Molecular Oncology
The Molecular Oncology group is led by Professor Susan Ramus. The aim of the group is to improve ovarian cancer risk prediction and prognosis, by using large international consortia that are adequately powered to have an impact for patients.
Improving risk prediction for ovarian cancer
The aim is to identify women at increased risk of ovarian cancer before they develop the disease, by studying inherited changes in their DNA. We are identifying two types of changes.
1) Common variants
Finding large numbers of changes, each with a very small increased risk.
These changes are identified by performing Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in large numbers of cases and controls from two international consortia. The Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) and Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA).
2) Rare variants
Finding changes that are rare in the population but have a moderate increased risk.
These changes are identified by performing whole exome sequencing (WES) and large-scale validation by targeted sequencing in large numbers of cases and controls.
High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC): We have screened 80 genes in up to 6,000 ovarian cancer cases and 6,000 unaffected controls.
Non HGSOC: We have screened 32 genes in 2,000 ovarian cancer cases and 2,000 unaffected controls.
Improving prognosis for Ovarian Cancer
The aim is to identify markers that can group women with similar changes in their tumours and determine their prognosis. Being able to predict how well a woman may respond to current treatments may identify a group of women who need alternative treatments. These studies are performed through the Ovarian Tumour Tissue Analysis (OTTA) Consortium.
1) Validation of prognostic markers by immunohistochemistry (IHC)
Analysis of individual biomarkers using large scale centralised staining and scoring of tissue microarrays (TMA).
2) Identifying new prognostic markers for HGSOC
Large scale genomic analysis of formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumours using the latest technologies such as NanoString RNA expression, screening for somatic mutations using TamSeq and DNA copy number using shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS).
Read more about Prof Ramus and her research: World leading ovarian cancer researcher joins UNSW Medicine
Research Team
Staff
Dr Amir Ariff
Bioinformatics – Next generation sequencing data
Nicki Meagher
Project / Database manager – OTTA consortium
Adelyn Bolithon
Research Assistant – NanoString RNA expression
PhD Students
Marina Pavenello “The contribution of rare alleles to non-high grade serous ovarian cancer”
Nicki Meagher “Unravelling mucinous tumours of the ovary and intestinal tract: diagnosis, classification and molecular profiling”
Consumers
Gill Stannard - Cancer Voices NSW and Translational Cancer Research Network
Jacinta Frawley Werger - Cancer Voices NSW
Daria Carynny - Cancer Voices NSW
Jenni Yoon - Cancer Voices NSW
Chris Christensen, Chair of Cancer Voices SA and a consumer in our team for two years, sadly passed away in Oct 2020. She will be greatly missed. She will continue to inspire us to work on projects to improve outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
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