Sarah-Jane Dawson is an Australian clinician-scientist. She is a consultant medical

oncologist Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

and head of the Molecular Biomarkers and Translational Genomics Laboratory at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. Her current research interests are focused on the development of noninvasive blood-based biomarkers ('

liquid biopsies A liquid biopsy, also known as fluid biopsy or fluid phase biopsy, is the sampling and analysis of non-solid biological tissue, primarily blood. Like traditional biopsy, this type of technique is mainly used as a diagnostic and monitoring tool for ...

') for clinical application, including early detection, risk stratification and disease monitoring in cancer management.

Education

Dawson obtained her medical degree from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

in 1998, and trained as a medical oncologist in Melbourne, Australia. She completed her PhD at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

and performed postdoctoral studies at the Cambridge Research Institute, UK. She returned to Melbourne in 2014 to lead a research laboratory at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Dawson was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2020.

Scientific profile

Dawson has international recognition for her contributions to translational cancer research. A major focus of her current research involves the study of cell-free circulating tumour DNA in patients with cancer. Many cancers shed small amounts of DNA (called circulating tumour DNA) into the patient's bloodstream which can be measured for clinical applications in cancer management. Dawson's recent research has shown the application of circulating tumour DNA testing for disease monitoring in various cancer types. She has received ongoing support from high-profile Australian organisations including the

National Health and Medical Research Council The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. It was the eighth largest research funding body in the world in 2016, and NHMRC-funded rese ...

(NHMRC), National Breast Cancer Foundation, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society and Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson works with her husband Professor Mark Dawson and the clinician team to develop a simple blood test which is a liquid biopsy to monitor blood cancers and it is the alternative way to the traditional biopsies which can be invasive bone marrow or lymph node tissue biopsies. Sarah-Jane with her husband Prof. Dawson and the clinician team have also identified the evidence that the cancer stem cells develops resistance to therapies which helps the development of the effectiveness of new drugs.

Awards

# Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson was awarded AAHMS Jian Zhou Medal in 2020. # Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson has won 2018 CSL Centenary Fellow.

Selected publications

2013 Dawson SJ, Tsui D, Murtaza M, Biggs, H, Rueda OM, Chin, SF, Dunning MJ, Gale, D, Forshew T, Mahler-Araujo B, Rajan S, Humphray S, Becq J, Halshall D, Wallis M, Bentley D, Caldas C, Rosenfeld N. Analysis of Circulating Tumor DNA to Monitor Metastatic Breast Cancer. March 28, 2013; 368:1199-1209

References

External links

Selected Publications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawson, Sarah-Jane Living people Australian medical researchers University of Melbourne alumni Alumni of the University of Cambridge Year of birth missing (living people) Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences