Emma Cheney

Emma is an early-career researcher working in the Myeloma Research Laboratory, within the School of Biomedicine (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences) and is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

She obtained her PhD in 2024 from the University of Adelaide, under the supervision of Dr Duncan Hewett, Dr Jacqueline Noll, and Professor Andrew Zannettino. Emma’s doctoral research focused on identifying novel microenvironmental drug targets in multiple myeloma, with a particular emphasis on the immune cell compartment and the role of macrophages. Recognising the need for clinically relevant preclinical tools, she developed a novel immunocompetent and drug-responsive murine model of multiple myeloma that faithfully recapitulates key features of the bone marrow microenvironment and disease progression. This model is uniquely sensitive to thalidomide derivatives, including lenalidomide and pomalidomide, making it a valuable platform for investigating plasma cell–extrinsic mechanisms driving multiple myeloma pathogenesis and for evaluating immune-modulating therapies in combination with thalidomide derivatives.

Her current research focuses on identifying targetable metabolic vulnerabilities in multiple myeloma using advanced functional genomic approaches, particularly in vivo CRISPR screening technologies. She is especially interested in defining the role of lipid metabolism in disease establishment and progression, aiming to uncover essential gene targets that support the sustained growth of malignant plasma cells. A key aspect of her work also involves mapping synthetic lethal interactions between metabolic dependencies and standard-of-care therapies, such as proteasome inhibitors and thalidomide derivatives, to inform the rational design of combination strategies that overcome resistance and improve therapeutic outcomes.