Professor Roger Reddel

Roger Reddel is the Lorimer Dods Professor and Director of Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI).  He also heads CMRI's Cancer Research Unit.  He obtained a medical degree from the University of Sydney, trained in medical oncology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.  Roger completed a PhD in cancer cell biology at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in the University of Sydney's Department of Cancer Medicine, and received an NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship and a Fulbright Fellowship to undertake postdoctoral research at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.  He returned to Sydney to establish a laboratory at CMRI, attracted by the Institute's culture of fostering high quality basic research, and with the support of Cancer Council NSW's Bicentennial Fellowship.  He has continued to receive major support from the Cancer Council, including being awarded the Carcinogenesis Fellowship for ten years, and a Program Grant for five years.

Professor Reddel's research is focused on the molecular genetics of immortalisation, the process that allows cancer cells to divide an unlimited number of times, and his group is best known for discovering Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT), a mechanism that cancer cells use to achieve immortal growth.  The goal of this work is to understand the immortalisation process in sufficient detail to make it possible to design treatments that specifically limit cancer cell proliferation.  Roger also directs CellBank Australia.  He was awarded the 2007 Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research.

Professor Reddel is an editorial board member of several cancer journals, and recently completed a term as editor of Carcinogenesis.  He serves on a number of research advisory panels including Cancer Council NSW's Cancer Research Committee and is a Director of Cure Cancer Australia Foundation.