Bill Panagopoulos

Dr Bill Panagopoulos

NHMRC Ext-Funded Rsch Fellow B

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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

Dr Bill Panagopoulos is a NHMRC Early Career Fellow based at SAHMRI within the Myeloma Research Laboratory. After completing his Bachelor of Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of South Australia in 2002, he spent almost 10 years in the private sector of clinical pathology, tissue growth and repair, and preclinical oncology for biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. His industry experience provided the framework for his academic career and the completion of his PhD in November 2016 within the School of Medicine of The University of Adelaide. His PhD identified for the first time a causative role for inflammatory peroxidase enzymes in cancer development and metastasis. His findings were seminal in discovering a new role for peroxidase enzymes within the tumour, lung and bone microenvironments leading to new research projects. He has published 23 articles (3 first author, 3 senior author), is a co-inventor on 2 patents, and is currently a co-supervisor of 4 PhD students (1 Primary, 3 co-supervisor). His past supervision activities include 1 PhD and 3 Honours (first class) completions. Bill has also won numerous awards, including the 2021 NCHF Derek Frewin Early Career Researcher Award, the 2017 Ross Wishart Memorial Award, a Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence, and a number of travel and professional development awards.

Dr Panagopoulos' research interests involve elucidating the role of the tumour microenvironment in promoting disease progression in cancer within bone, including multiple myeloma, and metastatic breast cancer. His primary focus is on translational research to identify novel therapeutic targets and molecular markers of disease risk to improve patient outcomes. He has also collaborating with industry partners assessing novel therapeutic drugs in preclinical models of cancer.

Dr Panagopoulos actively contributes to teaching for the Faculty of Health Sciences within The University of Adelaide, as an affiliate lecturer and tutor in Investigative Cell Biology (PATHOL3104). His contribution to the scientific community is further exemplified by his membership to international (IMF, MRS, ANZBMS) and national (ASMR, OzMRS) societies and his role as convenor of the ASMR Scientific Meeting in 2018. Dr Panagopoulos is also actively involved in promoting support for medical research, providing numerous presentations to community events.

My primary research interest lies within the role of stromal cells within the tumour microenvironment on cancer growth and metastasis. This interest developed early on in my career but wasn't until my PhD (completed in 2016) where I became fascinated with targeting the stroma with novel therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcome.  

Current Projects:

-Investigating the potential for calorie restriction and calorie restriction mimetics reshaping bone marrow adiposity and preventing multiple myeloma disease progression

-Determining the role of the aged bone microenvironment in the progression of multiple myeloma

-Investigating the role of inflammatory peroxidases driving multiple myeloma progression

-Characterising the therapeutic potential of targeting inflammatory peroxidases in pulmonary fibrosis

-Investigating the therapeutic potential for localised treatment of breast cancer with cytotoxic gamma delta T cells

 

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2019 - 2022 NHMRC Peter Doherty Early Career Research Fellow The University of Adelaide
    2017 - 2018 THRF Early Career Research Fellow The University of Adelaide
    2011 - 2016 Research Associate The University of Adelaide
    2010 - 2011 Research Assistant SA Pathology
    2009 - 2010 Study Coordinator VivoPharm
    2008 - 2009 Research Assistant VivoPharm
    2006 - 2008 Research Assistant TGR BioSciences
    2004 - 2006 Medical Scientist Gribbles Pathology/Healthscope
    2003 - 2004 Medical Scientist SA Health/Women's and Children's Hospital

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    Greek, Modern (1453-) Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2013 - 2016 The University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    1999 - 2002 The University of South Australia Australia Bachelor of Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechonolgy

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    — Epigeum: Supervising Doctoral Studies The University of Adelaide -

  • Research Interests
    Bone and Bones Cancer Cell Biology Cancer Therapy Cancer Biology and Clinical Oncology

2021, NCHF Derek Frewin Early Career Research Award ($5,000)

2020, Investigator Initiated Research Scheme, NBCF, 3 years ($374,989)

2019, NHMRC Peter Doherty Early Career Fellowship, 4 years ($327,192.00)

2018, Emerging Leadership Mentored Development Program, 1 year ($36,640)

2018, Scott Canner Young Researcher Grant, Chief Investigator-A, (top evaluated proposal), Tour de Cure, 2 years ($125,000)

2017, Early Career Fellowship, The Hospital Research Foundation, 2 years ($240,000)

2017, Early Career Researcher Mentored Project Development Program, 1 year ($8,905,95)

2017, Beat Cancer Project Travel Award, Cancer Council SA/SAHMRI ($2,900)

2017, International Travel Award, The University of Adelaide ($2,930)

Teaching Interests:      

2020 - Present               Investigative Cell Biology (PATHOL 3104), Affiliate Lecturer and tutor, Semester 2.

2019                              Investigative Cell Biology (PATHOL 3104), Workshop Tutor, Semester 2.

2016 - 2020                  University of Adelaide, Summer Research Scholarships, 4 students.

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 Co-Supervisor Interventions and Novel Treatments for Obesity-associated Pathologies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alanah Loretta Bradey
    2021 Principal Supervisor The Role of Myeloperoxidase in Multiple Myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Connor Maxwell Douglas Williams

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor The TAM receptor family in multiple myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Justine Rachel Clark
    2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor A New Role for Peroxidases in Bone Repair Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alexandra Jayne Shoubridge

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Investigating the role of inflammatory peroxidases driving multiple myeloma progression The University of Adelaide - Honours - Connor Maxwell Wiiliams
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The role of the secreted protein Gremlin-1 in breast cancer development, progression and metastasis The University of Adelaide - Honours - Alanah Bradey
    2015 - 2015 Other Peroxidase enzymes as drivers of mammographic density and breast cancer risk The University of Adelaide - Honours - Matthew Iasiello

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2017 - ongoing Representative BHI Strategic Research Directions Group Basil Hetzel Institute Australia
    2017 - ongoing Member Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) State Committee - -
    2015 - 2016 Representative BHI Management Committee Basil Hetzel Insitute -

  • Offices Held
    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2019 - ongoing Instructor of PATHOL 3104 Investigative Cell Pathology The University of Adelaide Australia
  • Position: NHMRC Ext-Funded Rsch Fellow B
  • Phone: 81284694
  • Email: bill.panagopoulos@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: SAHMRI - South, floor 5
  • Org Unit: Medical Sciences
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