Amber Johns
Research Level
Biography
Amber’s research experience has focused on establishing and coordinating the development of complex, novel, large-scale research projects. Amber has clinical experience in pathology and cytology, and has been instrumental in building the Australian Pancreatic Genome Initiative (APGI) as part of Australia’s contribution to the International Cancer Genome Consortium.
Through the APGI, Amber developed and coordinated a national pancreatic cancer biobank network, with international linkage. Amber has the unique blend of clinical, community and scientific experience, which she has successfully applied in various settings with a range of stakeholders. Her unique skill set has been pivotal in the success of not only her own local groups, but providing a platform for cancer research groups across the world to thrive, through her ability to be the link between the research team, the clinical team, and patient and community groups.
Amber has extensive experience in ethical, policy and societal issues in research and currently advises the Federal Government in relation to genomic sequencing and the return of research results.
Amber’s research experience has focused on establishing and coordinating the development of complex, novel, large-scale research projects. Amber has clinical experience in pathology and cytology, and has been instrumental in building the Australian Pancreatic Genome Initiative (APGI) as part of Australia’s contribution to the International Cancer Genome Consortium.
Through the APGI, Amber developed and coordinated a national pancreatic cancer biobank network, with international linkage. Amber has the unique blend of clinical, community and scientific experience, which she has successfully applied in various settings with a range of stakeholders. Her unique skill set has been pivotal in the success of not only her own local groups, but providing a platform for cancer research groups across the world to thrive, through her ability to be the link between the research team, the clinical team, and patient and community groups.
Amber has extensive experience in ethical, policy and societal issues in research and currently advises the Federal Government in relation to genomic sequencing and the return of research results.
Awards and Honours
2012 Recipient of NSW Cancer Institute’s Inaugural Wildfire Award for Outstanding Cancer Research Group
Education
2001 - BMedSc, Charles Sturt University
Selected Publications
The Path to reducing duplication of Human Research Ethics review in Australia. Amber L. Johns, Dianne Nicol, Nik Zeps and Don Chalmers. Medicine and Law. Number 1 March 2017 Vol 36.
Lost in translation: returning germline genetic results in genome-scale cancer research. Johns AL, McKay SH, Humphris JL, Pinese M, Chantrill LA, Mead RS, Tucker K, Andrews L, Goodwin A, Leonard C, High HA, Nones K, Patch AM, Merrett ND, Pavlakis N, Kassahn KS, Samra JS, Miller DK, Chang DK, Pajic M, Australian Pancreatic Cancer Genome Initiative, Pearson JV, Grimmond SM, Waddell N, Zeps N, Gill AJ, Biankin AV. Genome Med. 2017 Apr 28; 8(41). doi: 1186/s13073-017-0430-4.
Whole-genome landscape of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Scarpa A, Chang DK, Nones K, Corbo V, Patch AM, Bailey P, Lawlor RT, Johns AL, Miller DK, Mafficini A, Rusev B, Scardoni M, Antonello D, Barbi S, Sikora KO, Cingarlini S, Vicentini C, McKay S, Quinn MC, Bruxner TJ, Christ AN, Harliwong I, Idrisoglu S, McLean S, Nourse C, Nourbakhsh E, Wilson PJ, Anderson MJ, Fink JL, Newell F, Waddell N, Holmes O, Kazakoff SH, Leonard C, Wood S, Xu Q, Nagaraj SH, Amato E, Dalai I, Bersani S, Cataldo I, Dei Tos AP, Capelli P, Davì MV, Landoni L, Malpaga A, Miotto M, Whitehall VL, Leggett BA, Harris JL, Harris J, Jones MD, Humphris J, Chantrill LA, Chin V, Nagrial AM, Pajic M, Scarlett CJ, Pinho A, Rooman I, Toon C, Wu J, Pinese M, Cowley M, Barbour A, Mawson A, Humphrey ES, Colvin EK, Chou A, Lovell JA, Jamieson NB, Duthie F, Gingras MC, Fisher WE, Dagg RA, Lau LM, Lee M, Pickett HA, Reddel RR, Samra JS, Kench JG, Merrett ND, Epari K, Nguyen NQ, Zeps N, Falconi M, Simbolo M, Butturini G, Van Buren G, Partelli S, Fassan M; Australian Pancreatic Cancer Genome Initiative, Khanna KK, Gill AJ, Wheeler DA, Gibbs RA, Musgrove EA, Bassi C, Tortora G, Pederzoli P, Pearson JV, Waddell N, Biankin AV, Grimmond S. Nature. 2017 Mar 02; 543(?):65–71. doi:10.1038/nature21063.
