Tracker Biobank, 145 Studley Road, Melbourne (2025)

27/11/2025

🎉 Huge congratulations to Dr Senthuran Shivakumar for being awarded Best Presentation at the TSANZ - Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand VIC Branch ASM last week! 🎉

Dr Shivakumar presented groundbreaking early TRACKER findings, shining a spotlight on the role of the lung microbiome in checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis - a serious side effect that can affect patients undergoing immunotherapy for lung cancer. His work is helping to unravel why some patients develop this condition and how we can improve early detection and treatment in the future.

This recognition is a testament to the incredible research happening at TRACKER and the dedication of our scientists to improving the lives of people living with lung cancer. We are so proud to see Dr Shivakumar’s work being celebrated and shared with the wider medical community! 🌟

👏 Keep inspiring us, Dr Shivakumar - your research is making a real difference! 💙

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26/11/2025

🌍 Climate & Lung Cancer: A Growing Intersection We Can’t Ignore

Climate change isn’t just warming the planet — it’s putting our lungs under increasing pressure. Rising air pollution, more frequent bushfire smoke, and hotter temperatures are all contributing to a global rise in respiratory illnesses, including lung cancer.

At TRACKER Biobank, we’re committed to advancing early detection and giving communities the insights they need to protect their health. Here’s why environmental change matters for your lungs:

🔎 Did you know?
• Fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) is now one of the fastest-growing global risk factors for lung cancer
• Bushfire smoke carries carcinogenic toxins that can travel thousands of kilometres
• Rural and remote communities across Australia, already facing health inequities, are disproportionately affected

💡 Climate change is a health issue.
And awareness is one of our strongest tools.

Let’s work together to push for cleaner air, support early detection, and protect our communities. 🙌

One simple daily habit: Check the Air Quality Index (AQI).
🔵🟢 Safe to enjoy the outdoors
🟡🟠 Be cautious, reduce strenuous activity
🟣🔴 Limit or avoid outdoor time

🔗 Check your local air quality in Victoria here:
https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/check-air-and-water-quality?type=airForecast

For all other states, visit:
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/air-quality

Your lungs are precious, protect them daily 💙

—

Environment Protection Authority Victoria

24/11/2025

We’re excited to share that TRACKER Biobank contributed to a major new CSIRO report showing that better coordination of Australia’s biobanks could deliver up to $39 million in annual benefits — helping researchers make breakthroughs faster and improving health outcomes nationwide 🧬💡

Australia has more than 200 biobanks and 4 million biospecimens, yet many work independently. A nationally coordinated platform would streamline access, reduce duplication, and strengthen lifesaving medical research ⚡🏥

🌟 TRACKER Biobank is proud to be a working example of this coordinated future.

Our patient-centred, longitudinal, and data-rich lung cancer biobank shows how strong governance, collaboration, and standardisation can future-proof biospecimens and give researchers access to high-quality samples linked to rich clinical and genomic data 🧪📊

This is what’s possible when data, partnerships, and patient focus come together — exactly the model the CSIRO report recommends for a connected national biobanking ecosystem 🙌

🔗 Learn more in the full CSIRO report:
https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/news/2025/september/unlocking-the-potential-of-australias-biobanking-capabilities

Share your thoughts below!
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20/11/2025

🫁 What is Checkpoint Inhibitor Pneumonitis (CIP)?

CIP is a serious side effect of some immunotherapy treatments used for lung cancer. These therapies help the immune system recognise and respond to cancer — but sometimes the immune system can become overactive, leading to significant inflammation in the lungs.

Understanding how CIP is recognised and managed is essential for improving patient care across Australia.

🧪 What we're doing
Our TRACKER Biobank research team is running a national study to better understand how doctors across the country manage CIP in real-world clinical practice.

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Why this matters
CIP can be complex, and approaches can vary between hospitals. By gathering insights from clinicians, researchers can build a clearer picture of current care, helping guide future improvements in treatment, guidelines, and patient outcomes.

This project is led by our PhD candidate and Respiratory Physician, Dr Senthuran Shivakumar.

📚 Research like this brings us one step closer to safer, more effective care for people living with lung cancer.

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Uni Melbourne Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia Ltd TSANZ - Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand

20/11/2025

🫁 FACT: Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder that this disease doesn’t fit a single story.

It can affect anyone, and that’s why awareness matters for everyone.

💛 Lung cancer often shows no early symptoms.
💛 Early detection can save lives.
💛 Compassion removes stigma.
💛 Knowledge empowers communities.

This month, we’re honouring those living with lung cancer, remembering those we’ve lost, and supporting the people and teams working tirelessly toward better treatments, earlier diagnosis, and a future with more hope.

Share this message to spread awareness and kindness 💫

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07/11/2025

We’re proud to celebrate a milestone for TRACKER PhD candidate Dr Senthuran Shivakumar! 🎉

His first publication with TRACKER, Utility of bronchoalveolar lavage in checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis evaluation: a narrative review, explores the role of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in understanding checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) — a serious immune-related complication of cancer immunotherapy.

The review highlights how BAL can provide insights into immune cell activity, cytokine pathways, and the lung microenvironment. It also discusses emerging research on molecular profiling and the lung microbiome, which may inform future diagnostic and management strategies for CIP. 🙌

👏 Congratulations to Dr Shivakumar and co-authors Dr Sagun Parakh, Dr Natalia Vukelic, Dr Farzaneh Atashrazm, A/Prof Vivek Naranbhai, A/Prof Nicole Goh, Dr Jessica Da Gama Duarte, and Dr Tracy Leong on this important achievement!

