Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Unlike many cancers, prostate cancer develops over decades, but when it spreads beyond the gland to other parts of the body, and no longer responds to the usual hormone therapies, there are very limited treatment options for the patients. "That is where our research is focused; we are trying to develop something for men who have end-stage disease.' Androgen-deprivation therapy is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread. It is effectively castration by drugs, depriving the body of the hormones that fuel tumour growth. Although it's effective, some cells always remain. "In some patients, they eventually regrow and they are lethal,' Gail says. Those are the cells she wants to target. In the past, oestrogen therapy came with dreadful side effects but Gail sees great promise in the carefully designed hormones it is now possible to make. 'We have just found a way that oestrogens might be used to effectively target those cells, working differently to the old therapies, without the bad side effects.' With the collaboration of urologists, oncologists and other clinicians, the discovery is being tested on human tissue specimens. Work on benign disease is just as important because it affects so many men. Although current drugs can be effective, many men have surgery.'There is an irony in the focus on prostate cancer, because most men, if they live long enough, will develop benign disease and yet relatively less research dollars and time are devoted to this aspect of prostate health, and we could do much better.' In both diseases, for example, stopping regeneration is important: in benign disease to prevent enlargement of the prostate, and in cancer to prevent growth of tumour cells. 'In both of those instances, we think that oestrogens can be useful,' Gail says. Although she notes that many myths exist about the complementary (or herbal) medicines often taken for benign disease, some have components that function like oestrogens. More knowledge of the mechanisms involved could lead to better, more potent drugs. 'There will come a time when we have to marry what we're doing with new drugs and what is known in traditional medicine to be effective,' 'Can what we do give some validity to using these complementary medicines? "That's a tough question but we've thought a lot about it." Prostate disease predominantly affects older men, but work on it is very much a forward-looking enterprise and Gail puts much emphasis on the need to train the next generation of experts. "This is not a disease that's going to be cured overnight." "We need a workforce of scientists and clinicians to continue the research."
Biography
Professor Gail Risbridger gained her PhD in Moash University, Melbourne Australia.
As head of an internationally recognized research team of scientists and clinicians working on prostate cancer and Andrology related projects, I am one of Australia’s leading prostate cancer researchers, with particular interest in the biology of stromal-epithelial cell interactions in normal and tumour tissue using tissue recombination, animal and human specimens. I pioneered the use of stem cells for recombination studies combining stem cell biology with endocrinology.
I hold a PhD and am a Distinguished Professor at Monash University and Sir Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. My multidisciplinary program is centered on using patient specimens to improve translation of research discoveries to the clinic. As a Senior Fulbright Scholar, I studied cell differentiation and stem cell biology reporting the formation of human prostate by directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Applying this approach to cancer tissues, I successfully created one of the world’s largest cohorts of prostate cancer PDXs that underpin my research discoveries and their translation. This is a significant advance or the field that has been hampered for decades by a paucity of models and tools to generate and translate new knowledge.
As a Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Freemason’s Foundation Center for Men’s Health (FFCMH) since 2007, which is a partnership of the University of Adelaide and the Freemason’s Foundation and aims to develop programs that will further our understanding of that works in practice for men with regards to their health. Its mission is to pursue innovation research programs, significantly improve health services, deliver evidence-based training and disseminate the latest health information and education resources in order to enable men to live longer, healthier and happier lives.
As an Executive Management Committee Member, I have provided oversight to all activities of Andrology Australia, a Federal Government Centre of Excellence in Male Reproductive Health and given advice to the Advisory Board. It conducts and promotes research to enhance the reproductive health of Australian men and provides professional and community education. Andrology Australia had a key role in development of the National Men’s Health Policy and has taken a lead role in establishing a Men’s Longitudinal Health Study”. In 2010, a National Men’s Health Policy was launched by the Federal Government.
My international reputation as a leader in using patient specimens is a key feature of my capacity to translate research outcomes. I use patient specimen to pre-clinically test the efficacy o new and emerging targeted therapies on individual patient specimens. In doing so, I use models that are clinically relevant to the study of human disease.
