RESEARCHER PROFILE
Dr Mark Adams, Senior Research Fellow
School of Biomedical Sciences & Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Dr. Mark Adams is a researcher at Queensland University of Technology, working within the School of Biomedical Sciences and Faculty of Health, as well as the Centre of Genomics and Personalised Health. He has been with the university for the past decade, and his main research focus is on lung cancers. Dr. Adams completed his undergraduate studies at the Queensland University of Technology and then went on to earn his PhD based at the Mater Research Institute at the Mater hospital. His PhD focused on prostate cancer and specifically looked at developing drugs that would stop the metastasis of prostate cancer towards the bone.
After completing his PhD, Dr. Adams returned to Queensland University of Technology to commence a postdoctoral fellowship. During his fellowship, he looked at lung cancer and how our genomes are maintained through a process called DNA repair. Dr. Adams has been successful in attracting funding to support his salary through fellowship support from foundations such as Cure Cancer, National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Queensland government.
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.
Dr. Adams’ research is driven by his fascination with trying to understand how something works and, in particular, understanding cells and the molecular mechanisms underpinning how those cells work. He has always been interested in biology and was drawn to the problem of cancer and what’s going on in those tumour cells that promote tumorigenesis.
Dr. Adams has a young family with three kids, all in primary school. He enjoys downhill mountain biking in the forest and playing futsal on Monday nights.
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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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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.
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Seeking discoveries in earlier bowel cancer detection
Associate Professor Susan Woods is a cancer research focused on eradicating bowel cancer through earlier detection and investigating the DNA related from colorectal cancer cells. She leads the Gut Cancer Research Group at the University of Adelaide and SAHMRI and with her team is researching new treatments for advanced disease.
