Next Generation Precision Medicine Program
There is an urgent need for new and more precisely targeted medicines to treat childhood cancers. Currently, genomic sequencing is used to identify discrete mutations that could predict a child’s responses to targeted therapies. However, fewer than one in five children with cancer are found to have actionable mutations. And of those children, only half respond to the therapies that are available.
![Next Generation Precision Medicine Program Group Photo](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Next-gen-precision-medicine-program-group-photo.jpg)
New treatment options are needed, particularly for paediatric cancers that have the poorest survival rates such as brain and soft tissue tumours.
The Next Generation Precision Medicine Program is a flagship program of the Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium (VPCC) led by Hudson Institute’s Professor Ron Firestein, a clinician-scientist and the Head of the Centre for Cancer Research at Hudson Institute. The Program is focused on
- Generating novel models of childhood cancers that faithfully represent a patient’s tumour
- Characterising those models at a multi-omics level (genome, transcriptome, epigenome, proteome) to find what makes them unique
- Using comprehensive functional genomic screens that can identify the genetic drivers and dependencies of low-survival paediatric cancers
- Developing a childhood cell line atlas and data portal to enable cohort-level integrative genomic analyses.
Childhood Cancer Model Atlas (CCMA)
The Childhood Cancer Model Atlas (CCMA) was created through this program. As the largest collection of high-risk paediatric solid tumour cell lines in the world, the CCMA is one of the most valuable resources available for childhood cancer researchers globally. It provides a collection of well annotated and characterised models of childhood cancer with associated functional genomics screens and includes a searchable data portal that can be accessed by scientists worldwide. This open-source approach, couple with precise, detailed data, helps scientists anywhere collaborate and drive clinical translation to help sick children.
Team members
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Professor-Ron-Firestein-Leadership-news-story-1.jpg)
Professor Ron Firestein
Centre Head, Centre for Cancer Research and Co-lead, VPCC
![Naama Neeman Director of Operations VPCC](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Naama_Neeman-2-e1687322295572.jpg)
Naama Neeman
Head of Program Operations, Childhood Cancer
![Professor Bryan Williams, along with Institute researchers have identified a key immune molecule that could underpin a bowel cancer breakthrough.](/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Prof-Bryan-Williams-Bowel-cancer-News-story.jpg)
Professor Bryan Williams
Distinguished Scientist
![Dr Xin (Claire) Sun](/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1247-1024x1024.jpg)
Dr Xin (Claire) Sun
Bioinformatics Team Leader
![Dr Paul Daniel is a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Hudson Monash Paediatric Precision Medicine Program at Hudson Institute](/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Paul-Daniel_Featured-Image-1024x1024.jpg)
Dr Paul Daniel
Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow
![Dr Vanessa Tsui, Postdoctoral Researcher, Functional Genomics - funded by Robert Connor Dawes Foundation at Hudson Institute](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Vanessa_Tsui_1.jpg)
Dr Vanessa Tsui
Postdoctoral Researcher, Functional Genomics – funded by Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
![Melissa Loi from the Cancer Genetics and Functional Genomics Research Group at Hudson Institute](/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Melissa-Loi-1024x1024.jpg)
Melissa Loi
Technical Sequencing Specialist
![Monty Panday](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Monty-Panday-Profile-Pic-1024x1024.jpg)
Monty Panday
Analyst Programmer
![Nicole Chew, Children's Cancer Foundation Senior Organoid Specialist](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nicole-Chew-1024x1024.jpeg)
Dr Nicole Chew
Senior Organoid Specialist
![Rajithri (Dilru) Habarakada](/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Rajithri-Dilru-Habarakada-scaled-e1615352140946-1024x1024.jpg)
Rajithri (Dilru) Habarakada
Biobank Specialist
![Vikesh Ajith from the Centre for Cancer Research at Hudson Institiute](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Vikesh_Ajith-1024x1024.jpg)
Vikesh Ajith
Bioinformatics Research Assistant
![Dr Hanbyeol Lee, Postdoctoral Scientist for the Centre for Cancer research at Hudson Institute.](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Hanbyeol_Lee.jpg)
Dr Hanbyeol Lee
Postdoctoral Scientist
![Samitha Amarapathy, VPCC Next Generation Precision Medicine](/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Samitha-Amarapathy-Feature-image.jpeg)
Samitha Amarapathy
PhD student, Faculty of IT, Monash University
![Shazia Adjumain Photo](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Shazia-Adjumain-Photo.jpg)
Shazia Adjumain
Gideon Gratzer PhD Scholar – funded by Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
![Yichen Zhou, Centre for Cancer Research at Hudson Institute](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Yichen_Zhou.jpg)
Dr Yichen Zhou
Postdoctoral Scientist
![Danxi Zhu from the Cancer Genetics and Functional Genomics Research Group at Hudson Institute](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Danxi-Zhu-1024x1024.jpg)
Dr Danxi Zhu
Postdoctoral Scientist
![Yuqing Liang](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Yuqing-Liang-1024x1024.jpg)
Dr Yuqing Liang
Children’s Cancer Foundation PhD Student
![](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Hui_Kheng_Chua-1.jpg)
Hui Kheng Chua
Laboratory Manager
![Lily Fraser is a member of the Centre for Cancer Research.](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Lily_Fraser_Profile_Pic.jpg)
Lily Fraser
Honours Student
![Dingyin Sun PhD Student in the Centre for Cancer Research at Hudson Institute](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dingyin_Sun-1024x1024.jpg)
Dingyin Sun
PhD Student
![James Cooper, Honorary Research Associate, Centre for Cancer Research at Hudson Institute](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/James_Cooper-1024x1024.jpg)
James Cooper
Research Assistant
![Abigail Yoel](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Abigail_Yoel_web-jpeg.jpg)
Abigail Yoel
Visiting Scholar
![Huiyu Nova Shi from the Centre for Cancer Research](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Huiyu-Nova-Shi.jpg)
Huiyu (Nova) Shi
Research Intern – Volunteer
![Alfredo Cerimele from the Centre for Cancer Research](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Alfredo-Cerimele.jpg)
Alfredo Cerimele
Visiting Scholar
![Yiwen Guan works with the Next Generation Precision Medicine program, led by Professor Ron Firestein](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/yiwen-guan.jpg)
Yiwen Guan
Research Assistant – Volunteer
![Ishika Mahajan works with the Next Generation Precision Medicine program, led by Professor Ron Firestein.](https://www.hudson.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ishika-mahajan.jpg)
Ishika Mahajan
Research Assistant – Volunteer
Collaborators
Prof David Eisenstat – The Royal Children’s Hospital/Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
A/Prof Peter Downie – Monash Children’s Hospital
A/Prof Sefi Rosenbluh – Monash University
A/Prof Paul Ekert – Children’s Cancer Institute
Prof Roger Daly – Monash University
Dr Pouya Faridi – Monash University
A/Prof Paul Neeson – Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre