
Dr Kevin Fenix
Research Fellow
Adelaide Medical School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr Kevin Fenix, PhD is a research fellow located at the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research the research arm of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. As part of the Upper GI and ENT Surgery Departments, his current research utilises both patient samples and clinically relevant in vitro and in vivo models to find new treatment modalities for infections and cancer. Dr Fenix has successfully supervised Honours, Master and PhD students to completion and is a recipient of multiple competitive research grants to support his research.
My research interests include Cancer Immunotherapy, Cancer Biology, Immunobiology and Host/Microbe Interactions. This aligns with my affiliation with the Upper GI and ENT Surgery Departments at the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research. Currently, I am identifying treatment modalities for Colorectal Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer and Chronic Rhinosinusitis.
Projects related to this work are available for HDR, Honours and Third Year Students. Potential students can apply for competitive scholarships for Honours, Masters and PhD (Top-Up) offered by the Basil Hetzel Institute.
Current projects include:
- Identifying distinct tumour-infiltrating immune cells with prognostic capacity for cancer metastasis and patient survival.
- Developing T cell-based therapies for cancer.
- Understanding and exploiting the tumour microbiome to develop new cancer treatments.
- Deciphering how the host-microbe interactions influence chronic rhinosinusitis.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2018 - ongoing Postdoctoral Research Fellow The University of Adelaide -
Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2024 Fellowship Cancer Council SA Mid-Career Research Fellowship Cancer Council SA Australia - 2018 Fellowship The Hospital Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship The Hospital Research Foundation Australia - 2017 Award Dean’s Commendation for Thesis Excellence The University of Adelaide Australia - 2012 Scholarship Australian Postgraduate Award The University of Adelaide Australia - 2010 Research Award Derrick Rowley Prize for Honours in Microbiology and Immunology The University of Adelaide Australia - -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Filipino; Pilipino Can read, write, speak and understand spoken -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2017 University of Adelaide Australia PhD 2010 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Bsc (Hons) 2009 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Bsc (Biomedical Science) -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2017 Gregor, C. E., Kara, E. E., Fenix, K. A., McKenzie, D. R., Comerford, I., & McColl, S. R. (2017). Effector T helper cell recruitment to inflammatory sites via CCR2. In SWISS MEDICAL WEEKLY Vol. 147 (pp. 64S). E M H SWISS MEDICAL PUBLISHERS LTD. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2016 McKenzie, D., Kara, E., Tyllis, T., Bastow, C., Fenix, K., Gregor, C., . . . McColl, S. (2016). Dynamic expression of CCR6 and CCR2 balances homeostatic and inflammatory trafficking of γδT17 cells. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. Melbourne, AUSTRALIA: WILEY-BLACKWELL. 2016 Kara, E., Bastow, C., Mckenzie, D., Gregor, C., Fenix, K., Norton, T., . . . Mccoll, S. (2016). The atypical chemokine receptor ACKR4 shapes early antibody responses. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. Melbourne, AUSTRALIA: WILEY-BLACKWELL. -
Preprint
Year Citation 2024 Yeo, K., Wu, F., Li, R., Smith, E., Wormald, P. -J., Valentine, R., . . . Fenix, K. (2024). Is Short-Read 16S rRNA Sequencing of Oral Microbiome Sampling a Suitable Diagnostic Tool for Head and Neck Cancer?.
DOI2024 Li, C. M. Y., Briggs, M., Lee, Y. -R., Tin, T., Young, C., Pierides, J., . . . Fenix, K. (2024). Use of tryptic peptide MALDI mass spectrometry imaging to identify the spatial proteomic landscape of colorectal cancer liver metastases.
DOI2024 Li, R., Liu, S., Yeo, K., Edwards, S., Li, M. Y., Santos, R., . . . Smith, E. (2024). Circulating SFRP5 levels are elevated in colorectal cancer and correlate with overall survival in stage II-III disease.
DOI2024 Yeo, K., Connell, J., Bouras, G., Smith, E., Murphy, W., Hodge, J. -C., . . . Fenix, K. A. (2024). A comparison between full-length 16S rRNA Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Illumina V3-V4 16S rRNA sequencing in head and neck cancer tissues.
DOI2024 Burdon, I., Bouras, G., Fenix, K., Yeo, K., Connell, J., Cooksley, C., . . . Psaltis, A. J. (2024). Metagenomics or Metataxonomics: Best Practice Methods to Uncover the Sinus Microbiome.
DOI2023 Yeo, K., Li, R., Wu, F., Bouras, G., Mai, L. T. H., Smith, E., . . . Fenix, K. (2023). Identification of consensus head and neck cancer-associated microbiota signatures: a meta-analysis of 16S rRNA and The Cancer Microbiome Atlas datasets.
