Funded projects

Exploring the Tumour Microenvironment of Lung Cancer in Never Smokers

Lung cancer has remained one of the deadliest diseases. While it is often linked to smoking, for unknown reason the number of never smokers affected by the disease has been rising. These people are typically younger, previously healthy, and more likely to be females, Māori, or Pasifika. Compared to people who smoke, those who have never smoked don’t seem to benefit as much from immunotherapy, even though it has changed the way lung cancer is treated in the past decade. In recent years, scientists have discovered that cancer is not just made up of cancer cells, but a mix of other cells, called the “tumour microenvironment” (TME). Little is known about the TME in never-smoker lung cancers and its role in early stage disease. This study will do a deep dive into the TME in this group of patients. We hope to discover whether it can predict how the disease might behave, to evaluate its potential utility as a biomarker for benefit of chemotherapy in early-stage lung cancer, and to plan for future studies to use this information to predict treatment benefit if the disease recurs.

National Neuroendocrine Tumour Multidisciplinary Meeting Clinicians Education Day

Multidisciplinary meetings are an essential part of providing optimal cancer care. Clinicians with specialist expertise such as surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and nurse specialists come together to review the clinical presentation, scans and histology to provide the patient's clinician with a consensus opinion on the management plan.
The National Neuroendocrine Multidisciplinary Meeting (NETMDM), brings together experts from throughout Aotearoa over zoom on a weekly basis. For a rare cancer such as neuroendocrine tumours, even major centres don't have all of the expertise required across all specialties. The NETMDM has become a virtual high-volume centre and has elevated healthcare delivery for patients with neuroendocrine tumours. The annual Clinicians Education Day is the opportunity for clinicians from diverse specialties and regions to meet in person, keep up to date with the latest evidence and build the relationships that smooth the way for patients to access best practice care.

The effect of T cell infiltration in rectal cancer patient outcome

Rectal cancer is common in NZ and often requires chemotherapy and radiation before surgery. A substantial minority of patients still relapse, especially if they have poor shrinkage of their cancer from this treatment. However, in retrospective studies patients who were taking statins (drugs for cholesterol) during radiation had better cancer responses to treatment as well as fewer side effects. Laboratory tests have shown how statins sensitise cancer cells to radiation while protecting normal cells. In addition, statins can modulate immune responses. NZ and Australian patients have already been recruited for this study, randomised into statin treatment alongside conventional therapy. We will study the size and type of immune response in the tumour tissue of these patients and determine whether statin treatment changes the local immune response and in particular, if it supports an anti-tumour immune cell population.

Novel Camptothecin Derivatives as Cytotoxic Payloads for Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are targeted anticancer chemotherapeutic agents designed to deliver a cell-killing agent directly to cancer cells. The direct delivery of chemotherapeutics to the tumour site improves the effectiveness and reduces the side-effects associated with chemotherapy. ADCs accomplish this by using an antibody that recognises a cancer cell-associated antigen, a cytotoxic payload that kills the cancer cells and a synthetic linker that holds the two together. ADC effectiveness is demonstrated by the 13 different examples currently approved in the US for the treatment of various cancers. Two ADCs that have improved outcomes for breast cancer patients are Trodelvy and Enhertu, the latter of which has been Pharmac funded in New Zealand since early 2025. Both of these ADCs contain a payload from the camptothecin class as the cytotoxic agent. Our research is focused on a particular subclass of camptothecins that are known to have special advantages but have hardly been used in ADCs as a consequence of their difficult synthesis. We will create a new synthetic route to these payloads, thus facilitating the development of improved next-generation ADCs.

Environmental cadmium as a risk factor for Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer onset

Could a Common Environmental Pollutant Increase Stomach Cancer Risk in Some Families?
Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC) is an inherited form of stomach cancer caused by mutations in the CDH1 gene. People with this mutation have a high risk of developing a deadly type of stomach cancer at a young age. In Aotearoa New Zealand, this cancer is especially common and aggressive among Māori, but the risk varies widely between individuals and families — suggesting that environmental factors may play a role.
One possible culprit is cadmium, a toxic metal found in cigarette smoke, contaminated food, and New Zealand soils due to fertiliser use. Cadmium can disrupt cell adhesion and division in the stomach lining, especially in people who already carry a faulty CDH1 gene.
This research project will test whether cadmium exposure increases cancer risk in CDH1 mutation carriers by using mouse models, laboratory-grown stomach organoids, and archived human tissue. If cadmium is shown to drive cancer development, it could lead to new, non-surgical risk reduction strategies — such as reducing exposure through diet or smoking cessation.
By uncovering a modifiable environmental trigger, this study could improve cancer prevention and help at-risk families make more informed health decisions.

