Dr. Claire Sun, an AI expert at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, has been awarded a prestigious Children's Cancer CoLab Mid-Career Researcher Future Leader Fellowship. This funding, totaling $619,926 over three years, will significantly boost Dr. Sun's groundbreaking research using AI and epigenetics to develop safer, targeted treatments for childhood brain tumors. These tumors are the leading cause of disease-related death in Australian children, and traditional treatments often fail due to the biological differences between childhood and adult cancers. Dr. Sun leads the Computational Therapeutic Discovery Group at Hudson Institute, focusing on the epigenome, the layer of chemical switches that control gene expression.
Dr. Sun's project, which leverages the Childhood Cancer Model Atlas (CCMA), the world's largest open-source collection of pediatric cancer cell lines, aims to map the epigenome, identify functional targets, and predict therapies using AI. The project will also result in a new clinician decision-support platform, CCMA-EPIC, to help oncologists interpret patient tumor profiles in real-time. This platform is co-designed with patient and family advisors, ensuring that the research is centered around the needs and priorities of the patient community.
The project's findings will be integrated into Australia's ZERO Childhood Cancer Program and shared globally through partnerships like the Children's Brain Tumour Network, ensuring a significant international impact. Dr. Sun's work is a testament to the power of AI in healthcare and the importance of patient-centered research. Her dedication to improving the survival and quality of life for children with cancer is a beacon of hope for the future of pediatric oncology.
