Dr Laurence Cheung - New therapeutic strategies for children with high-risk leukaemia by dissecting and targeting the bone marrow microenvironment

Speaker

Dr Laurence Cheung

Senior Lecturer, Curtin University, Senior Research Officer, Leukaemia and Cancer Genetics, Telethon Kids Institute

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common form of cancer in children and represents one of the success stories of modern medicine with 5-year survival rates approaching 90%. However, some children continue to have a dismal prognosis, especially those with high-risk genetic alternations in their ALL cells.

The microenvironments of leukaemia and cancer are critical for multiple stages of malignancies and they are an attractive therapeutic target. Clinical studies in children diagnosed with ALL have clearly demonstrated defects in the bone marrow microenvironment, yet little is known about the contribution of the normal bone marrow cells during the development of this disease, it’s progression and relapse. Laurence's research program aims to define in detail the changes of the bone marrow cells during leukaemia development  and determines the therapeutic potential of targeting the leukaemia bone marrow microenvironment.

Speaker bio

Dr Laurence Cheung obtained his Pharmacy Degree (Hons) at Curtin University and PhD from The University of Western Australia.

He is a registered pharmacist in Western Australia and Hong Kong. Laurence's research focuses on childhood leukaemia and paediatric formulation.

Laurence is a Senior Lecturer at Curtin Medical School at Curtin University and co-leads the Leukaemia and Cancer Genetic Program at Telethon Kids Institute in Perth.