Alistair Forrest

Professor Alistair Forrest is a Professor at the University of Western Australia based at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, serving as Associate Director Scientific and Co-Chair of the Research Leadership Team for the Genome Biology and Genetics Program and Cancer Program.

His educational background includes a BSc(Hons) in Biotechnology from Murdoch University (1993), a Masters in Information Technology from Queensland University of Technology, and a PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Queensland.

Professor Forrest's research bridges genomics, bioinformatics, and clinical oncology, with expertise in next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq, CAGE, ChIP-seq) to investigate mammalian transcriptional networks, non-coding RNA biology, and cancer biomarker discovery. His work focuses on translating basic genomic findings into clinical applications for identifying novel drug targets and diagnostic markers in cancers including mesothelioma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a dominant focus on cancer immunotherapy mechanisms, tumor microenvironment dynamics, and spatial transcriptomics. Key themes include immune checkpoint therapy response biomarkers, clonal lymphocyte expansion, macrophage-mediated tumor progression, and molecular pathways underlying drug resistance in solid tumors.

He has received significant recognition including:

• CJ Martin Fellowship
• Cancer Research Trust Senior Cancer Research Fellowship

Professor Forrest leads genomic research initiatives at the Perkins Institute, leveraging his experience from coordinating the international FANTOM5 consortium (250+ scientists across 20 countries) to advance cancer systems biology. His current work integrates multi-omics approaches with clinical collaborations to develop novel therapeutic strategies.