Researcher

Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Genome structure and regulation, Epigenetics (incl. genome methylation and epigenomics), Cancer cell biology

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Biography

Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka is a Group Leader of the 3D Epigenome in Cancer group at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Conjoint Lecturer at St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney. Joanna completed her PhD in 2014 at the University of Tuebingen, Germany, investigating microRNA signatures as predictive biomarkers for breast cancer treatment outcome.

Following her PhD, Joanna joined the Epigenetics Research laboratory of Prof Susan...view more

Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka is a Group Leader of the 3D Epigenome in Cancer group at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Conjoint Lecturer at St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney. Joanna completed her PhD in 2014 at the University of Tuebingen, Germany, investigating microRNA signatures as predictive biomarkers for breast cancer treatment outcome.

Following her PhD, Joanna joined the Epigenetics Research laboratory of Prof Susan Clark at the Garvan Institute, where she established cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches to study the 3D genome organization. She has been awarded competitive research funding from CCNSW, NBCF and UNSW and established her own research group in 2023.

The main goal of the group’s research is to understand the role of 3D genome architecture in cancer, including its cell-to-cell and temporal variability. For that, they combine and integrate cutting-edge genomics technology, single-cell epigenome profiling, genome editing and pre-clinical models to study the interplay of the 3D genome and epigenome in cancer and how these 3D epigenome changes can be targeted with epigenetic therapy. Beyond the fundamental discoveries, their main goal is to uncover new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for the treatment of metastatic disease.


My Grants

 

Title of Project and Chief Investigators Role in Project Funding Organisation Start Date Duration Total Grant Amount

3D EPIGENOME AS A TARGET FOR EPIGENETIC THERAPIES IN ENDOCRINE-RESISTANT BREAST CANCER

 

PI National Breast Cancer Foundation Investigator Grant (IIRS) 2021 3 years $366,000

Targeting the Three-Dimensional Epigenome in Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer

 

CIA Cancer Council NSW Project Grant 2020 3 years $434,000

Decoding 3D genome architecture in individual single-cells to establish molecular mechanisms of gene regulation in cancer (Achinger-Kawecka J, Clark S, Schmitt A, Rokny H)

 

PI UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute Seed Grant 2020 1 year $99,000

Single-Cell Hi-C: A Novel Tool to Identify Key Epigenetic Drivers of Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer

 

PI Estee Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Campaign 2019 1 year

$15,000

Genetic perturbations to the 3D genome architecture: Implications for endocrine resistance in breast cancer (Clark S, Achinger-Kawecka J)

Co-I National Breast Cancer Foundation 2017 1 year

$200,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


My Qualifications

PhD in Pharmacogenomics 2014 (University of Tuebingen, Germany)

Masters of Biotechnology 2011 (Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland)

Bachelor of Science 2009 (Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland)


My Awards

2019 - Best Selected Speaker Prize, 2019 Post-Doc Symposium, Garvan Institute

2018 - CASS Foundation Travel Grant

2017 - The Ian Potter Foundation Travel Grant

2016 - Best Postdoc Prize, 24th St Vincent’s Campus Research Symposium

2016 - Heliflite Young Explorer Award

2015 - Best Oral Presentation Prize, 23rd St Vincent’s Campus Research Symposium

2011 – EU FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network “Fighting Drug Failure” Fellowship

 


My Research Supervision


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Location

Garvan Institute of Medical Research