Barbara McClure

Barbara McClure

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Dr Barbara McClure is a Post Doc in the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia(ALL) Research group at SAHMRI. Dr McClure has extensive expertise in the structure and function of cytokine receptors, proteins that tightly regulate normal haematopoiesis and whose alterations can result in haematological malignancies. Her position within the ALL Research Team is focused on investigating Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), an aggressive heamopoietic malignancy that is caused by a variety of genomic lesions. This research will focus on a new subtype of ALL, Ph-like ALL, which has an extremely poor prognosis. Using whole genome sequencing it has been identified that novel genetic fusions are present in the ALL patient samples. Dr McClure will be cloning these novel fusion genes and determining if the products of these fusion genes are the driving force responsible the uncontrolled leukaemic cell growth. Cell systems will then be developed to investigate the altered molecular events responsible for driving proliferation, and to determine if current therapeutics can abrogate the novel driver genes function. This work will help with improvement in the early diagnostic identification of ALL subtypes and to identify better therapeutic options for this aggressive disease.

I am a mid-career researcher currently appointed as a Research Associate at The Centre for Cancer Biology in the Vascular Biology and Cell Trafficking Laboratory. I have significant experience studying haematological malignancies including genomics, molecular, receptor and cellular biology. I have published 53 peer reviewed articles receiving >1500 citations. My current research focus is understanding how a biomarker for poor prognosis Multiple Myeloma contributes to disease progression.

Grants:

2019    AMP Tomorrow Makers Grant ($22,500) as CIA

2023    CUREator grant – MRFF funded scheme ($650,000) as CIB with Prof Claudine Bonder (CIA) and now acting as a Scientific Advisor for the startup company that this funding supports.

 

Prizes and Awards

2019    SAHMRI’s Annual Scientific meeting ECR presentation prize

2021    Australian Society of Medical Research SA meeting ECR presentation prize 

2022    Centre for Cancer Biology Early Career Researcher

  • Co-supervision of 2 PhD students (both conferred 2022)
  • 1 primary supervised Honours student (First Class) (2022)
  • 3 co-supervised Honours students (First Class) (2017, 2020, 2021)
  • 6 undergraduate placement students (2016-2024)
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Characterising KMT2A and MLLT10 Rearranged Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Michelle Olivia Forgione
    2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Precision Medicine Approaches for JAK2-Rearranged Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: The Efficacy of Targeted Therapies and Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Resistance Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Charlotte Emma-Jeane Downes
  • Other Supervision Activities

    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Identification of therapeutically targetable pathways in EP300::ZNF384 rearranged B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia SAHMRI / University of Adelaide Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Honours Full Time Annabelle Dickens
    2019 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Characterising the contribution of disease-associated somatic variants in DEAD/H-Box Helicase 11 in B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemogenesis SAHMRI University of Adelaide, School of Biological Science Honours Full Time Xhin Lin Ngo
  • Committee Memberships

    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2017 - ongoing Member SAHMRI Radiation Safety Committee SAHMRI Australia
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2021 - ongoing Member Heamatology Society of Australia and New Zealand (HSANZ) Australia
    2016 - ongoing Member Australian Society of Medical Research Australia
    2016 - ongoing Member Australian Epigenetics Alliance Australia

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External Profiles