“Shielding” Macrophages: Uncovering Immune-Mediated Chemoresistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Cancer happens when certain cells in the body grow uncontrollably and form abnormal growths called tumours. Normally, our immune system protect us by detecting and destroying damaged or harmful cells. One important type of immune cell is called a macrophage, which helps clean up damaged tissue.
In some cancers, like breast cancer, these macrophages can switch roles and actually help cancer cells survive. Our research has uncovered a surprising culprit behind this behaviour—a special group of macrophages that we call “shielding” macrophages.
Using cutting-edge lab models that mimic real tumours, we’ve observed how these shielding macrophages help cancer cells resist treatment. We now aim to identify their unique genetic “fingerprint”, the unique set of instructions that sets them apart, and map exactly where they’re located within tumours, revealing the neighbourhood where they operate to shield cancer cells from treatment.
This research could help predict which patients are more likely to respond to chemotherapy and develop new treatments that disable these protective macrophages. Ultimately, this research aims to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer in New Zealand, especially those in communities most affected, and could benefit cancer patients worldwide by overcoming a major hurdle in breast cancer therapy.

Visualising paediatric radiotherapy: co-designing and testing an intervention to support rangatahi and whānau

Each year in Aotearoa, around 150 tamariki are diagnosed with cancer - a life-changing experience for them and their whānau. During treatment, families receive complex medical information, including about radiotherapy, which can be difficult to understand and emotionally overwhelming. Whānau have told us they need better support to understand what radiotherapy involves and what to expect. This research project will develop and test a new visualisation intervention (animation) designed to explain radiotherapy in a clear and engaging way. The goal is to reduce anxiety and improve understanding for rangatahi and their whānau.
In the first phase, we will co-design the intervention with rangatahi who have experienced radiotherapy, their whānau, and healthcare professionals. In the second phase, we will test how well the animation works when delivered in routine care at Starship Hospital, including how easily it can be used by healthcare professionals and whether it helps families feel more informed and less worried.
The study findings will guide improvements to the animation and its delivery, preparing it for a future national study. Ultimately, we aim to make this new intervention a standard part of childhood cancer care across Aotearoa.

Advancing Breast Cancer Diagnosis with AI-Driven MRI Analysis in Aotearoa New Zealand

Researchers at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute are developing a cutting-edge AI tool to help doctors diagnose breast cancer faster and more accurately using MRI scans. Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in New Zealand, and early, precise diagnosis is key to improving outcomes.
The new AI tool can automatically detect and measure breast tumours from MRI images in under 30 seconds, providing detailed information about the tumour’s size, location, and type. It’s designed to work seamlessly with hospital systems and assist radiologists in making quicker, more confident decisions.
The research team will test and refine the system using MRI data from hundreds of patients across Auckland hospitals. If successful, the technology could be rolled out nationwide, helping reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment, improve patient care, and ease pressure on busy radiology departments.
This project represents a major step forward in applying AI to cancer care, offering a faster, smarter way to support clinicians and improve health outcomes for people across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Using tumour-targeted immunostimulants to improve hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a liver cancer that is amongst the top causes of cancer deaths in Aotearoa New Zealand, with Māori facing higher morbidity and mortality risks. Surgery or liver transplantation are the only curative treatments for HCC that require early diagnosis. For most patients, treatment options are limited. Even with the currently most-advanced immunotherapies – immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), only modest response rates have been observed, highlighting the need for more effective novel combination strategies. One major barrier to effective ICIs is the suppressive tumour microenvironment that inhibits the function of immune cells. This phenomenon can be reversed using immunostimulants that enhance the function of local immune cells, reshaping the local environment to help facilitate an effective anti-tumour response. However, apart from topical applications for skin malignancies, immunostimulants require systemic administration to access the tumour, which can be associated with toxicity to healthy tissues. My project will focus on developing immunostimulants that only become active in tumour tissue, to reverse resistance to immunotherapy while avoiding toxicity. We have developed a series of tumour-targeted compounds to test this in state-of-the-art murine HCC models, each promoted by known genetic drivers of human liver cancer.