Gibbs Lab

23/09/2025

Amazing work by Dr Lucy Gately from at . Her presentation on the EMBRACE program won Most Outstanding Oral Presentation 🌟

The EMBRACE program is working to enhance multi-site brain cancer research, utilising the BRAIN Registry and results from the BioBrain project.

🔎 The BioBrain project is a robust biobank of brain cancer tissue, used to explore the use and creation of organoid models, help guide treatment selection and potentially identify novel treatments for patients.

🔎 The BRAIN Registry is exploring how brain cancer is diagnosed and treatment across Australia, from initial presentation to outcomes and survival rates.

A fabulous example by Dr Gately of how the research can be utilised to answer novel research questions. 🌟

22/08/2025

Congratulations to Dr Grace Gard of the for winning the best oral prize at MOGA ASM 2025 for her presentation on understanding motivations of patient participation in research or in considering unfunded medication. 🌟

This interesting research came out of the CO-DESIGN study, a survey investigating consumer perspectives and involvement in clinical research. The study captured a cross-section of community views on the consumer experience and we learned that:

🔎 The potential benefit for future patients is a major driver to trial participation.

🔎 Reimbursement alone may not drive broader representation and participation in trials. Further research is needed to better understand how funding plays into participation.

07/08/2025

🔍Check out some of the amazing research that has been done utilising the ARORA Registry data!

Presented at Breast Cancer Trials 2025 ASM last week, this poster reflects one of the registries in action. The ARORA Registry commenced in 2020 and tracks HR+, HER2+ advanced breast cancer patients across Australia from presentation to treatment and outcomes.

Utilising ARORA data, this new research has been able to validate clinical trial data and will help guide treatment decisions in routine care. Fabulous to see this great use of registries.👏

25/06/2025

is thrilled that Dr Belinda Lee has been invited as a speaker at the international conference "Poor Prognosis Cancers: From Resignation to Revolution", organized by Institut national du cancer (INCa) and NCC Japan, as part of the initiative.

📍 Location: Urban Station, 189 rue de Bercy 75012 Paris, France
📅 Date: June 26th, 2025

This important event will lay the foundation for a global initiative to tackle the most complex and urgent challenges in oncology — with a focus on cancers with the poorest prognosis.

By bringing together leading experts, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and healthcare professionals, it aims to accelerate progress through collaboration, innovation, and the sharing of knowledge.

💡 Explore innovative solutions for improving patient outcomes.
🔍 Share groundbreaking research and treatment strategies.
🤝 Foster international collaboration to accelerate progress.

Can't wait to see you there!

🔗 More info and registration:

This conference will lay the foundation for a global initiative aimed at addressing the complex challenges associated with research on cancers with poor prognosis. It will bring together leading experts, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to discuss and develop strategies for im...

06/06/2025

The AVATAR trial is a great example of the collaborative work the is known for! Now published 🔥

“This is an endorsement of the capacity of registry trials – an agile and economic option for trials that otherwise wouldn’t get done and can deliver impressive results of interest” - Dr Steven David, co-principal investigator

🌟 A collaboration led by Dr Steven David at PMCC and Dr Michelle White at Monash, with the Radiation Oncology Departments and project managed by the team at .

🌟This recent publication builds on the abstract presented at ASTRO 2023 and sets the stage for AVATAR-2.

Read more about the study here:
https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/OA-25-0003

02/05/2025

Check out Prof. Peter Gibbs talking about some of the amazing work going on in the right now! 🌟

Tumour organoids make it possible to test a range of chemotherapy drugs and can help identify optimal drug combinations, improving personalised patient treatment.

The trial aims to tailor treatment to patients and improve broader outcomes for multiple cancers within our...

12/12/2024

Fabulous work by the at ESMO Asia 2024 last weekend! 🌟

🔍 Lab head Prof. Peter Gibbs co-chaired a session on shaping the future of metastatic colore**al cancer. His own presentation explored novel strategies he has being investigating for the treatment and management of mCRC.

🔍 Dr Vanessa Wong presented a poster on the work she is doing with Dr Colin Williams. Utilising the TRACC registry, they are investigating whether mCRC patients under 35y demonstrate distinct characteristics and outcomes relative to older patients.

28/11/2024

research was well represented at AGITG ASM 2024 last week. 🌟

Dr Shehara Mendis received the Early Career Researcher Award, recognising her outstanding work in gastrointestinal cancer! She also gave an update on BIOMARCER-2, a lower GI clinical trial which opened at multiple sites earlier this year and aims to demonstrate the progression free survival benefit in those patients receiving anti-EGFR based treatment in the 2nd or later line setting.

Prof. Jeanne Tie provided a key update on the early-stage lower GI trial, DYNAMIC – Re**al, looking at management of BRAF V600E mutant colore**al cancer through the Australian lens.

