Projects per year
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Biography
Professor Ron Firestein, MD PhD - Hudson Institute of Medical Research
Professor Firestein is a physician scientist, double board certified in Pathology (Anatomic and Molecular Genetics) specialising in Cancer Research, Oncology Translational Medicine and Oncology Drug Discovery and Biomarker Development.
Dr Firestein earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Biology and his MD/PhD from Stanford University as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) in 2002. He completed residency in Anatomic Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and fellowship in Molecular Pathology at Harvard Medical School, where he received the Thomas Gil award for excellence in research.
Prior to joining the Hudson Institute in August 2015 as head of the Centre for Cancer Research, Assoc. Prof Firestein led a basic research lab and directed clinical translational research spanning from experimental (early discovery) across Phase I/II early clinical biomarker/companion diagnostics development. His basic research focuses on target ID/validation and molecular pathology of colon cancer, using NGS technologies and state of the art functional high throughput screens. His scientific work has resulted in peer reviewed high impact publications (including Nature, Cancer Cell, Cell, and Journal of Clinical Investigation) as well as ten patents.
TOP 5 PUBLICATIONS
Sun CX, Daniel P, Bradshaw G, Shi H, Loi M, Chew N, Parackal S, Tsui V, Liang Y, Koptyra M, Adjumain S, Sun C, Chong WC, Fernando D, Drinkwater C, Tourchi M, Habarakada Dilru, Sooraj D, Carvalho D, Storm PB, Baubet V, Sayles LC, Fernandez E, Nguyen T, Pörksen M, Doan Anh, Crombie D, Panday M, Zhukova N, Dun MD, Ludlow LE, Day B, Stringer B, Neeman N, Rubens J, Hutton Raabe E, Vinci M, Tyrrell V, Fletcher JI, Ekert PG, Dumevska B, Ziegler DS, Tsoli M, Syed Sulaiman NF, Loh AHP, Low SYY, Sweet-Cordero EA, Monje M, Resnick A, Jones C, Downie P, Williams B, Rosenbluh J, Gough D, Cain JE, Firestein R. Generation and Multi-Dimensional Profiling of a Childhood Cancer Cell Line Atlas Defines New Therapeutic Opportunities. Cancer Cell, 42:660-677. 2023.
Dannappel MV, Zhu D, Sun X, Chua HK, Poppelaars M, Suehiro M, Khadka S, Lim Kam Sian TC, Sooraj D, Loi M, Gao H, Croagh D, Daly RJ, Faridi P, Boyer T, Firestein R. CDK8 and CDK19 regulate intestinal differentiation and homeostasis via the chromatin remodeling complex SWI/SNF. J Clin Invest 132(20):e158593, 2022.
Sooraj D, Sun C, Doan A, Garama DJ, Dannappel MV, Zhu D, Chua HK, Mahara S, Wan Hassan WA, Tay YK, Guanizo A, Croagh D, Prodanovic Z, Gough DJ, Wan C, Firestein R. MED12 and BRD4 Cooperate to Sustain Cancer Growth Upon Loss of Mediator Kinase. Mol Cell 82:123-139.e7, 2022.
Wan C, Mahara S, Sun C, Doan A, Chua H, Xu D, Bian J, Li Y, Sooraj D, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J, Firestein R. Genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screen of Wnt/β-catenin signalling identifies therapeutic targets for Colorectal Cancer. Sci Adv 7:eabf2567, 2021.
McCleland M., Blaschke K., Chopra VS., Segal E., Watanabe C., Haley B., Mayba O., Yaylaoglu M., Firestein R. CCAT1 is an enhancer template RNA that predicts BET sensitivity in colorectal cancer. J. Clin. Invest. 2016; 126:639-52.
