Gillies McIndoe Research Institute

12/01/2026

✨ Happy New Year! ✨
2026 is already off to a great start, can you believe it’s been over a week?

How are you going with any New Year’s resolutions so far? Be kind to yourself, small changes really do count.

If you only do two small things for your health this year, we'd suggest:
🧴 Wear sunscreen
🍷 Reduce/limit your alcohol intake

These everyday habits can reduce your risk of cancer.

From all of us at Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, here’s to a healthy, hopeful 2026. 🦋

24/12/2025

Happy holidays from all of us! 🎄✨

As we wrap up the year and look ahead to an exciting 2026, our team closed out 2025 with a little - axe throwing included 🪓😄

Plenty of laughs, great aim (for some of us!), and a reminder that strong teams are built both in and out of the lab.

Wishing everyone a safe, restful holiday season and a bright start to the year ahead. Here’s to what’s next! 💙🦋

23/12/2025

We are so excited Erin was chosen for the Lab Hero award! Thank you to Hello Bio! Please join us in congratulating Erin.

22/12/2025

🧬 From operating theatre to laboratory: how tumour tissue becomes research

Have you ever wondered how researchers get tumour tissue to study?

Once a tumour is resected, time is critical. The tissue is immediately stabilised on ice and placed into a solution that helps keep the cells alive and viable for research.

Gillies McIndoe is uniquely positioned right next to Wellington Hospital, meaning tumour samples can be transferred directly from theatre to our laboratory quickly. This proximity allows us to preserve tissue quality and perform cutting-edge experiments that wouldn’t be possible with delays.

In the lab, the tissue is carefully divided based on size and priority. One portion is dissociated - broken down into individual cell components - allowing us to culture and study tumour behaviour and test potential treatments. One portion of the tumour is snap frozen for protein analysis. The remaining tissue is preserved in paraffin-embedded blocks for detailed histological analysis, enabling us to examine tumour structure and cellular features long into the future.

This seamless pathway from patient to laboratory is a powerful example of translational research in action.

Gillies McIndoe maintains an extensive biobank encompassing a diverse range of tissue types and disease areas, supporting translational and collaborative research. Enquiries for collaboration are welcome.

📊 Figure adapted from Weth et al. (2024) ---> https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12010153

19/12/2025

🎓 PhD opportunities at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute

Gillies McIndoe is offering two PhD projects focused on understanding disease mechanisms through advanced 3D cellular modelling, multi-omics analysis, and clinical data integration:

🔬 Reconstructing the Keloid Microenvironment: Functional Metabolic Insights from Multi-Omics Analysis and 3D In-Vitro Models
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/reconstructing-the-keloid-microenvironment-functional-metabolic-insights-from-multi-omics-analysis-and-3d-in-vitro-models/?p193259

🧬 Functional Characterisation of Variant Pathogenicity in Venous Malformations Using 3D Cellular Models and Clinical Data Integration
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/functional-characterisation-of-variant-pathogenicity-in-venous-malformations-using-3d-cellular-models-and-clinical-data-integration/?p193258

Both projects offer the opportunity to work within a highly collaborative, translational research environment closely linked to clinical partners.

📩 Prospective PhD candidates are encouraged to enquire to learn more about these projects and application pathways.

PhD Project - Functional Characterisation of Variant Pathogenicity in Venous Malformations Using 3D Cellular Models and Clinical Data Integration at Gillies McIndoe Research Institute , listed on FindAPhD.com

16/12/2025

🔍 Strengthening trust in science, together

Reproducibility and transparency are cornerstones of credible research. The Institute for Replication works closely with researchers worldwide to systematically reproduce and replicate findings published in leading academic journals, helping to strengthen confidence in the scientific record.

We’re proud to share that our PhD student Dr Sam Siljee is part of the local Wellington group contributing to this important work. The group recently came together to examine how credibility in research can be assessed and improved—an inspiring initiative to be involved in.

At Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, we believe that rigorous, transparent science is essential to delivering research that truly benefits patients and communities, and initiatives like this reflect the values we aim to instil in the next generation of researchers.
Learn more about the Institute for Replication:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-replication/about/

🔗 X (Twitter): https://x.com/i4replication?s=21&t=cjGX_Mfkeluj_x5xOgRHoQ

📷 taken by Juan Pablo Posada Aparicio

12/12/2025

Our PhD student Imogen Skelton doesn’t just overcome obstacles in the lab- she soars over them on the track too. For the past two years, she has taken first place in the Women’s High Jump at Nationals, an incredible achievement that reflects her dedication, discipline, and gold-standard drive in everything she does. 🥇💙🦋

Imogen now proudly carries the Gillies McIndoe name on her high-jump uniform, and we couldn’t be prouder. Please join us in cheering her on as she continues to fly higher and push boundaries in sport and science.

