My Expertise
Cancer, antimitotic drugs, drug resistance.
Field of Research (FoR)
Biography
Professor Maria Kavallaris is Head of the Tumour Biology and Targeting Program at Children's Cancer Institute and Director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine at UNSW.
Her research contributions are internationally regarded and include identifying the mechanisms of action and resistance to anticancer drugs, discovering new protein interactions in cancer and the development of less toxic cancer therapies using nanotechnology.
Professor...view more
Professor Maria Kavallaris is Head of the Tumour Biology and Targeting Program at Children's Cancer Institute and Director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine at UNSW.
Her research contributions are internationally regarded and include identifying the mechanisms of action and resistance to anticancer drugs, discovering new protein interactions in cancer and the development of less toxic cancer therapies using nanotechnology.
Professor Kavallaris has held numerous competitive fellowships. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Principal Research Fellow and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS). Her research contributions have been recognised by international and national awards and prizes including an International Agency for Research on Cancer Fellowship, an American Association for Cancer Research Women in Cancer Research Award, NHMRC Career Development Award, a Young Tall Poppy Award and an Australian Museum Eureka Prize. She is regularly invited to speak at and chair international meetings.
Professor Kavallaris's expertise is reflected in invitations to edit a book, contribute book chapters and review articles, including Nature Reviews Cancer. Her research is supported by competitive research funding from diverse agencies including the NHMRC and Australian Research Council.
Professor Kavallaris has served on numerous committees including the Program Committee for the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research and the International NanoMedicine conference, and on funding review panels. She is Chair of the Board of the Australian Institute for Policy and Science and has played a major role in advocating medical research through public outreach. She has served as President of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) and was recognised by the NHMRC in 2014 as an Australian ‘high achiever’ in health and medical research. She serves on the NHMRC Research Committee where she contributes to high level research policy. Professor Kavallaris has been recognised for her broader contributions to research, mentoring and research policy through an Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence and Knowledge Nation 100.
My Qualifications
PhD - University of New South Wales
B App Sci - University of Technology Sydney
My Awards
Fellowships
2017-2021 NHMRC Principle Research Fellowship
2014-2018 NHMRC Established Career Fellowship. Highly competitive national award
2009 – 2013 NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship. Highly competitive national award
2004 – 2008 NHMRC RD Wright Career Development Fellowship. Highly competitive national award.
1996 International Agency for Research on Cancer, Cancer Research Training Fellowship*. World Health Organisation. Host: Prof. Susan B Horwitz, Department Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA. *Highly competitive fellowship with only 13 awarded worldwide in 1995.
Prizes/Awards
2015 “Knowledge Nation 100” (Australia’s top 100 visionaries, intellects, founders and game changers who help shape the country’s future prosperity).
2015 The Australian Financial Review & Westpac “100 Women of Influence” Award
2013 NSInnovations People’s Choice Award and Division Finalist for the “Development of a first-in-class lung cancer therapeutic”
2011 OEEGA International Women’s Day – Award for Excellence in the field of Scientific Research
2007 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Voiceless Research Which Replaces the Use of Animals or Animal Products – “Unravelling the Enigma of Drug Resistance in Cancer” – M Kavallaris, S Pouha and Nicole Verrills. $10,000 prize
2007 (Oct) Visiting Professorship Awarded from the University of Marseille, France (all expenses paid)
2005 Achievement Award International Women’s Day – in recognition of “extraordinary contributions to research”, Cyprus Community of NSW
2004 Young Tall Poppy Award – recognises “achievements of outstanding young researchers in the sciences and biomedical sciences”, Australian Institute of Policy and Science
2002 Institute Award - Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Outstanding Service in Pursuit of the Institute’s Vision
1998 Leo & Jenny Leukaemia and Cancer Foundation Your Research of the Year. Finalist and Merit Certificate Awardee.
1998 Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology Young Investigator Award – American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, New Orleans, March, 1998. Highly competitive award.
1997 B G Levanthal Scholar Award – Women in Cancer Research. American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, San Diego, CA, April 1997. Highly competitive award.
1996 Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology Travel Award – American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, Washington DC, April 1996. Highly competitive.
1994 NSW State Cancer Council Travel Grant. To attend the “New Horizons in Amplification Technology” conference in San Francisco, June 1994. These awards were presented to promising young investigators to enable them to attend and present at international meetings.
1990 Tow Research Prize – Coast Medical Association Meeting, Prince Henry Hospital, NSW, Australia