OCRF L’Oreal Paris Research Fellow
Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers/Steroid Receptor Biology
Hudson Institute for Medical Research

Dr. Simon Chu completed his PhD at Prince Henry’s Institute (PHI) in 2005. His studies focused on the roles of the estrogen receptor in the pathogenesis of a subset of ovarian tumours, and in particular, the impact that molecular signalling pathways of the cell have on this receptor. After gaining his PhD, Dr. Chu continued his work at PHI, examining the consequences of blocking this mechanism using new therapeutic compounds to explore whether this might lead to a new chemotherapeutic approach to treating this disease.

In 2007, Dr Chu left PHI to take up a postdoctoral position at the Pasteur Institute located in Cambodia, where he helped develop a new molecular technique to investigate the incidence of exposure to avian influenza in the human population in that country.

On his return to Australia in April 2009, Dr Chu joined PHI as the OCRF L’Oreal Paris Australia Research Fellow. His work focuses on the underlying causes of the more common type of ovarian cancer, as well as the less common granulosa cell tumour of the ovary. He is currently investigating an exciting potential therapeutic option for treating these cancers, using a combination treatment that targets two important biological pathways in the cancer cells. This presents a new chemotherapeutic approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer.