Francois Rwandamuriye

Dr. Francois Rwandamuriye is an Honorary Research Fellow at the UWA Medical School and UWA Centre for Child Health Research (affiliated with The Kids Research Institute Australia), and a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Science at The University of Western Australia. His research focuses on translational cancer research, particularly in developing mRNA-based immunotherapies for solid cancers using pre-clinical surgical models, drug delivery systems, and biomaterials.

His primary research interests include cancer immunotherapy, mRNA vaccines, drug delivery systems, and biomaterials for preventing cancer recurrence. Dr. Rwandamuriye specializes in the development of intraoperative immunotherapies, such as poly(I:C)-releasing hydrogels, and the use of TLR agonists to stimulate systemic anti-tumor immunity. His work bridges surgical oncology and immunology to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments and prevent recurrence after tumor resection.

Recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on combining surgical techniques with novel immunotherapies. His research explores the use of biomaterials for controlled release of immunomodulators, the optimization of intraoperative delivery, and the mechanisms by which local therapies induce systemic immune responses. This work has significant implications for the treatment of solid tumors, including sarcomas and other cancers prone to recurrence.

Dr. Rwandamuriye's scientific achievements have been recognized with the Raine Research Prize in 2024, awarded for his PhD research published in Cell Reports Medicine.

• Raine Research Prize (2024)

He has secured competitive research funding as Chief Investigator, including:

• Cure Cancer Australia grant
• Cancer Council project grant

These grants support his work on mRNA-based immunotherapies and biomaterial-assisted drug delivery systems. Dr. Rwandamuriye collaborates with multidisciplinary teams at the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases and The Kids Research Institute Australia to translate laboratory findings into clinical applications.