Our team

Bringing the lab and clinic together

At the Western Australian Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre, we’ve removed the traditional barriers between the lab and the clinic. Our researchers and clinicians work as one team, sharing data, insights and expertise every step of the way.

When a new discovery is made in the lab, our clinical teams can rapidly assess its potential and, when safe and appropriate, bring it into clinical trials. Likewise, insights from our patients’ experiences guide our scientists toward the most pressing research questions.

This two-way collaboration hopes to achieve:

• Translation of discoveries into treatments.
• More personalised medicine, tailored to each child’s unique cancer.
• Improved quality of life, with therapies designed to be both effective and gentle.

Together, we are ensuring that children in WA receive the most advanced cancer care – right here, close to home.

Lab team overview

The Kids Research Institute Australia delivers the Centre’s laboratory research arm through its multidisciplinary cancer research teams, in collaboration with The University of Western Australia. These teams drive discovery by investigating the biology of childhood cancers, identifying vulnerabilities and developing new treatment approaches designed specifically for children. Their work underpins the Centre’s research themes, milestones and future innovations, helping to ensure that emerging therapies are more targeted and less likely to cause long-term side effects.

Alongside the clinical team, the laboratory team can rapidly assess breakthroughs for their potential to improve care. This continuous cycle of discovery and translation strengthens our ability to deliver better treatments for children today, while building a foundation for safer and more effective therapies in the future.

Clinic team overview

The Perth Children’s Hospital Department of Oncology and Haematology provides expert, compassionate care to children and families facing a cancer diagnosis, supporting patients through every stage of treatment and recovery. Their experience caring for children with cancer provides critical insight into the challenges families face and helps identify the most urgent areas for research focus.

Through close collaboration with the Centre's researchers, clinical insights directly inform scientific discovery, helping to ensure research is focused on improving real-world outcomes for patients.