Dodie Pouniotis

Associate Professor Dodie Pouniotis is an Associate Dean of Student Experience and a faculty member in the School of Medical Sciences at RMIT University. She holds a NHMRC Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellowship and has extensive research experience in cancer immunology, tumor microenvironment dynamics, and vaccine development. Her work focuses on macrophage function, tumor stroma interactions, and translational research in lung and endometrial cancers.

Education & Previous Roles:

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (NHMRC)
• Honorary Lecturer at Monash University
• Research Associate at Burnet Institute and Austin Health

Teaching & Supervision: Coordinates pathology, histology, and immunology courses. Supervises PhD/Masters students in projects like polyphenol-rich sugarcane extract immunomodulation and nanostructured cancer biomaterials.

Research Collaborations: Active partnerships with Burnet Institute, Mercy Hospital for Women, and the Institute for Breathing and Sleep. Specializes in immune cell interactions in cancer progression and metastasis.

Awards:

• NHMRC Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008–2011)
• Best Scientist Prize (Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, 2005)
• Multiple travel grants for international research collaboration

Key Projects: Investigates tumor immunology using self-assembling peptide scaffolds, gold nanoparticle radiotherapy enhancement, and novel cancer biomaterials.