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Caldon Lab

Our work centres on breast and ovarian cancers, seeking to understand why tumours become resistant to therapies. By uncovering these mechanisms, we aim to design more effective cancer treatments.

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer, affecting one in nine women. Globally, it is the second highest cause of cancer-related female death, leading to more than 3,000 deaths per year in Australia alone. Ovarian cancer, while less common, is responsible for more than 1,000 deaths per year in Australia.

Our group works towards discovering how cancer cells evolve due to the selective pressure of therapeutic drugs and cancer driver genes. A primary goal is understanding the evolution of hormone therapy resistance in breast cancer and drug resistance in ovarian cancer, which are major causes of cancer-related death. Based on our findings on the multistep acquisition of drug resistance, our team is focused on translating knowledge about fundamental cancer biology and evolution into targetable therapies that provide clinical benefit.

Research team