Barnaby Kelly

I had an interest for paediatric cancer from my honours research that focused on dog osteosarcoma which exposed me through the literature to the negative outcomes associated with children. It was then I found and reached out to my supervisor Associate Professor Jason Cain. Through discussions about the project and the aspirations of the lab with respect to sarcoma research it made it an easy decision

My research focus is on paediatric Osteosarcoma, the most common form of bone cancer in children and adolescents. It is a very aggressive disease that is unaided by the high rates of relapse and metastasis, which relate in part to treatment resistance. My work mainly focuses on investigating the genetic mechanisms that drives resistance to a particular chemotherapy called cisplatin. I hope to identify mechanisms that drive this resistance, provide a rationale for future drug development and repurpose therapies that can be applied to restore effective treatment, which will lead to more beneficial patient outcomes.

The environment in Hudson is very welcoming; there are a lot of support networks in place for new students, and the student committee implements enjoyable social activities. Not long after when I started, we had a student retreat which was fun based out in the Yarra Valley and then the winter ball we had in July was also a really fun social activity.