When Imogen isn’t on the field, she’s in the lab investigating the signalling pathways involved in infantile haemangioma (‘strawberry birthmarks’), a condition affecting 5–10% of infants. Her research explores how hormones, immune factors, and metabolic processes influence tumour growth and natural regression, with the goal of identifying targets that could one day be treated with repurposed medicines.

Go Imogen - keep soaring, in every sense of the word. 💛💙

11/12/2025

Earlier this week, we were delighted to welcome a visiting Australian delegation to the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute - a wonderful opportunity to share our science and connect with leaders from across the Tasman. 🇦🇺💙

Our guests included:
• Mrs. Tanya Thompson MP , Member for Myall Lakes (NSW)
• Cr Rachelle Harika, Deputy Mayor, Canterbury Bankstown (NSW)
• Cr. Nicky Luo (VIC)
• Cr Hadi Saab - City of Kingston (VIC)
• Mr John Hulin, Senior Adviser to the Deputy Leader of the Federal Opposition
• Ms Alex Lockyer, Australian Political Exchange Council

We shared our latest breakthroughs in infantile haemangioma, meningioma, and glioblastoma, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of our lab. As a primarily philanthropically funded research institute, it’s always meaningful to show how community support powers the discoveries happening here.

If you're interested in our research or would love to visit the lab, get in touch - we’d be happy to show you around! 💙🧬

10/12/2025

Welcome to Dr. Shayma Faircloth 💙🦋

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Shayma Faircloth to the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute as our new Science Communications and Engagement Manager, joining us in October. You might have seen her pop in on some social media posts.

Shayma is a clinical scientist with expertise in pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance, and clinical trials, bringing a wealth of experience to our growing communications and engagement portfolio. Her passion lies in making science accessible for everyone: transforming complex research into clear, meaningful stories that connect communities with the impact of biomedical discovery.

In her role at Gillies McIndoe, Shayma will lead our efforts in sharing research breakthroughs, strengthening community outreach, and building deeper engagement with the people and partners who support our work.

Shayma graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Science (double major in Pharmacology and Neuroscience), a Bachelor of Science (Honours, First Class) in Pharmacology, and a Doctorate of Clinical Neuropharmacology. She brings valuable experience from positions at the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Medsafe, and Pfizer.

We are thrilled to have Shayma join the team, and we look forward to the expertise, energy, and vision she brings to our mission.

Please join us in giving her a warm welcome! ✨

09/12/2025

Our second visit for Tuesday was to the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute which was a real highlight. We met with Dr Clint Gray and learned about the incredible work their team is doing — especially their groundbreaking research into infantile haemangioma (strawberry birthmarks). Hearing the stories behind their discoveries, the success and accomodations recieved from their research, and the impact of their published findings was inspiring.

The tour of the labs was great and to hear about the work in 3D mapping, modelling and creating tumors was fascinating.
It was powerful to see firsthand the work happening here and the difference it’s making for families across Aotearoa and Australia in finding ways to give more time for families going through cancer.

Kingston sits within the employment cluster of Monash’s medical and research precinct, with so many of our residents working across these fields - there seemed to be a lot of great opportunities for connections and collaboration.

09/12/2025

Last week, we said good bye to Dr. Alex Chan, who has served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute.

Alex joined Gillies McIndoe in 2023 to advance our research into novel treatments for keloid scars- formed by an overgrowth of scar tissues. His work has deepened our understanding of this condition and brought us a step closer to developing gentler, more effective treatment options for patients.

Throughout his time with us, Alex has been an invaluable member of the team. His curiosity, precision, and unwavering commitment to scientific discovery embodied the spirit of Gillies McIndoe. He has contributed not only through his research, but also through his generosity, mentorship, and thoughtful presence in the lab.

While we are sad to see him go, we are incredibly proud of all he has achieved and excited for the opportunities ahead. The insight and heart he brought to Gillies McIndoe will continue to influence the work we do.

Thank you, Alex, for everything you have contributed.
You will always be part of our family and you are welcome back any time. Wishing you every success in your next chapter. 🦋✨

Join us below in wishing Alex well!

26/11/2025

Have you ever wondered what Gillies McIndoe data might sound like as a techno beat? 🎶🧬

Our PhD student, Dr. Sam Siljee (pictured below dressed as his favourite lab equipment - the Mass Spectrometer), has created an original techno track using sounds generated entirely from his own research data.

While analysing mass spectrometry data for his PhD, Sam developed a method to transform raw spectral information into soundscapes. Every synthesiser in this track is built from tones produced by real protein data, including some of his favourites like ATP synthase and histones. The percussion in this track still comes from classic electronic music samples.

🔊 Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/samsiljee/c7f942fd-792d-4276-bcfc-bcf8df7dba23

For his next piece, Sam plans to weave in audio clips recorded from instruments and equipment around the lab - truly turning science into sound (also pictured below). Stay tuned!

It’s one of the most creative ways we’ve seen science come to life, and a meaningful way to honour the patients whose donated tissues make this research possible. 💙