LIVER CANCER & PATIENT-DERIVED TUMOUR ORGANOIDS
With
Dr Benjamin Dwyer,
Senior Research Fellow &
Director, Western Australian Organioid Innovation Hub,
Curtin Medical Research Institute,
Curtin University, Western Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Perth, Western Australia | February 2026
Dr Benjamin Dwyer is a translational cancer researcher driven by a clear purpose: to ensure discoveries made in the laboratory genuinely improve outcomes for patients.
Based at Curtin University, he established and now leads the organoid platform within the Liver Cancer Collaborative and directs the WA Organoid Innovation Hub, working at the intersection of biology, medicine and biotechnology to accelerate new treatments for liver cancer.
After completing his PhD in Perth, Dr Dwyer joined the world-leading liver research group of Prof Stuart Forbes at the University of Edinburgh, where he contributed to research spanning fundamental biology, clinical trials and commercial translation. He helped define how cholangiocarcinoma crosstalk with macrophages establishes a protective environment. In parallel, he was closely involved in the development of macrophage cell therapy for cirrhosis as part of the management team of the MATCH trials, and established novel, GMP-compatible methods to engineer and cryopreserve therapeutic macrophages, foundational methods for the commercial development of macrophage therapy. He was part of the founding team of a biotechnology spinout created to translate this work, and the therapeutic strategy built on those early methods is now progressing through Phase 1 clinical testing. Seeing principles he helped establish move from bench to bedside has been a defining milestone in his career.
Today, as part of the Liver Cancer Collaborative his research focuses on building patient-derived “mini tumours” for drug development that better predict treatment response, narrowing the gap between laboratory models and real patient outcomes.
COLLABORATIONS WITH:
Perkins Cancer Biobank, Australian Centre for RNA Therapeutics in Cancer, UWA, WA Data Science Innovation Hub, Murdoch University, Epichem, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Australia WEHI National Drug Discovery Centre, Inventia Life Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), University of Calgary
FUNDING FROM:
Department of Health WA FHRI Fund, Cancer Research Trust, Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA), Ian Potter Foundation, AMMF- The Cholangiocarcinoma Charity,
Source: Supplied and adapted
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2527-5417
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Cellular mechanisms of traumatic brain injury & concussion
Professor Melinda Fitzgerald is Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research at Curtin University, John Curtin Distinguished Professor and CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia.
She has published over 135 papers; recent highlights include Lancet Neurology, J Neuroscience, Nature Nano, ACS Nano, Biomaterials. Currently held grants/Projects total $10.1 million; CIA for $5.2 million of these; $18.5 million total research and equipment funding, $9.9 million as CIA; continuous category 1 grant funding as CIA since 2009.
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Systems genetics to determine risk of developing diabetes complications
Dr Mara Zeissig is a recently appointed Lab Head within the Tumour Inflammation and Immunotherapy Program at the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI).
Her research focuses on studying immune evasion mechanisms in lung and pancreatic cancers to identify novel ways to increase response to immunotherapy. Her expertise is in genetically engineered mouse models of lung cancer, CRISPR-Cas9 screening technologies and T cell based immunotherapies (e.g Checkpoint inhibitors). -
Indigenous Australian health and ear disease
Professor Kelvin Kong feels incredibly fortunate to lead a fulfilling life surrounded by his loved ones. With a demonstrated history of service in the health industry, he brings a wealth of expertise across various sectors including clinical research, medical education, surgery, paediatrics, health policy, and Indigenous education. Kelvin started his university, residing at New College in 1992, which brings him fond memories. Graduating from medicine from the University of NSW, Kelvin continued his studies and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Australian Society of Otolaryngology, head & neck Society (ASOHNS).
