Researcher

Dr Frances Louise Byrne

Fields of Research (FoR)

Cancer Cell Biology, Cell Metabolism, Chemotherapy

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Biography

Professional Awards and Experience

Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellow (UNSW) 2022-2024

Associate Fellow (AFHEA) Advance Higher Education 2021

Bridge Industry Fellowship 2021

Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellow (UNSW) 2018-2021

Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Virginia/UNSW) 2014-2017

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Virginia (USA) 2012-2014

Anthony Rothe Memorial Trust PhD...view more

Professional Awards and Experience

Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellow (UNSW) 2022-2024

Associate Fellow (AFHEA) Advance Higher Education 2021

Bridge Industry Fellowship 2021

Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellow (UNSW) 2018-2021

Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Virginia/UNSW) 2014-2017

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Virginia (USA) 2012-2014

Anthony Rothe Memorial Trust PhD Scholar, Children’s Cancer Institute (UNSW) 2008-2012

Research Assistant, Children’s Cancer Institute (UNSW) 2005-2008

Methods Development Scientist, GroPep Bioreagents (Adelaide) 2003-2005

Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons), Flinders University of South Australia 1999-2002

           

Research 

Dr Byrne received her PhD in 2012 for her research on the childhood cancer neuroblastoma (Byrne et al. 2014, Oncogene). Dr Byrne trained as a postdoc at the University of Virginia (USA) from 2012-2014 where she investigated the relationship between obesity and cancer, particularly liver and endometrial cancers (Byrne et al. 2014, Cancer Research). She returned to Australia in 2014 to the School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences (UNSW) and now leads an independent lab focused on developing novel drugs and dietary interventions for cancer.

Research Focus 1: Developing new drugs that target cancer cell metabolism

Dr Byrne is working with Professor Kyle Hoehn (School of BABS, UNSW) to investigate the therapeutic potential of new mitochondrial uncouplers in liver cancer. She is also working in collaboration with medicinal chemist, Professor Naresh Kumar (Chemistry, UNSW) to develop novel small molecules that alter cancer metabolism and selectively kill cancer cells.

Research Focus 2: Unravelling the links between diet, obesity, and cancer

Cancers of the liver and uterus (endometrium) are strongly linked to diet and obesity.  Dr Byrne's lab is investigating how dietary factors (fructose) and dietary interventions (e.g., calorie restriction, low fat and ketogenic diets) impact liver tumour progression. She is also working with collaborators to identify 'cancer specific' alterations in uterine microbiota (Kaakoush et al. 2022, Cancers), the transcriptome (Tanaka et al. 2022, Int J Mol Sci), circular RNAs (Tanaka et al. 2023, Gene) and the lipidome associated with endometrial cancer.

Contribution to Profession

Dr Byrne reviews fellowship applications (Hope Funds for Cancer Research), NHMRC grants, HDR student theses, and manuscripts for Cancer Research, Cellular & Molecular Life Sciences, Cancers, AJP Endocrinology & Metabolism, etc. She also serves on the Honours Committee for BABS and helps organise and chair sessions at national conferences. Dr Byrne is also the UNSW representative on the steering committee for the Bridge Program.

 

Teaching

Dr Byrne is an Associate Fellow of Advance Higher Education (AFHEA). She lectures in BABS3151 (topic: Cancer Genetics), BIOC3271/3671 (topic: Molecular Approaches to Cancer Cell Biology, Human Cytoskeleton and Disease), BIOC3261 (topic: Cancer Metabolism), and co-convenes BABS2011 (Current Trends in Biotechnology). She also lectures and leads practicals in the School of Medicine (MFAC1525: Ageing and Endings), supervises PhD, honours, and undergraduate students in the Schools of BABS and Chemistry. She also supervises Independent Learning Project (ILP), honours, and PhD students in the School of Medicine. Dr Byrne has research projects suited to honours and PhD students.  

 

Social Engagement & Equity

Co-chair, Executive Committee for the Women in Research Network (WiRN). The WiRN aims to support, inform, and advocate for women at UNSW. 

Co-chair, Schools of BABS and BEES Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee (UNSW) and member of the Faculty of Science EDI working group (SEDIWG).

Engagement with community. Dr Byrne recognizes the importance of communicating her research with research advocates, including Mr Jeff Cuff who sadly lost his wife colon cancer in 2013. Jeff has been an active member of Dr Byrne’s laboratory which led to co-authorship on Dr Byrne’s publication (Byrne et al, 2020 Redox Biology) and he continues to play an important role in guiding her research and helping her establish new collaborations with cancer researchers. Dr Byrne was recently interviewed by Leah Hazard, an NHS midwife and best-selling author, for her new book ‘Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began’. In this book Dr Byrne highlights her research on the link between disruption of uterine microbiota and uterine (endometrial) cancer.

