Cartherics CRC-P PhD and Honours Programs

Under the auspices of the prestigious Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) Grant and Medical Research Futures Fund (MRFF) Grant, Cartherics has developed innovative Honours and Higher Degree Research Programs.

Cartherics has partnered with the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) to offer our academic research programs through Monash University and to provide a unique research and clinical translation experience for our students who are based at Cartherics’ new state of the art laboratories at 12 Ferntree Place, Notting Hill, directly behind Monash University. The Cartherics laboratories have been accredited as an extension of Monash University for students undertaking their research on site.

Cartherics is pioneering the development of ‘off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy products for cancer using novel, specially selected, cell lines to create haplotype induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and other iPSC lines, that can be infinitely expanded. These iPSCs are being gene edited and differentiated to become cytotoxic T cells, NK cells and macrophages with multiple targeting receptors and gene edits, for use in clinical trials, initially, for treatment of relapsed ovarian and gastric cancers.

The Cartherics team is closely aligned with leading cancer research groups, including The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (PMCC) and their partners at the new Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC); together with a strong research base at ARMI and access to all Research Platform facilities at Monash University and its affiliated clinical institutes of Monash Health.

As part of the Higher Degree Training Program, Cartherics offers high calibre eligible students Masters and PhD research programs of study that include world-class research training, as well as opportunities to develop diverse commercialisation and clinical translation skills that will benefit their future career. The Cartherics Higher Degree Programs centre on medical research specifically combining stem cells and immunotherapy to cure cancer.

Cartherics PhD Students are enrolled through Monash University in the prestigious Monash University Doctoral Program.

ARMI Masters of Biotechnology Students can undertake the Research component of their degree at Cartherics.

Cartherics Honours Degree Students can be enrolled through the Faculty of Science (BSc Hons Program), the ARMI (B Med Sci Hons Program) or the Faculty of Medicine (Bachelor of Medical Science Hons Program).

Please contact us for further information on any of the topics listed below.

Further information about the Monash University Graduate Research Program can be found below:

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More specific information on the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Graduate Research Programs can be found here:

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A brochure on the subject can be downloaded below:

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Current Research Projects

Available for 2023-24. Projects include, but are not limited to:

The development of macrophages from iPSC (iMacs) for novel cancer immunotherapy

Main Supervisor: Professor Alan Trounson
Co-supervisors: Dr Frederico Calhabeu, Professor Richard Boyd

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The impact of TCR rearrangement on iPSC-derived T cell differentiation for novel cancer therapies

Main Supervisor: Professor Alan Trounson
Co-supervisors: Dr Vera Evtimov, Professor Richard Boyd

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Examples of Research Projects currently being undertaken by Cartherics PhD students

Re-engineering the function of natural killer cell receptors via CRISPR/Cas9: a new approach for ‘off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy.

Supervisors: Professor Alan Trounson
Co-supervisor: Professor Richard Boyd, Dr Vera Evtimov, Dr Nicholas Boyd, Dr Roland Shu

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Translating Chimeric Antigen Receptor into Cutaneous T cell Lymphoma.

Supervisor: Professor Alan Trounson

Co-supervisor: Professor Richard Boyd, Dr Vera Evtimov

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Developing a clinically translatable iPSC-derived immunotherapy.

Supervisor: Professor Alan Trounson
Co-supervisor: Professor Richard Boyd, Dr Nicholas Boyd, Dr Vera Evtimov

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In vivo rejuvenation of both cancer specific and generic T cell immunity by genetically edited iPSC derived common lymphoid progenitor cells. (Commercial in Confidence, for further information on this project please contact Professor Alan Trounson)

Supervisor: Professor Alan Trounson
Co-supervisor: Professor Richard Boyd, Dr Walid Azar

The role of integrin linked kinase in senescence and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in colon cancer.

Supervisor: Professor Bryan Williams
Co-supervisor: Dr Afsar Ahmed, Professor Richard Boyd

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For further information contact

Professor Graham Jenkin
Education Director, Cartherics
graham.jenkin@monash.edu