My reputation as a world leader in pre-clinical studies is central to may capacity to translate research discoveries into outcomes that influence practice and guide and inform clinical trials. I use contemporary patient specimens to test the efficacy of new therapies and in doing so, these models are clinically relevant to the study of human disease. I established and am Executive Chair of the Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), which will provide novel PDXs for this study. I have made key contributions to research translation including development of National Men’s Health policy 2010 (through the influential lead of Andrology Australia; DoHA Centre of Excellence); improvements to Men’s health practices (Freemason’s Foundation for Men’s Health); improved integration, collaboration, and communication between PCFA and its community and professional stakeholders via PCFA State Board membership. I have >280 publications in elite journals (Science Translational Medicine, Nature Protocols, Nature Cancer Reviews, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Communications, PNAS), in top-tier specialty journals (European Urology, Biomaterials, Cancer Research, J Pathology, Stem Cells, Nature Reviews Urology) and in high-ranking journal (Clinical Cancer Research, J Pathology, Prostate, Endocrinology).
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Head & Group Leader, Prostate Cancer Research Program, Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
2016 → …
Executive Committee, Member, Monash Health
2015 → …
Assigner’s Panel, Member , National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2015 → 2016
Research Director, Cancer & Blood Diseases Theme, Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre (known as MPCCC)
2015 → …
Laureate Awards Committee, Member, The Endocrine Society
2014 → …
Director, Epworth Foundation (trading as Epworth HealthCare)
2013 → 2016
Research Translation Faculty Steering Group, Cancer Control, Member, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2013
Project Grants Grant Review Panel, Member, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2013
Board Member, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
2013 → …
South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Beat Cancer Advisory Group
2012 → …
Chair, Fulbright Scholarship Victorian Selection Panel
2012
Research Fellowship Review Panel Member, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2012
Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) & Monash Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MCCC) Joint Council, Member
2012 → 2014
Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) Management Committee, Member
2012 → 2014
Ambassador for Promotion of Cancer Research, European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
2012
Council Member, Monash Partners
2012 → …
Victorian Selection Panel, ANZ Trustees Medical Advisory Committee
2010 → …
Chair, Australian Women in Endocrinology
2010 → 2012
Member of ANZUP Committee: Prostate Cancer & Renal Cell Cancer, Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP)
2010 → …
Project Grant Review Panel, Chair, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2010
Annual Meeting Steering Committee, Basic Science Chair for ENDO 2011, The Endocrine Society
2010 → 2011
Scientific and Educational Programs Core Committee (SCIED) as Basic Science Chair for ENDO 2011, Member, The Endocrine Society
2010 → 2011
Executive Committee, Chair, Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC)
2009 → …
Academy Member, (Cancer Biology) , National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2009 → …
CRC Asthma & Airways, Co-operative Research Centre for Asthma, Director & Board Member
2008 → 2014
Communications Committee, Member, Women in Endocrinology
2008 → 2010
Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, Cancer Council Victoria
2007 → …
Co-Chair Scientific Advisory Group, Freemason's Foundation Centre for Men's Health
2007 → …
Member, Fulbright Scholarship Victorian Selection Panel
2007 → 2012
Career Development Awards Panel, Chair, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2006 → 2009
Annual Meeting Steering Committee, Member, The Endocrine Society
2006 → 2008
Executive Committee of Management, Australian Prostate Cancer Consortium (APCC)
2005 → …
Grant Review Panels: Endocrinology, Cancer Biology, Genetics & Development , Member, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
2005 → 2008
Scientific Advisory Group, Executive Member, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
2005 → 2007
Board Member, Chair, US Women in Endocrinogy
2005
Awards Committee, Member, Women in Endocrinology
2005 → 2011
Postgraduate Student Committee, Chair, Monash Institute for Medical Research
2001 → 2006
Andrology Australia, Centre for Excellence in Male Reproductive Health, Member of Board & Executive Management Committee
2000 → …
Discipline Panel for Endocrinology & Reproduction, Chair, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1998 → 2000
Advisory Board Subcommittee for Commercialisation, Member, Monash Institute for Medical Research
1997 → 2003
Strategic Planning Committee, Member, Monash Institute for Medical Research
1996 → 1998
Assigner’s Panel Member, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1995 → 1997
Council Member & Secretary, Endocrine Society of Australia
1994 → 1998
NH&MRC Regional Grants Interviewing Committee , National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1991 → 1997
Research area keywords
- Activin
- Differentiation
- Inhibin
- Leydig Cells
- Tumours
- Cancer
- Cancer Biology
- Cancer/Carcinogenesis
- Stromal Cells
- Experimental Models
- Immune-Deficient Models
- Endocrinology
- Prostate
- Oestrogen Action
- Prostate cancer
- Prostate stem cell
Network
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Pre-clinical testing of emerging prostate cancer therapies
Risbridger, G., Taylor, R., Lawrence, M. & Porter, L.