🔗 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.21037/tlcr-2025-430

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Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute The University of Melbourne Austin Health

06/11/2025

💕 We’re overjoyed to celebrate Lisa Briggs, Chair of TRACKER’s Consumer Committee, who has been awarded the inaugural Les Leckie Award for Lived Experience Leadership at the 2025 VCCC Alliance Leading for Impact Awards! 🙌✨

After being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at just 32, Lisa transformed her lived experience into a driving force for change. Through TRACKER, she has helped design liquid biopsy research to reduce patient burden, assembled a diverse and representative Consumer Committee, and led a multilingual animated explainer video to make research accessible to everyone. 🔬

“Leadership shouldn’t rest on the shoulders of people affected by the disease, but be carried by those holding the power to create systemic and sustainable change. The time to act is now through genuine partnership, bold investment and collective accountability.” — Lisa Briggs

Lisa’s courage, compassion, and leadership have touched us all. She continues to remind us that research is most meaningful when guided by the people it seeks to serve. Congratulations, Lisa! This recognition is so richly deserved! 🌟

🔗 Learn more: https://www.trackerbiobank.com/post/lisa-briggs-wins-les-leckie-award
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Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute VCCC Alliance

03/11/2025

🎉 Welcome St Vincent’s & Garvan! 🎉

We’re thrilled to share that St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have officially joined TRACKER, collecting their first lung cancer patient sample 🫁

This marks our third NSW site, joining Macquarie University Hospital, and expanding our reach to help unlock new answers in lung cancer research.

Meet the Team Behind the Milestone:

👩‍⚕️ A/Prof Venessa Chin – Site Principal Investigator
👩‍⚕️ Prof. Emily Stone – Respiratory Physician
👩‍🔬 Andria Yaourtis – Site Coordinator
🧑‍🔬 Ryan Yu – Site Coordinator
🔬 Rachael Zekanovic – Lab Manager
🔬Caitlin Bartie – Research Assistant

“We are delighted to announce the enrolment of the first St Vincent's participant in the TRACKER study — a wonderful example of teamwork and collaboration.”
– Prof. Emily Stone

🙌 Thank you to this inspiring team for your dedication, teamwork, and passion for improving outcomes for people living with lung cancer.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gWV3gNAb

St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney Garvan Institute of Medical Research

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27/10/2025

“Progress is only as powerful as the people it reaches.”🙌

These were the words shared by Lisa Briggs, who opened the Thomas Ashworth Liquid Biopsy Symposium in Sydney today, an event dedicated to the theme "Found in Translation".

Lisa’s inspiring remarks reflected TRACKER’s vision: to ensure that research discoveries translate into real-world impact for people living with cancer.✨🔬

It was also a great opportunity for members of the TRACKER team, including Dr Stephen Wong and Prof Helen Rizos, to connect in person and celebrate the spirit of collaboration that drives our work. 🤝

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Macquarie University Macquarie University Hospital Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Western Sydney University

24/09/2025

🌍 TRACKER celebrates Dr Tracy Leong at !

This month in Barcelona, Dr Leong — Director of Interventional Pulmonology at Austin Health, Respiratory Clinical Lead in Lung Cancer, and founder of the TRACKER lung cancer biobank — presented on EBUS and optimal staging for clinical N–N1 NSCLC, showing how minimally invasive diagnostics improve accuracy, treatment planning, and patient safety.

✨ She also begins her term as 2025–2027 Chair of the Multidisciplinary Clinical Science Committee, fostering global collaboration to drive research that delivers better outcomes for patients.

🗣️ “Collaboration and precision staging are key to improving outcomes for every patient. By combining cutting-edge diagnostics with multidisciplinary expertise, we can make lung cancer care safer and more effective.” — Dr Leong

Her leadership exemplifies how clinical excellence, research innovation, and patient-centered care intersect, guiding the next generation of lung cancer specialists.
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Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute Austin Health The University of Melbourne

22/09/2025

🎬 Sneak peek! TRACKER’s new explainer video is almost here.

Ever wondered what a biobank is or how patient samples actually help research? TRACKER’s explainer video shows how blood, tissue, and bronchoalveolar fluid samples are collected to uncover biomarkers that improve lung cancer care.

🌐 Coming soon in multiple languages—making it easier for patients and communities in Australia to understand and actively contribute to life-changing research.

💡 Every sample tells a story. By joining TRACKER, patients help researchers discover new biomarkers, improve treatments, and support sustainable, healthy survivorship for people living with lung cancer.

✨ Stay tuned - the full video is coming soon!
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19/09/2025

✨ First posters, first steps toward discovery ✨

Last week at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer, talented TRACKER PhD Candidate Dr Senthuran Shivakumar presented his very first two posters - a huge milestone in his research journey. 👏

His PhD project is focused on discovering biomarkers of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP), a potentially life-threatening immune side effect of immunotherapy. Identifying these biomarkers early could help doctors predict which patients are most at risk and intervene before toxicities become severe.

🗣️ “Through TRACKER, I hope to uncover biomarkers that help us predict and manage side effects - so more people not only survive lung cancer, but live well after treatment.” — Dr Shivakumar

By driving meaningful discoveries, Senthuran’s research is paving the way for sustainable and high-quality survivorship for lung cancer patients worldwide. 🙌
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Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute The University of Melbourne

Tracker Biobank

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