HDR Student Conference

Key Note Speaker

A/Professor Marie Ranson
Science Faculty, UOW

Associate Professor Marie Ranson
BSc (Hons, Biochemistry), PhD, VC's Award for Excellence in Research Supervision recipient
Cancer Institute NSW Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong

Marie Ranson established her cancer biology lab within the School of Biological Sciences since her academic appointment in 1999. She is currently a Cancer Institute NSW Fellow and has now established an international reputation for her work on the role of the urokinase plasminogen activation system in tumour invasion and metastasis.
An important application of her research is the development of a rational biological basis for the development of targeted anti-cancer drugs. In addition, she directs a locally based integrated cancer research program encompassing various research disciplines aimed at the identification and rapid assessment of potential new targets and therapy strategies.

In the last 4 years she has expanded her research activities to investigate the part played by the plasminogen activation system in streptococcal infection. Marie has published over 38 refereed papers, reviews and chapters, and is a significant inventor on four patents. She has had high national and international competitive grant successes winning over $2,500,000 in external grant funding.

Marie has supervised 9 PhD, 2 Masters, and 18 Honours research students to completion and is currently supervising 4 PhD and 4 Honours students. Several of her Ph.D. students have been awarded best poster prizes at both national and International meetings. One of her recently completed PhD students, David Croucher, won the Premiers Award for Cancer Institute NSW Outstanding Research Scholar for 2006. In April 2007 she was awarded the University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Supervision.

Last reviewed: 12 September, 2007