Peter Mac researchers awarded $3.5 million to drive next wave of cancer breakthroughs
02 February 2026
Seven Peter Mac researchers have secured a combined $3.5 million in competitive grant funding through the Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) Cancer Research Fellowships program.
The fellowships support supports early-career and mid-career researchers to undertake high-quality translational cancer research that will improve the prevention, detection, treatment and care for people affected by cancer. Fellowships are available to researchers who have not previously received significant research funding, helping to establish them as future leaders in cancer research.
Peter Mac‘s Dr Jesse Balic, Dr Bonnie Werner, Dr Thiago M Steiner, Dr Christina Scheffler, Dr Kevin Sek, Dr Andrea DiPietro and Dr Ankit Dutta all received funding through the Fellowships. Together, their projects span blood cancers, ovarian cancer, melanoma and breast cancer, with a strong focus on immunotherapy, precision medicine and treatment resistance.
Professor Ricky Johnstone, Executive Director of Cancer Research at Peter Mac, said the funding would play a critical role in accelerating innovative research at a pivotal career stage.
“These Fellowships will enable our talented researchers to pursue ambitious ideas that can fundamentally change how we treat cancer,” he said.
“Cancer Council Victoria funding is vital because it backs innovation early, and the potential for patient impact is enormous.
“Each of these projects tackles a major clinical challenge, from treatment resistance to expanding immunotherapy into cancers where it hasn’t yet worked. This funding gives our researchers the momentum to translate discovery into meaningful benefit for patients.”
Read more on each project below.
Dr Jesse Balic
Proteome-wide discovery of effectors that can restore function of mutant p53 in non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Mutations in the TP53 gene - often described as the “guardian of the genome” - occur in more than half of all cancers and are strongly linked to poor outcomes in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In aggressive subtypes ofdiffuse large B-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, TP53 mutations render many existing therapies, including chemotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy, far less effective. As a result, patients with TP53-mutant disease have limited treatment options and worse overall survival. Dr Balic’s project aims to overcome one of cancer biology’s biggest challenges: how to target mutant p53, long considered “undruggable.” Using an innovative strategy called chemical-induced proximity, his team will systematically screen the entire human proteome to identify proteins capable of restoring the tumour-suppressive function of mutant p53. By harnessing the cell’s own machinery to re-activate cancer-fighting pathways, this research could open the door to entirely new treatments for patients with hard-to-treat lymphomas and other p53-mutated cancers.
Dr Bonnie Werner
Assessing antibodies for their probability of clinical utility in high-grade serous ovarian cancer
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) remains one of the deadliest gynaecological cancers, with five-year survival rates below 50 per cent. While immunotherapy has revolutionised treatment for many cancers, ovarian cancer has seen little benefit. Though current immunotherapies focus on T cells - an approach that has not proven effective in this disease - emerging evidence shows that plasma cells and the antibodies they produce may play a critical role in long-term survival in ovarian cancer, yet this area remains largely unexplored. Dr Werner’s project builds on a unique international collaboration that has generated a library of cancer-targeting antibodies derived from long-term ovarian cancer survivors. Using cutting-edge multiplex microscopy and integrated genomic and proteomic analysis, she will identify antibodies with the strongest therapeutic potential and determine why certain tumours produce or react to them. This research represents one of the world’s first systematic efforts to harness survivor-derived antibodies for ovarian cancer treatment, laying the groundwork for a new generation of antibody-based immunotherapies designed to extend survival for more patients.
Dr Thiago M Steiner
Harnessing CD4+ T cells to improve treatment responses in Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, affecting around 2,000 Australians each year. Although many patients respond to standard chemotherapy, up to one-third relapse, highlighting the need for more effective treatments. Recent clinical trials at Peter Mac have shown that the bispecific antibody glofitamab - which recruits immune T cells to attack cancer - can significantly improve outcomes, but exactly how different T-cell populations contribute remains unclear. Dr Maass Steiner’s research challenges long-held assumptions by showing that CD4+ T-cells, traditionally seen as immune “helpers,” can transform into potent cancer-killing cells when activated by bispecific antibodies. His project will investigate how this differentiation occurs and identify co-stimulatory signals that enhance CD4+ T-cell killing ability. By clarifying how to optimally engage both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, this work will guide the rational design of future immunotherapy combinations and clinical trials, with the goal of improving remission rates and long-term survival for patients with DLBCL.
