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.

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.

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.