Noor Lokman

Dr Noor Lokman

Research Officer

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences


Dr Lokman completed her Bachelor of Sciences (Biotechnology) at The University of Adelaide in 2008. In 2009, she was awarded First-class honours, Bachelor of Health Sciences (The University of Adelaide).  In 2010, she was successful in obtaining a competitive Adelaide Graduate Fee Scholarship to undertake a PhD in Medicine (2010-2014, The University of Adelaide), studying the “Role of Annexin A2 in ovarian cancer metastasis”. Following this, Dr Lokman continued her postdoctoral research training within the Reproductive Cancer Group (2014-current), mentored by Dr Carmela Ricciardelli (The University of Adelaide) and Prof Martin Oehler (Royal Adelaide Hospital). To date, Dr Lokman has received over $700,000 in funding for her work in ovarian cancer research, including 13 awards.

Dr Lokman’s research activities include:  

  • Development of a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay – Dr Lokman was the first to set up the CAM assay in South Australia using chicken embryos to study ovarian cancer cell invasion and metastasis in vivo (Lokman NA et al., Int J Mol Sci, 2012). This assay has been used in collaboration with other researchers in other cancer types (Das R et al., Cancer Res, 2017, Shakya R et al., Oncogene, 2017, Zhu W et al., Cancer Res, 2017 and Lee E et al., Cancers, 2020). Dr Lokman has also written a book chapter on the CAM assay as a model for cancer invasion and metastasis (Lokman NA et al., Animal Biotechnology 2nd edition, 2020).
  • Validation of autoantibodies as biomarkers – Dr Lokman has independently developed and optimised a custom luminex assay for measuring autoantibodies in patient blood samples. This involved testing a large cohort of blood samples collected from Australia and internationally. Ongoing studies will evaluate the performance of these novel biomarkers with CA125 to improve the sensitivity and specificity for early detection of ovarian cancer.
  • ex vivo tissue explant assay – Dr Lokman directly assisted in this valuable pre-clinical model for screening novel therapeutics in patient tissue samples. (Ricciardelli C et al. 2018, Cancer Lett), (Lokman NA et al. 2019, Journal of Exp & Clin Can Res), (Rahaman MH et al. 2019, Mol Oncol), (Lokman NA et al. 2019, Cancers) and (Bantie L et al. 2020, Gynecol Oncol).
  • Carboplatin resistant ovarian cancer cell lines – Dr Lokman generated these cell lines with repeated exposure to carboplatin, and these cells are currently used for proteomics, gene expression and functional studies; (Weiland F et al. 2016, J Proteome Res), (Lokman NA et al. 2019, Cancers) and (Wanqi W et al. 2021, Cancer Drug Resist).
  • Spheroids assay – Dr Lokman has optimized and developed a spheroid assay to study ovarian cancer cell lines and primary ovarian cancer cells. (Acland M et al. 2018, Proteomics Clin Appl), (Lokman NA et al. 2019, Cancers) and (Mittal P et al. 2019, Proteomics).
  • Early detection of ovarian cancer – Dr Lokman has the expertise to perform ELISA assay and statistical analysis (logistic regression analysis) to study novel ovarian cancer biomarkers with CA125. (Weiland F et al. Front Oncol, 2019) and (Lokman NA et al. Diagnostics, 2021)
  • Novel therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer – Dr Lokman is currently investigating the functional roles of candidate cancer-related proteins including annexin A2 (Lokman NA et al., Cancer Microenviron, 2011, Lokman NA et al., Oncotarget, 2013, Lokman NA et al Journal of Exp & Clin Can Res, 2019), TGFB1 (Ween MP et al. Int J of Cancer, 2011), hyaluronan (Lokman et al., Cancers, 2019), transketolase (Ricciardelli C et al., Clin and Exp Metastasis, 2013), cytokeratin 5 (Ricciardelli C et al, Oncotarget, 2017), ABCA1 (Wanqi et al. 2021, Cancer Drug Resist), piRNA pathway genes (Lee E et al., Cancers, 2020), and gonadotrophin receptors (Cheung J et al. Int J Mol Sci, 2021). These proteins are implicated in ovarian cancer chemoresistance and are potential markers that may prognosticate patient outcomes.

 

Project 1

Title: Novel therapeutics for ovarian cancer targeting annexin A2

Description: Ovarian cancer caused 207,252 deaths worldwide in 2020. Current treatments consist of surgery followed by chemotherapy, but over 75% of patients relapse and acquire chemotherapy resistance. There is an urgent need for more efficient treatment strategies against ovarian cancer. Our research focuses on understanding the crosstalk between ovarian cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment. Using proteomics approach, we identified annexin A2 to be upregulated by ovarian cancer cells when they interact with the peritoneum, and thereby promoting metastasis. High annexin A2 expression has been associated with poor survival in ovarian cancer patients.

