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| Associate Professor Jake Shortt |
Monash University and Monash Health
are excited to announce renowned haematologist Associate Professor Jake Shortt
will lead haematology research in a newly created role at the Monash Health
Translation Precinct (MHTP).
Associate Professor Shortt is
clinical lead for leukemia and myelodysplasia at Monash Health and principle
investigator on a number of leukemia and bone marrow disorder studies within
the clinical trials unit.
“My scientific research focuses
largely on lymphoma, leukaemia and myeloma and with our increased understanding
of what drives these diseases at a molecular level, we can now rationally
target the survival pathways and abnormal genetic programs operating within
cancer cells,” said Associate Professor Shortt.
Most recently, Associate Professor Shortt’s research has
involved combining drugs that work on epigenetic pathways with immune-modulators.
“If the DNA of a cell is its hardware, epigenetic
pathways constitute the software, and software is re-programmable with drugs,”
he explained.
“Epigenetic drugs can change or kill cells in such a way
that they become more visible to the immune system and therefore you can prime
a patient’s tumour and immune system concurrently to gain major therapeutic
responses.”
“It is no exaggeration to say we have seen miraculous
responses in the clinic at Monash, using approaches gleaned from our laboratory-based
research.”
Until recently a Senior Research
Fellow at Peter Mac, Associate Professor Shortt has relocated to MHTP to be at
the ‘coal face’ of translational research, allowing him to conduct basic
scientific research in tandem with clinical trial activity.
“It is a very exciting time in
haematology and cancer biology at the moment,” said Associate Professor Shortt.
“We are seeing a revolution in our understanding of
tumour biology at the genomic and epigenetic level. Concurrently there has been a paradigm shift
in the therapeutic application of immuno-oncology.”
In his new role at MHTP, Associate Professor Shortt
plans to further develop his pre-clinical and translational research
rationally, applying targeted therapies within appropriate genomic and
epigenetic contexts.
“This new role will better allow me to link these
concepts with clinical trial activity and from a broader perspective I would
like to develop Haemato-Oncology at Monash into an internationally competitive
program, building the academic reputation of both the Haematology department
and Haematology research at the School of Clinical Sciences.”
“The major advantage Monash Health
and the MHTP has over other cancer hospitals is its proximity to patients, and
I feel I am taking my science to where the patients are, in an area of real
growth and potential.”
“I’m really excited about the
prospects at Monash—being embedded in a state-of-the-art facility with a really
positive and progressive group of clinician scientists is a recipe for success,”
added Associate Professor Shortt.
“We have an unprecedented
opportunity to stake a claim in the future of haematology and cancer medicine
in Victoria.”
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