical nutrition therapies that significantly reduce their risk of chronic disease. She and her team are developing innovative technologies, including apps and online programmes.
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Ocular disease and early onset myopia
Dr Mountford has successfully established Western Australia’s first and only ocular genetic screening platform using zebrafish and utilises this model to help elucidate some of the complex gene-environment interactions responsible for the development of myopia.
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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.
