Dr. Robyn Ward

Biography

Professor Robyn Ward is the Director of the Translational Cancer Research Network and a Conjoint Professor at Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW. Between 2008 and 2014, she served as the Clinical Associate Dean of the Prince of Wales Clinical School and was the Head of the Adult Cancer Program at the Lowy Cancer Research Centre. She is a prominent researcher known for pioneering the concept of epigenetic changes, such as sequence changes in tumor suppressor genes, that predispose individuals to cancer development. Her initial work, published in Nature Genetics in 2004, elucidated cases of apparent Lynch syndrome by explaining the basis of constitutional epimutations rather than sequence mutations within the MLH1 gene. Subsequent studies in leading journals demonstrated the intergenerational inheritance of epigenetic defects in MLH1. Over the past 15 years, Professor Ward has significantly contributed to the understanding of genetic and epigenetic events in colorectal carcinogenesis, focusing on clinicopathological correlates such as microsatellite instability and CpG island methylation in bowel cancer. She has extensively examined genetic and epigenetic events in the progression from polyps to cancer, showcasing that cancers can arise from serrated polyps. Furthermore, she has applied her expertise in oncology and cancer biology to assess the effectiveness of targeted cancer therapies.

Research Interests