Sarah-Jane Dawson Q&A
Sarah-Jane Dawson
Medical Oncologist, Clinician Scientist, Laboratory Head
What are you researching in lay terms?
As a medical oncologist and clinician scientist, my research aims to develop personalised biomarkers and treatment approaches to improve clinical care and outcomes for patients with cancer. My research interests lie in understanding how cancers evolve over time and using this information to develop improved strategies for early detection, risk stratification and disease monitoring.
What motivated you to come and work at Peter Mac?
Peter Mac is a special place. As the only comprehensive cancer centre in Australia it is uniquely placed to support innovative cancer research and translate this into the clinical arena to benefit cancer patients.
What drives you to achieve better outcomes for cancer patients?
As a medical oncologist, I care for people affected by cancer on a daily basis and I see the impact of this disease first-hand. I believe research is a powerful way to make a difference. I am driven by curiosity and discovery, but also the ability to apply new knowledge in the clinic to improve outcomes for people with cancer.
How will your research improve outcomes for cancer patients?
The major focus of my research is the development of blood-based biomarkers (or liquid biopsies) to enable personalised disease monitoring in cancer management. Through the development of liquid biopsies, we use these blood tests to understand how well cancer treatments are working, predict when cancer may return, and help guide timely treatment decisions to improve patient outcomes.
What do you like most about working for Peter Mac?
At Peter Mac I am very fortunate to be able to combine both my clinical and research roles. The challenges faced by patients in the clinic provide the ongoing motivation and direction of my research.
Can you please detail how your research has used and benefitted from the core facilities at Peter Mac?
My research has particularly benefited from the Molecular Genomics Core who have been instrumental in helping to develop novel liquid biopsy approaches.