Hypermutation in pancreatic cancer. Humphris JL, Patch A, Nones K, Bailey PJ, Johns AL, McKay S, Chang DK, Miller DK, Pajic M, Kassahn KS, Quinn MC, Bruxner JC, Christ AN, Harliwong I, drisoglu S, Manning S, Nourse C, Nourbakhsh E, Stone A, Wilson PJ, Anderson M, Fink JL, Holmes O, Kazakoff S, Leonard C, Newell F, Waddell N, Wood S, Mead RS, Xu Q, Wu J, Pinese M, Cowley MJ, Jones MD, Nagrial AM, Chin VT, Chantrill LA, Mawson A, Chou A, Scarlett CJ, Pinho AV, Rooman I, Giry-Laterriere M, Samra JS, Kench JG, Merrett ND, Toon CW, Epari K, Nguyen NQ, Barbour A, Zeps N, Jamieson NB, McKay CJ, Carter CR, Dickson EJ, Graham JS, Duthie F, Oien K, Hair J, Morton JP, Sansom OJ, Grützmann R, Hruban RH, Maitra A, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Schulick RD, Wolfgang CL, Morgan RA, Lawlor RT, Rusev B, Corbo V, Salvia R, Cataldo I, Tortora G, Tempero MA; Australian Pancreatic Cancer Genome Initiative, Hofmann O, Eshleman JR, Pilarsky C, Scarpa A, Musgrove EA, Gill AJ, Pearson JV, Grimmond SM, Waddell N, Biankin AV. Gastroenterology 2017 Jan;152(1):68-74.e2. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.09.060.
David K. Chang, Nigel B. Jamieson, Amber L. Johns, Christopher J. Scarlett et al. Histomolecular Phenotypes and Outcome in Adenocarcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater. J Clin Oncol. 2013; [epub ahead of print].
Biankin AV, Waddell N, Kassahn KS, Gingras MC, Muthuswamy LB, Johns AL, Miller DK, Wilson PJ et al. Pancreatic cancer genomes reveal aberrations in axon guidance pathway genes. Nature. 2012; 491:399-405.
Humphris JL, Chang DK, Johns AL, Scarlett CJ, Pajic M, Jones MD, Colvin EK, Nagrial A, Chin VT, Chantrill LA, Samra JS, Gill AJ, Kench JG, Merrett ND, Das A, Musgrove EA, Sutherland RL, Biankin AV; for the NSW Pancreatic Cancer Network. The prognostic and predictive value of serum CA19.9 in pancreatic cancer. Ann Oncol. 2012; Jan 11.
TJ Hudson, AL Johns et al. International network of cancer genome projects. Nature. 2010; 464(7291):993-8.
Nguyen NQ, Johns AL, Gill AJ, Ring N, Chang DK, Clarkson A, Merrett ND, Kench JG, Colvin EK, Scarlett CJ, Biankin AV. Clinical and immunohistochemical features of 34 solid pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011; 26(2):267-74.
Chang DK, Johns AL, Merrett ND, Gill AJ, Colvin EK, Scarlett CJ, Nguyen NQ, Leong RWL, Kelly MI, Sutherland RL, Henshall SM, Kench JG, Biankin AV. Margin Clearance and Outcome in Resected Pancreatic Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2009; 27(17):2855-62.
Gill AJ, Johns AL, Eckstein R, Samra JS, Kaufman A, Chang DK, Merrett ND, Cosman PH, Smith RC, Biankin AV, Kench JG. Synoptic Reporting Improves Histopathological Assessment of Pancreatic Resection Specimens. Pathology. 2008; Sep 6:1-7.