Jacqui McGovern

Dr. Jacqui McGovern is a Senior Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in the Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences. With a PhD and Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) both from QUT, she has established herself as an interdisciplinary researcher at the forefront of biomaterials and tissue engineering for cancer research.

Dr. McGovern specializes in developing in vitro and in vivo models of bone metastatic cancers (including breast and prostate cancer) and bone-resident tumours such as osteosarcoma and multiple myeloma. Her expertise in 3D tissue models of complex organs, particularly skin and bone, allows her to investigate fundamental interactions between cancer cells and the human bone microenvironment. This research has significant implications for improving the quality of life for patients affected by metastatic cancer.

Analysis of Dr. McGovern's publication record reveals a strong trajectory of high-impact research focused on humanized bone models for cancer studies. Her work spans multiple disciplines including tissue engineering, cancer biology, and biomaterials science, with particular emphasis on prostate cancer bone metastasis, osteosarcoma, and the role of bone marrow adipocytes in cancer progression. The interdisciplinary nature of her research bridges engineering, biology, and clinical applications.

Dr. McGovern has received significant research support from prestigious organizations:

• International Myeloma Foundation
• Cancer Australia
• Advance Queensland

As an academic supervisor, Dr. McGovern has guided numerous PhD and Master's students through their research journeys. Her current supervisions include projects on tissue engineering humanized rat models for osteosarcoma research and analysis of scaffold-based tissue engineering techniques. She has successfully completed supervisions on humanized bone sarcoma models, targeted therapeutic strategies against cancer bone metastasis, and convergence of bioengineering with orthopaedics and tumour biology. Her research is further supported by major grants including the Humanized Rat Models project (2021) and the ARC Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies (2019).

Dr. McGovern is actively involved with the Centre for Biomedical Technologies at QUT and collaborates extensively with Distinguished Professor Dietmar W Hutmacher and other researchers. Her laboratory work focuses on developing advanced biomaterial platforms and humanized animal models to study cancer-bone interactions and test novel therapeutic approaches. The integration of engineering principles with cancer biology represents the cutting-edge nature of her research program.