15/03/22 → 14/03/24
Project: Research
-
Developing novel CAR T cell therapy approaches to treat prostate cancer
Taylor, R., Porter, L., Trapani, J., Darcy, P., Neeson, P., Risbridger, G., Risbridger, G., Solomon, B. J., Azad, A. & Furic, L.
1/01/22 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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ComBATing lethal prostate cancer with combination Bipolar Androgen Therapy
Lawrence, M., Joshua, A., Ramm, S., Risbridger, G., Clark, A., Goode, D., Simpson, K. J., Brennen, W. N., Corey , E. & Nelson, P. S.
1/01/22 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Inherited Pathogenic Mutations in Prostate Cancer: The Next Generation
Taylor, R., Thorne, H. J., Frydenberg, M., Risbridger, G., Batra, J. & Schoch, W.
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
1/01/20 → 31/12/22
Project: Research
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Targeting lethal prostate cancer in its infancy
Risbridger, G., Clouston, D., Frydenberg, M. & Murphy, D. G.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1/01/20 → 31/12/22
Project: Research
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Germline BRCA2 mutations drive prostate cancers with distinct evolutionary trajectories
Taylor, R. A., Fraser, M., Livingstone, J., Espiritu, S. M. G., Thorne, H., Huang, V., Lo, W., Shiah, Y-J., Yamaguchi, T. N., Sliwinski, A., Horsburgh, S., Meng, A., Heisler, L. E., Yu, N., Yousif, F., Papargiris, M., Lawrence, M. G., Timms, L., Murphy, D. G., Frydenberg, M. & 8 others, , 9 Jan 2017, In: Nature Communications. 8, 10 p., 13671.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile125 Citations (Scopus) -
Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate can evade androgen deprivation, with emergence of castrate-tolerant cells
Porter, L. H., Hashimoto, K., Lawrence, M. G., Pezaro, C., Clouston, D., Wang, H., Papargiris, M., Thorne, H., Li, J., kConFab Investigators, Ryan, A., Norden, S., Moon, D., Bolton, D. M., Sengupta, S., Frydenberg, M., Murphy, D. G., Risbridger, G. P. & Taylor, R. A., 1 Jun 2018, In: BJU International. 121, 6, p. 971-978 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
27 Citations (Scopus) -
Enduring epigenetic landmarks define the cancer microenvironment
Pidsley, R., Lawrence, M. G., Zotenko, E., Niranjan, B., Statham, A., Song, J., Chabanon, R. M., Qu, W., Wang, H., Richards, M., Nair, S. S., Armstrong, N., Nim, H. T., Papargiris, M., Balanathan, P., French, H., Peters, T., Norden, S., Ryan, A., Pedersen, J. & 9 others, , 1 May 2018, In: Genome Research. 28, 5, p. 625-638 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile54 Citations (Scopus) -
Breast and prostate cancer: more similar than different
Risbridger, G. P., Davis, I. D., Birrell, S. N. & Tilley, W. D., 2010, In: Nature Reviews Cancer. 10, 3, p. 205 - 212 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other
164 Citations (Scopus) -
Androgen receptor enhancer amplification in matched patient-derived xenografts of primary and castrate-resistant prostate cancer
Porter, L. H., Bakshi, A., Pook, D., Clark, A., Clouston, D., Kourambas, J., MURAL investigators, Goode, D. L., Risbridger, G. P., Taylor, R. A. & Lawrence, M. G., Jun 2021, In: Journal of Pathology. 254, 2, p. 121-134 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
5 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Academic Links and Interchange Scheme Award, British Council
Risbridger, Gail (Recipient), 1991
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Asia & Oceania Medal - British Endocrine Society (for contributions to Endocrinology)
Risbridger, Gail (Recipient), 2006
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Australian Academy of Science Royal Society Exchange Program Award
Risbridger, Gail (Recipient), 1997
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Endocrine Society of Australia (ESA) Senior Plenary Award
Risbridger, Gail (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Finnish Academy Science Award - Visiting Scientist
Risbridger, Gail (Recipient), 1991
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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18th International Congress of Endocirnology (ICE) 2018
Gail Risbridger (Keynote/plenary speaker)
1 Dec 2018 → 4 Dec 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Vic VIP Trade 2018
Gail Risbridger (Invited speaker)
28 Mar 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Joint Annual Scientific Meetings of the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology 2017
Gail Risbridger (Speaker)
27 Aug 2017 → 30 Aug 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Victorian Government Program for Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development - AMED
Gail Risbridger (Invited speaker)
2 Oct 2017 → 4 Oct 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, University of Western Australia: Seminar Series
Gail Risbridger (Invited speaker)
31 Aug 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course