10 posters presented Gibbs Lab clinical research studies including:

🔍 Utilising the TRACC registry, Dr Grace Kim is investigating how targeted testing of mismatch repair and mutations in colore**al patients could be cost-effective for identifying appropriate future therapies.

🔍Dr Vanessa Wong presented a poster on the progress of TRACC-SELECT, a mutation-focused metastatic colore**al registry and the plans for use in translational research and expansion into Asia Pacific.

🔍 Dr Belinda Lee is exploring the ways real-world registry data collected in the PURPLE registry can inform targeted therapies and understanding of mutation frequency.

Congratulations everyone on their hard work and engaging presentations! 🌟

24/11/2024

Dr Grace Gard of the was celebrated this week at the VCCC Alliance Leadership Academy Awards as the winner of the “Outstanding Team Leader” award! 🌟

Dr Gard was recognised for her work leading the design, implementation and evaluation of personalised care plan for patients with locally advanced re**al cancer in partnership with consumers with lived experience of cancer. This award celebrates Dr Gard’s significant leadership skills such as the ability to lead and guide staff, develop staff talents, and successfully manage an efficient and effective team at the highest level.

Congratulations to Dr Gard, who has led her team with enthusiasm, compassion, and respect to deliver improved education for cancer patients. 🌟

18/11/2024

Last week Dr Grace Gard of the attended the 51st COSA ASM 2024 in Gold Coast 🌟

Dr Gard received the best of the best in oral presentations for her speech covering some of the innovative work she is leading on re**al cancer, including: The use of personalised care plans for patient with re**al cancer; Registry data repurposed.

🔍TRACC : Treatment of Recurrent and Advanced Colore**al Cancer. A prospective multi-site registry.

🔍Cancer treatment is increasingly complex, individualised to patient characteristics, disease stage, biomarkers, and treatment intent. Currently patients typically receive limited, generic written information about their cancer diagnosis and planned treatment. A personalised care plan generated from data captured in an existing TRACC clinical registry could better educate and inform patients and GPs.

🔍This pilot project co-designed with Medical Oncology Clinicians, project managers and consumers utilised the TRACC registry data to collate a personalised care plan to be shared with patients.

The patients, their GPs and their treating Medical Oncologists were then surveyed for feedback. Evaluation thus far has determined that the personalised care plan supported better communication about patient treatment and follow up. Having access to the care plan at clinic visits added value to discussions about ongoing management of their re**al cancer.

🔍 Update on the TRACC registry: continuing to generate real-world evidence in the treatment of colore**al cancer. Repurposing the registry data to use as real-time re**al cancer personalised care plan.

Congratulations to Dr Gard, the project management team at WEHI as well as the members of the consumer program at WEHI for their valued input!

Dr Gard and the team have future plans for this program to expand the availability of these personalised care plans for re**al cancer to additional sites including regional sites. In addition to expanding registry generated personalised care plans for other cancer types.

22/10/2024

Last week Dr Lucy Gately and project manager Megan Dumas of the attended COGNO ASM 2024 in Melbourne 🌟

Dr Gately presented a number of posters covering some of the innovative work she is leading on Brain Cancer, including:

🔍 BEACON: A supporting and guiding light through a brain tumour journey

🔍 Exploring molecular alterations in long-term survivors of glioblastoma: a focus on MGMT methylation

🔍 Understanding Grade 4 glioma in young adults: patterns of care and predictive and prognostic factors in the molecular era

🔍 Update on the BRAIN registry: continuing to generate real-world evidence in neuro-oncology

Dr Gately then went on to showcase her debating skills as a member of the winning affirmative team: “Personalised Medicine in Brain Tumours: Ready for Prime Time?” 🤝

Congratulations to Dr Gately and Megan on their impact at the COGNO ASM!

Dr Gately also recently published further work utilising the BRAIN registry to explore real-world current practices for grade 2 glioma. Analysing progression-free survival data captured in BRAIN, it is suggested that validated biomarkers beyond the usual definition of high-risk are required to better inform patient management.

“Evolving Practice and Outcomes in Grade 2 Glioma: Real-World Data from a Multi-Institutional Registry” can be accessed by following the link below:
https://www.mdpi.com/3001886

This research was made possible in part through funding provided by the Brain Cancer Centre

16/09/2024

Have your say about community involvement in cancer research! 🌟

Researchers and cancer consumers in the Gibbs Lab are seeking a diverse range of community members to give their perspective on community involvement in cancer research. Follow the link below or scan the QR code to contribute to research and go in the draw to win one of five $100 vouchers. The survey should take 10 minutes to complete, and includes questions like "where should funding for consumer involvement come from?".

Thank you for helping us to collect useful information for consumers and those working alongside them in health and medical research. 🤝

https://redcap.wehi.edu.au/surveys/?s=NMHTHDMHJ9KRRYFR