Ms Saba Ataei Kachooei
Research Associate
SAIGENCI
College of Health
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Integrative Network Modelling Laboratory (PI: Professor Lan Nguyen) at the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), Adelaide University. My research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development, therapeutic response and drug resistance, with a particular interest in pancreatic cancer and targeted cancer therapies.
Postdoctoral research: Understanding adaptive resistance to targeted therapies in pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer commonly driven by mutations in KRAS. Although KRAS-targeted therapies have emerged as promising treatment strategies, their effectiveness can be limited by the ability of cancer cells to activate alternative signalling pathways and develop adaptive resistance.
My current research investigates how pancreatic cancer cells respond to KRAS inhibition, with a particular focus on the interplay between the MAPK and PI3K–AKT signalling pathways. Using in vitro cancer models and molecular and functional assays, I aim to understand the mechanisms underlying treatment response and resistance, and identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities that could be exploited to improve treatment outcomes.
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Integrative Network Modelling Laboratory at the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), Adelaide University. My research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development, therapeutic response and drug resistance, with a particular interest in pancreatic cancer and targeted cancer therapies.
Postdoctoral research: Understanding adaptive resistance to targeted therapies in pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer commonly driven by mutations in KRAS. Although KRAS-targeted therapies have emerged as promising treatment strategies, their effectiveness can be limited by the ability of cancer cells to activate alternative signalling pathways and develop adaptive resistance.
My current research investigates how pancreatic cancer cells respond to KRAS inhibition, with a particular focus on the interplay between the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signalling pathways. Using in vitro cancer models and molecular and functional assays, I aim to understand the mechanisms underlying treatment response and resistance, and identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities that could be exploited to improve treatment outcomes.
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Persian | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2026 | Adelaide University | Australia | PhD |
| Kharazmi University | Iran | MSc |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Kachooei, S. A., Bracken, J. M., Pillman, K. A., Gregory, P. A., & Bracken, C. P. (2025). Half of annotated human microRNAs are expressed at levels of questionable biological significance. Iscience, 28(9), 113445. Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC4 |
| 2023 | Sapkota, S., Pillman, K. A., Dredge, B. K., Liu, D., Bracken, J. M., Kachooei, S. A., . . . Goodall, G. J. (2023). On the rules of engagement for microRNAs targeting protein coding regions. Nucleic Acids Research, 51(18), 9938-9951. Scopus26 WoS24 Europe PMC20 |
| 2022 | Zahed, M. A., Salehi, S., Tabari, Y., Farraji, H., Ataei-Kachooei, S., Zinatizadeh, A. A., . . . Mahjouri, M. (2022). Phosphorus removal and recovery: state of the science and challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH, 29(39), 58561-58589. WoS94 Europe PMC28 |
| 2020 | Kachooei, S. A., Rahmani, R., Zareh, N., Donyadideh, F., Kachooei, S. A., Nabiuni, M., & Yazdansetad, S. (2020). Down-regulation of TGF-β, VEGF, and bFGF in vascular endothelial cells of chicken induced by a brittle star (<i>Ophiocoma erinaceus</i>) extract. HELIYON, 6(1), 6 pages. WoS5 Europe PMC5 |
Sem2 2026
Practical demonstrator: Bio1A & Bio1C
Sem1 2026
Practical demonstrator: Bio1A
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