DOI2023 Ying Li, C. M., Tomita, Y., Dhakal, B., Tin, T., Li, R., Wright, J. A., . . . Fenix, K. (2023). Generation and assessment of cytokine-induced killer cells for the treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases.
DOI
Dr Kevin Fenix is a recipient of multiple competitive research funding awards (>$2million) from Cancer Council SA, Tour de Cure, Cure Cancer Australia, the Ray and Shirl Norman Trust, and The Hospital Research Foundation Group.
A selection of competitive funding awards are listed below:
Year | Title | Investigators | Amount |
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2020 | Pre-clinical assessment of a patient-derived cellular immunotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. | Fenix K. | $50,000 |
2019 | Construction of the South Australian Liver Tissue-Biobank (SALT) for discovery and development of prognostic biomarkers of colorectal cancer liver metastasis. (Beat Cancer SA and The Hospital Research Foundation) | Maddern G., Fenix K. | $200,000 |
2019 | Purchase of a fluorescent and bright-field automated cell counter. (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Research Infrastructure Funding Award and The Basil-Hetzel Institute Research Equipment Award) | Maddern G., Fenix K., Wormald P., Grubor-Bauk B. | $22,703 |
2018 | Study of bioactivity of Hengshan Astragalus Shiitake as biological response modifiers in cancer therapy ( Flinders University Innovation Patnership Seed Grant and Shanxi Yulongxiang agricultural development Co., Ltd) | Ma L., Fenix K., Hauben E., Liang Q. | $100,000 |
2018 | Identification of a Diagnostic Marker for Assessment and Management of Psoriasis. ( New Adventures Fund UniSA and The Hospital Research Foundation ) | Grubor-Bauk B., Wijesundara D., Fenix K., Kopecki Z. | $28,619 |
2018 | Using Tissue-Resident T cells to develop new prognostics and treatments against bowel cancer. ( The Hospital Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship) | Fenix K. | $240,000 |
Year | Source | Conference | Amount |
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2019 | Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences | Lorne Cancer Conference (2019) | $1000 |
2017 | Australasian Society for Immunology | 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of Australasian Society for Immunology (Brisbane, Australia) | $1400 |
2016 | International Congress of Immunology | International Congress of Immunology 2016 (Melbourne, Australia) | $1000 |
2014 | School of Molecular and Biomedical Science and Australasian Society for Immunology | Annual Scientific Meeting of Australasian Society for Immunology (Wollongong, Australia) | $1500 |
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2024 Principal Supervisor The development of more effective next-generation cytokine-induced killer cell therapies for the improved treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Elham Shokati 2023 Principal Supervisor Target the tumour microbiome to improve head & neck cancer treatment outcomes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Lee Mai 2023 Co-Supervisor Repurposing the anti-anginal drug perhexiline for the treatment of cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Fangmeinuo Wu 2022 Co-Supervisor Over-expression of SFRP5 in hepatocytes: a novel treatment strategy for colorectal cancer liver metastases Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Runhao Li 2022 Co-Supervisor The role of various Staphylococcus species in eliciting inflammation in Chronic rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sintayehu Ambachew Wondemagegn -
Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2021 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Characterising the Microbiome and its Diagnostic and Prognostic Value in Head and Neck Cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Kenny Ker Li Yeo 2021 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Perhexiline as a Potential Treatment for Colorectal Cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Bimala Dhakal 2020 - 2024 Co-Supervisor INVESTIGATION OF CYTOKINE-INDUCED KILLER CELL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF COLORECTAL CANCER LIVER METASTASIS Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Man Ying Li
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2019 - ongoing Member BHI IBC Biosafety Committee BHI Australia 2018 - ongoing Member Basil-Hetzel Institute Management Committee Basil-Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research Australia 2017 - ongoing Member Adelaide Immunology Retreat Organzing Committee Australasian Soceity for Immunology Australia 2017 - ongoing Member Day of Immunology (Adelaide) Organizing Committee Australsian Society for Immunology Australia -
Memberships
Date Role Membership Country 2018 - ongoing Member Australasian Cytometry Society Australia 2018 - ongoing Member Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group Australia 2018 - ongoing Member Cancer Voices SA Australia 2013 - ongoing Member Australasian Society for Immunology Australia -
Community Engagement
Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country 2018 - ongoing Invited Speaker for The Longest Table Events Public Community Engagement The Hospital Research Foundation Australia 2018 - ongoing Science Alive! Booth Volunteer (BHI) Public Community Engagement Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research Australia 2018 - ongoing Newsletter Article in The Hospital Research Foundation Public Community Engagement The Hospital Research Foundation - 2018 - ongoing Radio Interview for Coast FM Public Community Engagement The Hospital Research Foundation Australia 2018 - ongoing Invited Speaker for the Day of Immunology BHI Lab Tour Public Community Engagement Australasian Society for Immunology Australia -
Editorial Boards
Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country 2018 - ongoing Editor Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology The University of Adelaide Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles