Professor Thomas Cox

Professor Thomas Cox is a cancer cell biologist working on the extracellular matrix and matrix remodelling in the progression, therapy resistance and metastasis of solid tumours. He graduated with a PhD from the University of Durham, UK in 2008, followed by postdoctoral research positions at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, UK and the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2016 he was recruited to the Garvan Institute in Sydney to establish his own independent research group. He is also a Professor (Conjoint) in the School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney.

Thomas leads the Matrix and Metastasis Lab, part of the Cancer Ecosystems Program at the Garvan Institute and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre. The lab's creative research program integrates matrix biology with precision oncology to make fundamental advances in personalised stromal targeting of solid tumours. Underpinning this work is the view that the matrix is not a passive bystander but an active driver of tumour progression, immune exclusion and therapy resistance, making it a prerequisite target for durable patient benefit rather than an optional adjunct.

The team is internationally recognised for its work on lysyl oxidase (LOX) family biology, for developing matrix-centric research tools, and for uncovering novel matrisomal targets in pancreatic, breast, lung and colorectal cancer, a number of which are now progressing into early phase clinical trials. The lab combines mass spectrometry imaging and physiologically relevant pre-clinical models to identify new matrix targets and maximise the effectiveness of novel and existing anti-cancer agents.

Thomas also directs the ACRF MATRIX Centre (Mass spectrometry Analysis of Tumour Response In compleX microenvironments), established with $2.5 million from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation's 2025 Grants Program as Australia's first dedicated centre for ultra-high-resolution spatial proteomics in cancer, with additional support from Cancer Institute NSW and Amgen. The Centre operates as a national resource for spatial profiling of the tumour microenvironment.

Thomas takes an active role in training emerging scientists. He is Chair of the Garvan Institute Higher Degrees Committee and a partner in Mac4Me, a €4.1 million Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network (2024 - 2028) spanning 25 institutions across 11 countries that is training the next generation of doctoral candidates in metastatic cancer research.

He is also active in the international research community. Thomas is Director of Communications and an Executive Board Member of the international Metastasis Research Society (MRS), a Council Member of the International Society for Matrix Biology (ISMB), an Executive Committee Member of the Australian Metastasis Research Society (OzMRS), a past President of the Matrix Biology Society of Australia and New Zealand (MBSANZ), and an International Ambassador for the Biochemical Society (UK). He is a co-founder and executive member of the Australian Pancreatic Cancer Matrix Atlas (APMA), and sits on the editorial board of Clinical & Experimental Metastasis.