Kathryn Skelding

Associate Professor Kathryn Skelding is an Associate Dean (Education) in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at the University of Newcastle. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Science and has over a decade of experience in cancer research, focusing on understanding cancer cell biology, drug resistance, and developing targeted therapies. Her work spans leukaemia, brain cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, with a particular emphasis on BAALC protein and CaMKII signaling pathways. She has secured significant funding from bodies like the Hunter Medical Research Institute and Cancer Australia, and leads collaborations with clinical oncologists and industry partners like Newcastle Innovation.

Her research aims to translate findings into clinical applications, such as developing oncolytic viruses (e.g., CAVATAK) and novel inhibitors for BAALC. She has received awards for her contributions to translational research and innovation. Kathryn is also actively involved in academic administration, serving on editorial boards (BMC Cancer, Frontiers in Oncology) and committees like the Hunter Cancer Biobank.

Key achievements include identifying BAALC as a prognostic biomarker in leukaemia, advancing PARP inhibitors for haematological malignancies, and pioneering exosome-based biomarker research for prostate cancer. Her lab focuses on minimizing chemotherapy side effects through cancer-cell-specific therapies.