Related Links:
- Director, Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research
- Co-Director, Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consoritum
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):
Research area keywords
- Colon Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- cancer genetics
- functional genomics
- cancer therapeutics
- bowel malignancies
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Advancing Differentiation Therapy and Immunotherapy for Paediatric High-Grade Gliomas Through Targeted Epigenome Regulation
Wong, L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Firestein, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Faridi, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Cain, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Khuong-Quang, D.-A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Geraldine, O. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Dolcetti, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Ashley, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jones, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Collas, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Sun, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Daniel, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Ekert, P. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Eisenstat, D. D. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Lou, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Resnick, A. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Goldstein, R. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Danaher, T. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Lucas, D. D. (Associate Investigator (AI)), De Rose, R. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Jabado, N. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Mazzieri, R. (Associate Investigator (AI))
1/04/25 → 31/03/28
Project: Research
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Targeting the cancer epigenome for therapy
Firestein, R. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
1/01/24 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
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A data-driven approach to identify and progress new therapeutic targets for paediatric cancers
Sun, C. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Firestein, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wong, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Eisenstat, D. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Powell, D. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Resnick, A. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Ziegler, D. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Koptyra, M. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Nguyen, T. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Danaher, T. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Josefsson, C. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Goldstein, R. (Partner Investigator (PI))
2/01/23 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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Travel to attend the International Society Neuro-oncology 21st International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO)
Adjumain, S. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Firestein, R. (Supervisor)
29/06/24 → 2/07/24
Project: Research
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NHMRC Equipment Grant - Acid-Resistant CentriVap Centrifugal Vacuum Concen
Faridi, P. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Firestein, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Chu, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Schittenhelm, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Lim, T. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/11/23 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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Generation and multi-dimensional profiling of a childhood cancer cell line atlas defines new therapeutic opportunities
Sun, C. X., Daniel, P., Bradshaw, G., Shi, H., Loi, M., Chew, N., Parackal, S., Tsui, V., Liang, Y., Koptyra, M., Adjumain, S., Sun, C., Chong, W. C., Fernando, D., Drinkwater, C., Tourchi, M., Habarakada, D., Sooraj, D., Carvalho, D. & Storm, P. B. & 36 others, , 10 Apr 2023, In: Cancer Cell. 41, 4, p. 660-677.e7 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
28 Citations (Scopus) -
ONC201 in Combination with Paxalisib for the Treatment of H3K27-Altered Diffuse Midline Glioma
Jackson, E. R., Duchatel, R. J., Staudt, D. E., Persson, M. L., Mannan, A., Yadavilli, S., Parackal, S., Game, S., Chong, W. C., Jayasekara, W. N. S., Le Grand, M., Kearney, P. S., Douglas, A. M., Findlay, I. J., Germon, Z. P., McEwen, H. P., Beitaki, T. S., Patabendige, A., Skerrett-Byrne, D. A. & Nixon, B. & 28 others, , Jul 2023, In: Cancer Research. 83, 14, p. 2421-2437 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access33 Citations (Scopus) -
Pediatric glioma histone H3.3 K27M/G34R mutations drive abnormalities in PML nuclear bodies
Voon, H. P. J., Hii, L., Garvie, A., Udugama, M., Krug, B., Russo, C., Chüeh, A. C., Daly, R. J., Morey, A., Bell, T. D. M., Turner, S. J., Rosenbluh, J., Daniel, P., Firestein, R., Mann, J. R., Collas, P., Jabado, N. & Wong, L. H., Dec 2023, In: Genome Biology. 24, 1, 27 p., 284.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access13 Citations (Scopus) -
The children's brain tumor network (CBTN) - Accelerating research in pediatric central nervous system tumors through collaboration and open science
Lilly, J. V., Rokita, J. L., Mason, J. L., Patton, T., Stefankiewiz, S., Higgins, D., Trooskin, G., Larouci, C. A., Arya, K., Appert, E., Heath, A. P., Zhu, Y., Brown, M. A., Zhang, B., Farrow, B. K., Robins, S., Morgan, A. M., Nguyen, T. Q., Frenkel, E. & Lehmann, K. & 80 others, , Jan 2023, In: Neoplasia. 35, 7 p., 100846.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
Open Access37 Citations (Scopus) -
CDK8 and CDK19 regulate intestinal differentiation and homeostasis via the chromatin remodeling complex SWI/SNF
Dannappel, M. V., Zhu, D., Sun, X., Chua, H. K., Poppelaars, M., Suehiro, M., Khadka, S., Lim Kam Sian, T. C. C., Sooraj, D., Loi, M., Gao, H., Croagh, D., Daly, R. J., Faridi, P., Boyer, T. G. & Firestein, R., 17 Oct 2022, In: The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 132, 20, 15 p., e158593.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access5 Citations (Scopus)