Stacey L. Edwards

I am an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Functional Cancer Genomics Group at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. My research focuses on understanding how genetic variation contributes to cancer risk and progression. My laboratory is particularly interested in translating the findings of cancer GWAS, including identification of functional risk variants, connecting these variants to their target genes and understanding how these novel genes contribute to cellular phenotypes associated with cancer development. The scientific impact of my research is demonstrated by high profile publications in Nature, Nat Genet and Am J Hum Genet. This research has also been internationally recognised, as evidenced by a landmark review published in the Am J Hum Genet (2013, >385 cit). The success of these studies has revolutionised our understanding of the pathways to cancer. Indeed, we have already identified molecular pathways that were not known to play a role in cancer that are suitable targets for drug repositioning or drug development. These outcomes will pave the way for future clinical trials for cancer prevention or treatment.