This project will investigate the effects of annexin A2 inhibition in ovarian cancer cell lines and knockdown of annexin A2 expression will be confirm using RT-PCR and western blot. The effects of annexin A2 inhibition will be examine using functional assays including 3D spheroids assays, cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, cell motility and invasion assay and the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. This project will evaluate the efficacy of annexin A2 inhibitors to block ovarian cancer progression and metastasis.

Location: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace

Co-supervisors: Dr Carmela Ricciardelli, Prof Martin Oehler

Research project start: Semester 1 and 2

Available for: Third year and Honours

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2015 - ongoing Postdoctoral Fellow in Reproductive Cancer Group University of Adelaide
    2014 - 2015 Research Officer in Reproductive Cancer Group University of Adelaide
    2009 - 2009 Research Assistant University of Adelaide
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2014 Award Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2014 Award Best Early Career Researcher Poster Robinson Research Institute Symposium Australia -
    2013 Award High Commended - Student Poster Award Robinson Institute Research Symposium Australia -
    2013 Award Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Poster The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2012 Award Best Student Poster Award Robinson Institute Research Symposium Australia -
    2012 Award Best Student Poster Award Matrix Biology Society of Australia and New Zealand (MBSANZ) Australia -
    2009 Award Best Honours Student, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynecology The University of Adelaide Australia -
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2010 - 2014 The University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy
    2009 - 2009 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours)
    2006 - 2008 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology)
Funding
2020

RRI Invest for Success Funding ' Targeting annexin A2 in high grade serous ovarian cancer' 

CIA: Lokman NA

Robinson Research Institute (RRI), The University of Adelaide $30,000
2018-2020

Autoantibody biomarkers for ovarian cancer detection

CIA: Oehler MK, CIB: Hoffmann P, CIC: Lokman NA

Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), Australia $273,220
2018

Vevo 3100 ultrasound biomicroscope for the Adelaide Biomed city precint

Kathy Gatford, Emilie Corrick, Alison Care, Belinda Di Bartolo, Sarah Robertson, Claire Roberts, Jeremy Thompson, Rebecca Robker, Darryl Russell, Louise Hull, Kerrilyn Diener, John Schjenken, Kylie Dunning, Paul Reynolds, Christina Bursill, Joanne Tan, Stephen Nicholls, Johan Verjans, Ryan O’Hare Doig, Claudine Bonder, Eli Moore, Gordon Howarth, Carmela Ricciardelli, Noor Lokman, Suzanne Mashtoub and Mark Corbett.

Ian Potter Foundation Research Grant

$360,000
2018

Extracellular Vesicles: Novel Biomarkers for Serous Ovarian Cancer

CIA: Lokman NA, CIB:Macpherson AM, CIC: Bedrikovetsky P, CID: Hoffmann P and CIE: Ricciardelli C

Robinson Research Institute (RRI), The University of Adelaide $25,000
2016-2017

Targeting hyaluronan to overcome chemoresistance in ovarian cancer

CIA: Lokman NA

RANZCOG/OvCan Scholarship 2016 $15,000
Scholarships
2014 Robinson Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia, Travel Grant 2014 $2000
2012 Robinson Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia, Travel Grant 2012 $1500
2012 2012 Postgraduate Travelling Fellowship, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide $2100
2011

Florey Medical Research Foundation Postgraduate Cancer Research Top-Up Scholarship

$4000
2010 - 2014

Adelaide Graduate Research Scholarship (AGRS),

The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia (Full time PhD Candidate)

$ 23,500 per annum

2009 Robinson Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia, Honours Scholarship $4000
2007 - 2008 The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) Research Foundation, Vacation Research Scholarship $800
  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2018 External Supervisor Role of Hyaluronan in Ovarian Cancer Signalling Pathways and Chemoresistance Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Miss Zoe Kathleen Price
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2018 - 2021 Co-Supervisor The Role of piRNA Pathway Genes in Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Progression Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Eunice Hsiu Yee Lee
  • Other Supervision Activities

    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 - 2022 Co-Supervisor CAR-T cell immunotherapy against ovarian cancer using in vitro and ex vivo models The University of Adelaide - Honours - Lizamarie Goonetilleke
    2019 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Using CAR-T therapies in in vivo ovarian cancer models The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Vasiliki Willett
    2018 - 2019 Co-Supervisor CAR-T cell immunotherapy against ovarian cancer using in vitro and ex vivo models The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Hayley Chapman
    2018 - 2019 Co-Supervisor The role of ABC transporters on ovarian cancer progression and chemoresistance The University of Adelaide - Honours Part Time Wanqi Wang
    2018 - 2018 Co-Supervisor The role of gonadotropin receptors in ovarian cancer progression The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Janelle Cheung
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Role of hyaluronan in ovarian cancer signaling pathways and chemoresistance The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Zoe price
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The role of S100A10 in ovarian cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Tannith Noye
    2016 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Annexin A2: a therapeutic target to block serous ovarian cancer cell growth and invasion The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Rachel Ho
  • Position: Research Officer
  • Phone: 83138229
  • Email: noor.lokman@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, floor 5
  • Org Unit: Women's and Children's Health

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