 


My Grants

Fellowships/Scholarships/Funding

Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellowship (2022-2024)

Researcher Exchange & Development within Industry (REDI) Fellowship (2021)

Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship (2018-2021)

UNSW Career Advancement Fund (2019)

Translational Cancer Research Network (TCRN) grant (2018)

Next Generation Sequencing Grant, UNSW (2018)

Conference and Professional Development Grant, TCRN (2017)

Early Career Researcher Grant, Faculty of Science, UNSW (2016)

Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2017) (USA), Malcolm AS Moore Honorary Fellow

Anthony Rothe Memorial PhD Scholarship (2008-2011)

Louiza Zervos Memorial Scholarship in Paediatrics (2010)


My Qualifications

Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons), Flinders University, South Australia

PhD, Paediatric Oncology, Children's Cancer Institute, New South Wales


My Awards

  • Paper of the Month for publication in Cancers, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW (May, 2022)
  • Paper of the Month for publication in Redox Biology, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW (November, 2019)
  • Best oral presentation at AussieMit conference, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA (2014)
  • Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Travel Grant, AussieMit conference, Perth, WA (2014)
  • Paper of the Month for publication in Cancer Research, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Australia (2014)
  • Sydney Catalyst Prize for best cancer-related poster, Annual Garvan Signalling Symposium, Sydney, Australia (2014)
  • Jefferson Cup awarded for oral presentation at the UVA Postdoctoral Research Day, University of Virginia (USA) (2014)
  • Poster prize at the Inaugural UVA Postdoctoral Research Day, University of Virginia (USA) (2013)
  • University of Sydney Medal for Best Overall Presentation, ASMR Medical Research Week NSW Scientific Meeting (2011)


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

Developing new anti-cancer drugs that target the unique metabolism of cancer cells

Key reference:

Byrne, F. L., Olzomer, E. M., Marriott, G. R., Quek, L.-E., Katen, A., Su, J., Nelson, M. E., Hart-Smith, G., Larance, M., Sebesfi, V. F., Cuff, J., Martyn, G. E., Childress, E., Alexopoulos, S. J., Poon, I. K., Faux, M. C., Burgess, A. W., Reid, G., McCarroll, J. A., Santos, W. L., Quinlan, K. G. R., Turner, N., Fazakerley, D. J., Kumar, N., and Hoehn, K. L. (2020) Phenotypic screen for oxygen consumption rate identifies an anti-cancer naphthoquinone that induces mitochondrial oxidative stress, Redox Biology 28, 101374.

Determining the functional role of the glucose transporter, GLUT6, in cancer cell biology

Key references:

Byrne, F. L., Poon, I. K., Modesitt, S. C., Tomsig, J. L., Chow, J. D., Healy, M. E., Baker, W. D., Atkins, K. A., Lancaster, J. M., Marchion, D. C., Moley, K. H., Ravichandran, K. S., Slack-Davis, J. K., and Hoehn, K. L. (2014) Metabolic vulnerabilities in endometrial cancer, Cancer Res 74, 5832-5845.

Byrne, F. L., Olzomer, E. M., Brink, R., and Hoehn, K. L. (2018) Knockout of glucose transporter GLUT6 has minimal effects on whole body metabolic physiology in mice, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 315, E286-E293.

Caruana, B. T. and Byrne, F.L. (2020) The NF-κB signalling pathway regulates GLUT6 expression in endometrial cancer. Cellular Signalling, 73: p. 109688.

Investigating the role of dietary nutrients in the development of liver cancer

Key reference:

Byrne, F. L., Hargett, S. R., Lahiri, S., Roy, R. J., Berr, S. S., Caldwell, S. H., and Hoehn, K. L. (2018) Serial MRI Imaging Reveals Minimal Impact of Ketogenic Diet on Established Liver Tumor Growth, Cancers (Basel) 10.

 


Currently supervising

 

UNSW Scientia PhD Students

Riya Shrestha  (co-supervisor)

Sing-Young Chen  (co-supervisor)

Stephanie Alexopoulos  (co-supervisor)

UNSW School of Chemistry PhD Student

Yao Cheng (co-supervisor)

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Location

UNSW Level 4, D26 Biological Sciences Building
Kensington 2052
Australia

Contact

02 9065 1211

Research Activities

The Translational Cancer Research Network (TCRN) – a translational cancer research program funded by the Cancer Institute NSW – comprises the founding institutions of the University of New South Wales, comprehensive cancer centres at Prince of Wales and St George hospitals, cancer services at the Royal Hospital for Women and the Sutherland Hospital, Border Medical Oncology and The University of Technology Sydney.

 

The…