Kellie Charles

Biography

 Kellie Charles is a Associate Professor and Head of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Group at the University of Sydney, Australia. She has over 15 years experience in clinical trials and translational science research in Australia and UK and has published in many premier cancer journals, such as Lancet Oncology, Cancer Research, Journal of Clinical Investigation. Her scientific interest is in understanding the role of inflammation on cancer patient outcomes from basic cellular mechanisms to population health. Kellie is currently the lead chief investigator of a new cohort study, The Sydney 1000 Colorectal Cancer Study, and leads a multidisciplinary team of 200 researchers across the University of Sydney and Sydney Health Partner Hospitals (service ~ 25% Sydney population 1.5million people). The aim of this study is to delineate the lifestyle-drug-disease interactions determining the individual clinical outcomes of patients with bowel cancer. With this information, Kellie will work with her clinical and health policy partners to integrate research findings into clinical practice. This work will ensure optimal, personalised treatments are available for all colorectal cancer patients by improving the quality and length of survival.

Research Interest

 Dr Charles' research aims to investigate the interactions between malignant cells and immune cells that regulate tumour progression.Malignant cells secrete cytokines and chemokines that alter the phenotype and behaviour of tumour-associated leucocytes to promote tumour growth and orchestrate the immunosuppressant behaviour of the adaptive immune responses. Inhibiting the communication between cancer cells and immune cells is becoming an exciting potential target for cancer intervention strategies. Dr Charles conducts translational and clinical studies aimed to identify new molecular targets in cancer and in collaboration with biological chemists at the University of Sydney design and evaluate new cancer therapeutic agents.