Kimberley Clark

Kimberley Clark

South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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


Dr. Kimberley Clark is a Research Fellow in the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) at the University of Adelaide. In 2020, Dr. Clark was awarded her PhD from the University of Adelaide, South Australia. Her doctoral research was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Zannettino in the Myeloma Research Laboratory, SAHMRI, and focused on the role of the bone marrow tumour microenvironment in myeloma tumour growth and spread. Following her PhD studies, Dr. Clark continued her postdoctoral studies at Monash University, Victoria, Australia in a combined research program with Prof. Roger Daly and A/Prof. Renea Taylor. At Monash University, Dr. Clark's research interests involved investigating signaling networks between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumour cells in prostate cancer. This research utilized novel proteomic techniques and pre-clinical models of cancer. In 2023, Dr. Clark returned to Adelaide to join the Sweeney Laboratory, SAiGENCI.

1. Identification and validation of novel MYBL2 inhibitors for prostate cancer: MYBL2, a MYB family transcription factor, is a physiological regulator of cell cycle progression, cell survival and cell differentiation. MYBL2 is commonly amplified in aggressive castrate resistant disease. The aim of this project is to determine the mechanisms of MYBL2 upregulation in prostate cancer and its role in different disease stages. Secondly, this project aims to investigate and validate candidate compounds from a virtual screening platform as novel MYBL2 inhibitors that can be used in treatment of aggressive PCa.

2. Investigating a role for NF-KB inhibition in overcoming therapeutic resistance to EGFR TKIs in lung cancer: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene are one of the most commonly observed mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Multiple generations of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have provided significant benefit to clinical outcomes of patients with NSCLC, however resistance and/or disease recurrence almost always occurs. NF-KB signalling is known to be upregulated in EGFR TKI-resistant NSCLC, and preclinical studies have demonstrated that NF-KB inhibition may provide an additional survival benefit when combined with EGFR TKIs. The aim of this project is to identify the cellular mechanisms by which NF-KB upregulation occurs in EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC, and to investigate whether NFKB can be targeted in pre-clinical animal models of NSCLC to overcome this.

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Principal Supervisor Investigating a role for NF-KB inhibition in overcoming therapeutic resistance to EGFR TKIs in lung cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Basira Najafzadeh Sotoubadi
  • Committee Memberships

    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2020 - 2022 Chair Biomedicine Discovery Research Institute Early Career Research Committee- Workshop Subcommittee Monash University Australia
    2016 - ongoing Member Australian Society for Medical Research- State Committee - -

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