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Research Priorities

There are several cancer research strengths and developing areas within the University of Auckland. These have the potential for groundbreaking health and economic impacts and confront national and global cancer research challenges.

 

ON THE WAVE OF LEADING-EDGE SCIENCE 

Precision Health 
  • Genomics 

Sequencing/stratifying using genomics – Supported by a significant philanthropic grant of $11 million for ‘Precision Medicine’, this initiative focuses on harnessing genomic data to personalise cancer treatment. This work represents a major research partnership with Auckland City Hospital’s Diagnostic Genomics and Cancer and Blood Research. 

 

  • Immuno/cell based therapy – Building on the innovative work of Associate Professor Rodger Tiedemann (one of our strategic hires), Professor Rod Dunbar, our medicinal chemists and drug development teams (ACSRC, Brimble and Harris labs), and the strong partnership we have with our clinical colleagues at Auckland City Hospital, we aim to expand our capabilities in developing and applying cell-based and immuno therapies to treat cancer more effectively. 

 

  • Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Development, Theranostics – These innovative approaches often combine therapeutic and diagnostic functions in a single agent, allowing for more precise treatment tailored to individual patient profiles. This is an area for research growth for the University in partnership with clinicians (radiation therapy, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology) at Auckland City Hospital (the current national provider of PRRT, the first publicly funded theranostic treatment in New Zealand). 

 

Diagnostics 
  • Liquid biomarkers – Ct-DNA, extracellular vesicles – Linked with the endometrial and other gynaecological cancer theme leads and colleagues in Molecular Medicine and Pathology, this programme aims to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools that can detect and monitor cancer through circulating tumour DNA. 
  • New imaging modalities, digital pathology: Innovations in imaging and digital pathology are critical for enhancing our diagnostic capabilities, allowing for more accurate and timely diagnoses. We have a recently established Centre for Medical Imaging, hosted by FMHS, which has a cancer focus. 

 

Artificial Intelligence 
  • Cancer data management and AI: using knowledge better, faster, equitably – Enhancing our capabilities in data processing, storage, AI, and modelling alongside the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, as well as data sovereignty in the realms of cancer genetics and precision medicine to use knowledge better, faster, and ethically 
  •  Screening and Early Diagnosis. 
  •  Genomics – data interpretation
     

 

CANCER PROBLEMS SPECIFIC TO AOTEAROA 
  • Addressing the specific cancer challenges faced by our diverse local population is a priority, with a focus on tumour-specific research: 
  • Lung cancer – Integrating precision medicine and innovative community-led trials to develop and implement effective treatments. This theme will have significant impact on cancer mortality for Māori. 
  • Women’s cancers – Focusing on cancers that disproportionately affect women, especially endometrial cancer within the Pacific community and young women with breast cancer. 
  • Childhood cancers and blood cancers – Enhancing our research on paediatric cancers and blood cancers, linking them with cell therapies and precision medicine initiatives – led by the Leukaemia Blood Cancer Research Unit (LBCRU). 
  • Brain cancer – Leveraging the expertise of our Centre for Brain Research to pioneer new treatments and diagnostics. 

 

NEW MODELS OF CANCER CARE IN AOTEAROA – PREMISED AROUND THE ‘LIVED EXPERIENCE’ 
  • Whole of Cancer Continuum: Optimising the patient and whānau journey through interdisciplinary collaboration, including prehabilitation. 
  • Health system transformation: ‘value’ economics – Led by Rob McNeill, Paula Lorgelly and George Laking, these efforts aim to transform how health services are delivered and valued, including economic models that prioritise patient outcomes and societal benefits. The partnership between University of Auckland and Te Puriri o Te Ora – https://www.adhb.health.nz/our-services/cancer/ is fundamental to this. 
  • Pre/re-habilitation – Collaborating across disciplines such as exercise science, anaesthesiology, nutrition, psychology and surgery to optimise the patient journey.