Marliese Alexander Q&A

Marliese Alexander
Deputy Director of Pharmacy / Clinician Researcher

What are you researching in lay terms?

I'm researching how to improve cancer treatment by making sure each patient gets the right medicine at the right dose. My work focuses on using a person’s genetic information and other health data to reduce side effects and improve how well cancer medicines work. I lead studies that look at large groups of people with cancer over time to understand which treatments work best and why, and I help build tools like biobanks and cancer cohort studies to support this kind of research.

What motivated you to come and work at Peter Mac?

I completed my pharmacist intern training at Peter Mac and never looked back. Even when I stepped away from pharmacy to pursue research training, I chose to do so at Peter Mac, which speaks to the supportive environment and opportunities to develop diverse careers here. It’s a place where you can move between clinical care and research—something that’s been key to my journey. Today, I’m fortunate to hold a split role that bridges both pharmacy and clinical research, allowing me to contribute to cancer care from multiple angles.

What drives you to achieve better outcomes for cancer patients?

I’ve always loved working directly with patients, but over time I’ve realised that I can make a broader impact through the work I do behind the scenes—research, system improvements, and policy change. Staying connected to patient experiences is essential to me. Even though I now spend less time in direct patient care, it’s the faces, stories, and voices of patients and consumer advocates that continue to inspire and drive my work toward better outcomes.

How will your research improve outcomes for cancer patients?

My research aims to make cancer treatment safer and more effective by tailoring medicines to each patient. By using tools like genetic testing, real-world data, and biobanks, we can better understand which treatments work best for which patients and why. This helps reduce side effects, avoid ineffective treatments, and improve overall outcomes. Through studies like the PRECISION trial and the AURORA lung cancer cohort study, we’re generating real-world evidence to guide more tailored, patient-centred cancer care.

What do you like most about working for Peter Mac?

The strong sense of purpose and collaboration. It’s a place where clinicians, researchers, and patients work together toward a common goal - improving cancer care. There’s a unique energy here that comes from being surrounded by passionate people who are pushing the boundaries.

Can you please detail how your research has used and benefitted from the core facilities at Peter Mac?

To date, my research has had limited interaction with Peter Mac’s core facilities, but this is changing. As our biobanking and translational research programs grow, we’re increasingly engaging with the Cancer Genomics Translational Research Centre to leverage their world-class expertise and resources. Across all my studies under Peter Mac sponsorship, I’ve benefited greatly from the support of the Office for Cancer Research. The ability to conduct investigator-initiated studies with Peter Mac as sponsor, is a significant advantage and has been instrumental in enabling our research.