Connor Williams

Mr Connor Williams

Grant-Funded Researcher (A)

School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science

College of Health

Connor is a postdoctoral researcher working in the Supportive Oncology Research Group, within the School of Biomedicine and based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). Connor's research centres around improving the health and wellbeing of people living with or beyond cancer, with a particular interest in the side effects associated with head and neck cancer, and chemoradiotherapy regimens such as oral mucositis and cachexia.

My current research focuses on understanding the complex mechanisms which drive off target toxicities associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. By better understanding these mechanisms, I strive to develop strategies which can effectively be translated from bench to bedside, in order to improve both quality of life, and disease outcomes for patients undergoing anti-cancer therapy.

People with head and neck cancer are highly susceptible to off-target toxicities in healthy tissues caused by chemoradiotherapy. Currently, my time is solely committed to both preclinical and clinical based research, split amongst multiple studies which focus on different toxicities commonly faced by this cohort of patients including cachexia, oral mucositis and radiation induced dermatitis. 

ASPIRE: GDF-15 levels and clinical/biological correlates in head and neck cancer patients with mucositis: developing a risk model for cachexia

REPAIR-1: Saving patients with cancer from radiation skin damage: a pilot clinical trial of a first-in-class, parthenolide ointment, a SA-developed product

Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
2024 Scholarship Dr Chun Chung Wong and Madam So Sau Lam Memorial Postgraduate Cancer Research Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia -
2024 Award Young Investigator Award (Student) New Directions in Leukemia Research Australia -
2023 Award The Florey Medical Research Foundation Award (Basic) The Univeristy of Adelaide Australia -
2023 Award Executive Dean to the Faculty Award The University of Adelaide Australia -
2023 Award School of Biomedicine HDR Travel/ Research Support Award The University of Adelaide Australia -
2021 Scholarship Research Training Program Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia -

Year Citation
2025 Morcom, C. R., Williams, C. M. D., Al Qadami, G., Vieyra, C. P., Del Fabbro, E., Naito, T., . . . Wardill, H. R. (2025). Biological mechanisms underpinning nutritional and health-related consequences of mucositis in head and neck cancer-a review. Oral Oncology, 168(107548), 1-9.
DOI
2023 Williams, C. M. D., Noll, J. E., Bradey, A. L., Duggan, J., Wilczek, V. J., Masavuli, M. G., . . . Panagopoulos, V. (2023). Myeloperoxidase creates a permissive microenvironmental niche for the progression of multiple myeloma. British Journal of Haematology, 203(4), 614-624.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2022 Bradey, A. L., Fitter, S., Duggan, J., Wilczek, V., Williams, C. M. D., Cheney, E. A., . . . Zannettino, A. C. W. (2022). Calorie restriction has no effect on bone marrow tumour burden in a Vk*MYC transplant model of multiple myeloma. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-15.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC4

Year Citation
2023 Williams, C., Noll, J., Harnas, D., Parkinson, H., Hewett, D., Wyllie, K., . . . Panagopoulos, V. (2023). Targeted Inhibition of Myeloperoxidase (MPO): A New Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma. In BLOOD Vol. 142 (pp. 3 pages). CA, San Diego: AMER SOC HEMATOLOGY.
DOI WoS3

Year Citation
2025 Williams, C., Morel, K., Kumorkiewicz-Jamro, A., Johnstone, D., Le, H., Sweeney, C., & Wardill, H. (2025). Radioprotective effects of parthenolide lotion against skin injury caused by radiation (REPAIR-1): protocol for a phase 0, non-randomised, double-blind, interventional pilot study.
DOI

Saving patients with cancer from radiation skin damage: a pilot clinical trial of a first-in-class, parthenolide ointment, a SA-developed product, $75,000 James and Diana Ramsay Foundation. 

Date Role Membership Country
2025 - ongoing Member Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Canada

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