Kate Vandyke

Dr Kate Vandyke

Research Fellow (C) (with PhD)

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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


I am lead of the Myeloma Research Laboratory, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Precision Medicine Theme.

My research interests involve elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the disease progression in the bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma. Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer, responsible for over 100,000 deaths per year, world-wide. While significant advances in myeloma treatment over the past decade have greatly improved survival rates for multiple myeloma, almost all patients eventually relapse and succumb to their disease. My studies are primarily aimed at identifying those patients that do very poorly, surviving less than 2 years, and identifying tailored treatments for this group of patients.https://aurora.adelaide.edu.au/userprofile.html?uid=3778&em=true#

https://health.adelaide.edu.au/florey120anniversary/our-current-health-leaders/decoding-myeloma-cancer

Current projects include:
  • Defining major cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive tumour dissemination in multiple myeloma
  • Identifying how changes to the myeloma bone marrow microenvironment drive disease progression for MGUS and smouldering myeloma to multiple myeloma
  • Identification of novel serum biomarkers that enable the identification of high-risk MGUS, smouldering myeloma and multiple myeloma patients
  • Using novel drug delivery strategies to increase tumour drug uptake and decrease off-target side-effects in multiple myeloma and paediatric brain cancers
  • Identification of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of high-risk multiple myeloma

PhD projects available

Using cutting-edge multiomic approaches to clinically relevant tumour vulnerabilities in multiple myeloma

To improve outcomes for multiple myeloma patients, we urgently need to identify novel pathways that contribute to myeloma development, drug resistance and relapse. Our data suggest that the growth of myeloma tumour cells is critically dependent on the expression of genes from several specific metabolic pathways, suggesting that adaptive changes in myeloma cell metabolism plays a critical role in tumour growth. In this project, CRISPR gRNA screens and metabolomics will be used to dissect the metabolic dependencies of myeloma tumours, using both patient-derived samples and cutting-edge mouse models. By pinpointing the critical metabolic pathways that fuel tumour growth, we aim to identify new, precise therapeutic targets that could revolutionise myeloma treatment.

Projects available for: PhD, Honours

Location: SAHMRI

Research project start: Semester 1 and 2

 

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2021 - ongoing Co-lead, Myeloma Research Laboratory University of Adelaide
    2020 - ongoing Senior research fellow South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
    2018 - 2021 Beat Cancer Early Career Research Fellow University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2017 - 2018 Post-doctoral Research Scientist University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2013 - 2016 Mary Overton Early Career Research Fellow SA Pathology
    2012 - 2018 Affiliate Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2012 - 2013 Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Research Fellow SA Pathology
    2010 - 2012 Post-doctoral Research Scientist SA Pathology
    2007 - 2010 Technical assistant (part time) SA Pathology
    2005 - 2006 Research Assistant Prince of Wales Hospital
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2007 - 2010 University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    2000 - 2004 University of New South Wales Australia BMedSci (Hons)
  • Research Interests

Date Role Grant Funding Body Amount
Grants
2024-2027 CIA Cancer Australia Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme Project Grant Cancer Australia AUD$595,467
2024-2028 CIA NHMRC Ideas Grant NHMRC AUD$1,494,105
2023-2026 CoI SSMF Starting Grant Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning AUD$869,836
2021-2023 CIA Cancer Australia Priority-driven Young Investigator Grant Cancer Australia/Cure Cancer Australia/Snowdome Foundation AUD$198,813
2019-2022 CoI Strategic Ecosystem Research Partnerships Leukaemia Foundation AUD$596,198
2019 - 2021 CIA Cancer Australia Priority-driven Young Investigator Grant Cancer Australia/Cure Cancer Australia/Leukaemia Foundation AUD$198,596
2017-2018 CIA Cancer Australia Priority-driven Young Investigator Grant Cure Cancer Australia AUD$199,454
2016 CIA Project Grant Royal Adelaide Hospital Contributing Haematologists' Committee AUD$25,000
2016 CIE Project Grant Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Fund AUD$50,000
Date Title Funding Body Amount
Fellowships
2018-2021 Beat Cancer Early Career Cancer Research Fellowship Cancer Council SA AUD$240,000
2013-2015 Mary Overton Early Career Fellowship Royal Adelaide Hospital AUD$252,000
2013-2015 Veronika Sacco Early Career Fellowship Florey Medical Research Foundation AUD$222,003
2011 MMRF Research Fellow Award Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (USA) AUD$74,146
  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Principal Supervisor Modulating the blood-brain barrier to optimise drug delivery and treatment outcomes in diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Tace Sian Conlin
    2024 Co-Supervisor Genetic and biochemical characterisation of the SIK3 mutation, R393H: A causal mutation that helps define a new family of human monogenetic disorders Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Eliana Gloria Stanziano
    2022 Co-Supervisor Lipidomic and metabolomic profiling of the bone marrow microenvironment to understand multiple myeloma disease development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Mackenzie Rose Skinner
    2020 Principal Supervisor Changes in the bone marrow microenvironment with progression to multiple myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Laura Joy Trainor
    2020 Co-Supervisor Identification of novel mechanisms that drive the dissemination of multiple myeloma tumour cells Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Hayley Bridget Parkinson
    2020 Principal Supervisor Development and assessment of novel drug delivery strategies to improve the treatment of multiple myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Sadia Munir
  • 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 Role of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Senescence in Multiple Myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Natalya Plakhova
    2019 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Macrophages, Myeloma, Mouse Models and Methodologies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Khatora Shanae Opperman
    2017 - 2020 Principal Supervisor CCR1 as a Therapeutic Target in Multiple Myeloma: Preventing Tumour Dissemination and Therapeutic Resistance Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Mara Natasha Zeissig
    2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The Role of TWIST1 in Multiple Myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Chee Man Cheong
    2012 - 2018 Co-Supervisor N-cadherin: Regulation, Role and Therapeutic Targeting in Multiple Myeloma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Krzysztof Mrozik
  • Committee Memberships

    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2024 - ongoing Member South Australian Cancer Research Biobank (SACRB) Strategy & Governance Committee South Australian Cancer Research Biobank Australia
    2023 - ongoing Member Myeloma Australia Myeloma Scientific Advisory Group (MSAG) Research Pillars Committee Myeloma Australia Australia
    2015 - ongoing Member Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation Research Grants Committee - -
    2014 - ongoing Member Australian Society for Medical Research SA Committee - -
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2021 - ongoing Member International Myeloma Society United States
    2019 - ongoing Member Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group Australia
    2015 - ongoing - Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand -
    2014 - ongoing Member Australian Society for Medical Research -
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Associate Editor Frontiers in Oncology Editorial Board Frontiers Switzerland
    2020 - ongoing Associate Editor Journal of Bone Oncology Editorial Board Elsevier Germany
    2020 - ongoing Associate Editor BMC Cancer Editorial Board BMC United Kingdom
  • Position: Research Fellow (C) (with PhD)
  • Phone: 81284390
  • Email: kate.vandyke@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: West End Health Precinct
  • Building: SAHMRI - South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
  • Org Unit: Medical Sciences

Connect With Me
External Profiles