Dr Christina Scheffler
Identification of novel epigenetic gene targets to enhance the anti-tumour efficacy of CAR T cells
CAR T-cell therapy has transformed outcomes for some blood cancers, yet it has largely failed in solid tumours such as breast, lung and colon cancer. One of the key barriers is poor persistence: while CAR T-cells can survive for years in blood cancer patients, they rapidly become exhausted in solid tumours, limiting their effectiveness. Dr Scheffler’s project focuses on a powerful solution - epigenetic reprogramming. Building on landmark findings published in Nature, she has identified gene-engineering strategies that lock CAR T-cells into a long-lived, stem-like state associated with durable anti-tumour responses. Using high-throughput screening, her team has uncovered novel epigenetic targets that dramatically enhance CAR T-cell fitness. This project will validate these engineered CAR T-cells across multiple solid tumour models and test them using patient-derived cells, paving the way for a first-in-human clinical trial. If successful, the research could dramatically expand access to CAR-T therapy for patients with common solid cancers.
Dr Kevin Sek
CRISPR engineering of precision CAR T-cells for enhanced efficacy and safety against solid cancers
While CAR T-cell therapies have shown extraordinary success in blood cancers, applying them safely to solid tumours remains a major challenge. One key limitation is lack of control: current ‘armoured’ CAR T-cells can be engineered with potent therapeutic payloads, but these cannot be switched off once cells are delivered, increasing the risk of damage to healthy tissue. Dr Sek has developed a groundbreaking CRISPR-based precision control system that allows CAR T-cells to switch therapeutic payloads “on” inside tumours and “off” in healthy tissue. This project will refine these biological “switches” using innate epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, enabling highly targeted anti-cancer activity. The research aims to improve CAR T-cell persistence, safety and effectiveness in solid tumours, including metastatic disease. By introducing programmable precision into cell therapy, this work could significantly reduce side effects while unlocking the full potential of CAR-T treatment for hard-to-treat cancers.
Dr Andrea DiPietro
Targeting gene networks in T cells and tumour cells driving immunotherapy resistance in melanoma
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionised melanoma treatment, yet many patients either fail to respond or develop resistance over time. Dr Di Pietro’s research addresses this critical challenge by examining resistance as a two-sided problem - involving both exhausted immune cells and tumour cells that evolve to evade detection. Using single-cell genomic technologies, his team has identified gene networks in tumour-resident T cells and melanoma cells that drive resistance to immunotherapy. This project will use gene-editing approaches to test whether modifying these networks can restore immune function and improve tumour recognition. Importantly, the research will also explore whether resistance-associated signatures are present in early-stage melanoma, enabling earlier identification of patients unlikely to benefit from standard treatment. This work has the potential to inform more personalised treatment strategies and guide patients towards alternative therapies before relapse occurs.
Dr Ankit Dutta
Monitoring Immune Cell Dynamics and Treatment Response of Breast Cancer Using Cell-free DNA
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease where immunotherapy can improve outcomes - but often at the cost of significant side effects. Up to 40 per cent of patients discontinue treatment early, underscoring the need for better tools to guide therapy decisions. Dr Dutta’s project aims to develop a blood-based “liquid biopsy” that tracks immune responses in real time using cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Unlike traditional tumour DNA tests, this approach captures immune-derived signals that reflect what is happening inside the tumour microenvironment during treatment. By monitoring immune cell dynamics throughout therapy, this research could allow clinicians to identify early who is benefiting from immunotherapy — and who is not — enabling faster, more personalised treatment adjustments. Ultimately, this minimally invasive approach could reduce unnecessary toxicity while improving outcomes for people with TNBC.