Graham Mann

Biography

Professor Graham Mann is an internationally renowned cancer geneticist and a leading Australian translational research scientist, specialising in the study of melanoma. As Research Director of the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) Professor Mann helps lead a multidisciplinary melanoma research program across the University of Sydney, Macquarie University and at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, funded by a NHMRC Program Grant. “My colleagues and I are working toward a clearly defined vision of curing melanoma”, says Professor Mann. His research program covers three themes: (a) understanding why melanoma develops, including its genetic and environmental risk factors; (b) explaining what makes some melanomas worse than others, and how the approach to any patient presenting with melanoma should be guided by molecular markers of prognosis; (c) developing new treatments to treat and cure the disease. His team’s work has led to the discovery of novel genetic risk factors in the Australian population, novel biomarkers of prognosis, and changes to government policy. The team’s research on the role of solarium exposure in melanoma in young adults led to government bans on commercial solaria around Australia. His group’s work is contributing to the NIH Cancer Genome Atlas and the International Cancer Genome Consortium, aiming to build a comprehensive genomic map of mutations in melanoma. Professor Mann is a founding member and principal investigator of the international melanoma genetics consortium GenoMEL. He is Chair of the University of Sydney Cancer Research Network, and a member of the NHMRC Health Care Committee and NSW Cancer Research Advisory Committee.

Research Interest

Professor Mann’s research investigates all aspects of melanoma control, from population-based studies of genetic and environmental susceptibility to melanoma, and psychosocial aspects of melanoma risk, to molecular markers of diagnosis, prognosis and response to treatment.