Mara Zeissig

Research Interests

Cancer Cell Biology Cancer Therapy Tumour Immunology Solid Tumours

Dr Mara Zeissig

Group Head, T Cell Immunotherapy Laboratory

SAIGENCI

College of Health

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

Dr Zeissig completed her PhD at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) in 2020 with Prof Andrew Zannettino, followed by a postdoc at Monash University (2020-2022) with Prof Tony Tiganis in Melbourne. She then commenced a postdoc at WEHI in Melbourne with Prof Kate Sutherland in 2022. Her work was focused on modulating the tumour microenvironment to enhance anti-tumour immunity and improve response to immunotherapy. In 2025 Dr Mara Zeissig relocated to Adelaide to set up the T cell Immunotherapy Lab. Summer scholarship, Honours, Masters and PhD projects are available: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/saigenci/ua/media/719/saigenci-student-research-opportunities.pdf

Mara Zeissig's research lab is focused on improving response to T-cell based immunotherapies in solid cancers, with a focus on lung and pancreatic cancers. We use a range of approaches, including genetically engineered mouse models and sophisticated CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screening techniques to understand how tumours evade the immune system and identify immune modulators to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy in solid tumours.

Date Position Institution name
2024 - ongoing Group Head University of Adelaide
2022 - ongoing Senior Research Officer Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
2020 - 2022 Research Officer Monash University

Language Competency
German Can read, speak and understand spoken
Spanish - Latin American Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

Date Institution name Country Title
2013 - 2015 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Advanced)
University of Adelaide Australia PhD (Medicine)

Year Citation
2024 Zeissig, M. N., Hewett, D. R., Mrozik, K. M., Panagopoulos, V., Wallington-Gates, C. T., Spencer, A., . . . Zannettino, A. C. W. (2024). Expression of the chemokine receptor CCR1 decreases sensitivity to bortezomib in multiple myeloma cell lines. Leukemia Research, 139, 107469-1-107469-8.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC6
2023 Zeissig, M. N., Ashwood, L. M., Kondrashova, O., & Sutherland, K. D. (2023). Next batter up! Targeting cancers with KRAS-G12D mutations. Trends in Cancer, 9(11), 955-967.
DOI Scopus65 WoS64 Europe PMC67
2022 Goh, P. K., Wiede, F., Zeissig, M. N., Britt, K. L., Liang, S., Molloy, T., . . . Tiganis, T. (2022). PTPN2 elicits cell autonomous and non–cell autonomous effects on antitumor immunity in triple-negative breast cancer. Science Advances, 8(8), 22 pages.
DOI Scopus36 WoS36 Europe PMC30
2022 Wiede, F., Lu, K. H., Du, X., Zeissig, M. N., Xu, R., Goh, P. K., . . . Tiganis, T. (2022). PTP1B Is an Intracellular Checkpoint that Limits T-cell and CAR T-cell Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Discovery, 12(3), 752-773.
DOI Scopus100 WoS93 Europe PMC87
2020 Graziani, G., Herget, G. W., Ihorst, G., Zeissig, M., Chaidos, A., Auner, H. W., . . . Engelhardt, M. (2020). Time from first symptom onset to the final diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM)–possible risks and future solutions: retrospective and prospective ‘Deutsche Studiengruppe MM’ (DSMM) and ‘European Myeloma Network’ (EMN) analysis*. Leukemia and Lymphoma, 61(4), 875-886.
DOI Scopus19 WoS21 Europe PMC17
2020 Zeissig, M. N., Hewett, D. R., Panagopoulos, V., Mrozik, K. M., To, L. B., Croucher, P. I., . . . Vandyke, K. (2020). Expression of the chemokine receptor CCR1 promotes the dissemination of multiple myeloma plasma cells in vivo. Haematologica, 106(12), 3176-3187.
DOI Scopus22 WoS21 Europe PMC19
2020 Zeissig, M. N., Zannettino, A. C. W., & Vandyke, K. (2020). Tumour dissemination in multiple myeloma disease progression and relapse: A potential therapeutic target in high-risk myeloma. Cancers, 12(12), 3643-1-3643-20.
DOI Scopus8 WoS7 Europe PMC8
2017 Vandyke, K., Zeissig, M., Hewett, D., Martin, S., Mrozik, K., Cheong, C., . . . Zannettino, A. (2017). HIF-2α promotes dissemination of plasma cells in multiple myeloma by regulating CXCL12/CXCR4 and CCR1. Cancer Research, 77(20), 5452-5463.
DOI Scopus50 WoS47 Europe PMC42

Year Citation
2017 Zeissig, M. N., Hewett, D. R., Martin, S., Mrozik, K. M., Cheong, C. M., Diamond, P., . . . Zannettino, A. C. W. (2017). HIF-2α Upregulates CCR1 to Promote Dissemination of Plasma Cells in Multiple Myeloma. In BLOOD Vol. 130 (pp. 2 pages). Atlanta, GA: AMER SOC HEMATOLOGY.

Year Citation
2019 Zeissig, M. N., Hewett, D. R., Mrozik, K. M., Panagopoulos, V., Engelhardt, M., To, L. B., . . . Vandyke, K. (2019). Therapeutic Targeting of CCR1 to Prevent Dissemination of Multiple Myeloma Plasma Cells. Poster session presented at the meeting of BLOOD. FL, Orlando: ELSEVIER.
DOI

2025 - 2026 Tour De Cure Early Career Research Grant

2023 - 2024 Cure Cancer Australia Foundation Early Career Researcher Grant

2023 - 2026 Victorian Cancer Agency Early Career Fellowship

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 Principal Supervisor Enhancing T cell anti-tumour activity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Wuyu Lin
  • Position: Group Head, T Cell Immunotherapy Laboratory
  • Email: mara.zeissig@adelaide.edu.au
  • Org Unit: South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute

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