Delia Nelson

Dr. Delia Nelson is an Associate Professor at Curtin University, working within the Curtin Medical School under the Faculty of Health Sciences. She holds a position as Senior Research Fellow/Senior Lecturer with the School of Biomedical Sciences and serves as Chairperson for the CHIRI Pathogenesis and Disease Management Program of Research since May 2012. Her office is located in Room 119 of the Health Sciences Building (Building 305) on the Curtin Perth campus.

Dr. Nelson earned her Bachelor of Science with Honours (double major in Microbiology and Organic Chemistry) from the University of Western Australia (UWA), followed by her PhD from UWA. Her early research was conducted at the TVW Telethon Institute For Child Health Research (TICHR) in Perth, Western Australia, where she developed an interest in asthma and allergy before transitioning to cancer immunology.

Dr. Nelson's research focuses on understanding how the immune system interacts with progressing solid tumours and developing immune-based therapies, gene therapies, and vascular-targeting therapies to treat solid tumours. She is particularly interested in how nutrition, especially lipids, minerals and metals, impacts healthy and anti-tumour immunity. Her work bridges fundamental immunology with translational cancer research, with a special emphasis on the effects of aging on immune responses to cancer. She has made significant contributions to understanding the role of macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in mesothelioma.

Analysis of Dr. Nelson's publication record reveals a consistent research trajectory focused on tumor immunology with increasing emphasis on aging-related immune changes. Her most recent work demonstrates how aging affects various immune cell populations and how these changes impact tumor progression and response to immunotherapy. She has pioneered approaches to modulate the tumor microenvironment to enhance treatment efficacy, particularly in elderly patients.

Dr. Nelson has received numerous prestigious awards throughout her career, including:

• Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science of the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia (December 2010)
• 'Outstanding Merit Award' for the best paper published in International Immunology (April 2009)
• Australian Lung Foundation Mesothelioma Research Award (March 2006)
• Today's Life Science Young Investigator Award (December 1992)
• Foundation Fellowship from the Australian Federation of University Women (June 1989)
• Bond Brewing Western Australia Tertiary Award for best Honors student (December 1988)

Dr. Nelson has successfully supervised numerous graduate students, including PhD candidates S. Mukherjee, C. Jackaman, C. Bundell, A. Sherwood, B. Koloska, S. Cornwall, and J. Gardner. She has also mentored over fifteen Honors students, most receiving first-class honors. Her research is supported by significant funding from organizations including the Cancer Council of Western Australia, NH&MRC, the Australian Lung Foundation, the American-based Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), and the Dust Diseases Board of NSW. She serves as an invited reviewer for numerous international journals and funding bodies.

As Chairperson for the CHIRI Pathogenesis and Disease Management Program of Research, Dr. Nelson leads a multidisciplinary team focused on understanding disease mechanisms. She is actively involved in the Perth Mesothelioma Centre and has held leadership positions in the Australasian Society for Immunology, including serving on the national conference committee and chairing the Tumour Immunology Workshop in 2010. Her collaborative research extends internationally, with connections to institutions in the United States and Europe.