Dr Jessica Buck

Dr Jessica Buck is an emerging leader in childhood cancer research, with a particular focus on cancer in First Nations children and childhood brain cancer.

A proud Kamilaroi woman, she is the Team Leader of the First Nations Childhood Cancer Research team at The Kids Research Institute Australia – a first-of-its-kind initiative dedicated to developing culturally safe, community-led research strategies to improve outcomes for First Nations children with cancer. By engaging closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, her program ensures that research priorities are shaped by their needs, empowering families and transforming treatment.

Dr Buck has also made significant contributions to childhood brain tumour research, particularly in developing preclinical models to test safer and more effective therapies. Her work has contributed knowledge to identifying potential treatments that could improve survival while reducing long-term side effects in children with brain cancer.

She holds an NHMRC Investigator Grant (2024) administered through The University of Western Australia.