Cancer is a disease where abnormal cells proliferate in an uncontrolled fashion. It is a disease that can develop within almost every part of the human body and affects thousands of Australians every year.
Cancers are named based on where they originate in the body, even if that cancer then spreads elsewhere. The most common cancer diagnosed in men is prostate cancer (originating in the prostate), and in women, breast cancer. Colorectal cancer, melanoma, lung cancer and lymphoma are the next most common cancers in both men and women.
Our cancer researchers tackle the mysteries of cancer from a number of different perspectives. Some carry out research into specific cancers, such as cancer of the lung, bowel, endometrium, brain, bladder and stomach. Others investigate the role that innate immunity, specific proteins and cancer stem cells play in the onset and development of the disease.
Importantly, our Phase I Clinical Trials Program provides researchers with the potential to translate laboratory findings into new cancer therapies for patients.
2024 Cancer Immunology Group L-R: Ms Jessica Wu, Dr Gwo Yaw Ho, Ms Anh Doan
Our Vision
Our vision is to revolutionise cancer treatment by harnessing the power of precision immunotherapy. We aim to transform the lives of patients with aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers by developing innovative research platforms and delivering personalised medical approaches. By integrating cutting-edge immunology, genomics, and translational science, we strive to bring next-generation therapies from bench to bedside—tailored to the unique biology of each patient’s tumour and immune system.
About the Cancer Immunology Group
The Cancer Immunology Group, led by Dr Gwo-Yaw Ho, is committed to advancing precision cancer immunotherapy through a multidisciplinary approach that bridges discovery science with clinical translation. Our research is anchored around three core pillars: neoantigen discovery, humanised tumour modelling, and live-biobanking.
We focus on identifying immunogenic, HLA-presented tumour neoantigens—unique peptides derived from cancer-specific mutations and presented on the tumour cell surface. These neoantigens are prime targets for T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies, enabling selective recognition and elimination of cancer cells. Using a bespoke platform, we match these neoantigens with high-affinity TCRs and engineer them into immune effector cells for highly individualised immunotherapy.
To support pre-clinical validation and translational development, we have established advanced humanised patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models that integrate human immune components and faithfully recapitulate tumour-immune dynamics. These models allow us to functionally test and refine therapeutic strategies before moving into early-phase clinical trials.
Underpinning this research ecosystem is our Monash Live-Biobanking (MoLBi) platform, which enables real-time collection and processing of fresh tumour biospecimens across multiple cancer types. The platform preserves tumour viability for downstream applications including organoid and PDX generation, multi-omics profiling, and immunopeptidomic analysis. Our flagship sub-programs, including Brain on MoLBi, focus on hard-to-treat tumours such as glioblastoma, supporting the development of future personalised immunotherapies in these historically understudied diseases.
Together, these integrated capabilities place the Cancer Immunology Group at the forefront of personalised oncology, driving forward a new paradigm in cancer treatment centred on precision, immunogenicity, and translational impact.
Group Head
Dr Gwo Yaw Ho
Dr Gwo Yaw Ho is a clinician-scientist based at the School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, and a Senior Medical Oncologist at Monash Health. His research focuses on the discovery of immunogenic, cancer-specific tumour neoantigens and the development of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from fresh tumour tissue, which are integrated into the Monash Live-Biobanking (MoLBi) platform to support translational immunotherapy development.
During his PhD (completed in 2019 at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) and subsequent postdoctoral work, Dr Ho demonstrated that cancer neoantigens could be identified even in ovarian cancers with low tumour mutational burden. His research showed that targeting these antigens with a cancer vaccine approach could suppress tumour growth in pre-clinical models. Building on this work, his team is now developing NeoTCR-CD8+ T cells—engineered T cells directed against specific cancer neoantigens—as a form of precision, cell-based immunotherapy for treatment-resistant cancers.
Dr Ho’s integrated research program combines neoantigen discovery, humanised pre-clinical modelling, and live-biobanking infrastructure to accelerate the development of highly personalised immunotherapies for solid tumours with limited treatment options.
Lab Manager Ms Anh Doan completed her MRepSci in 2006, investigating the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into lung epithelial lineage and started working as a Research Assistant since 2007. She was heavily involved in different genomic projects including CRISPR pooled library for loss of function gene knockout and library preparation for sequencing. The projects Ms Doan is involved in are translational based, hence generates organoids from human samples for downstream applications. Her other techniques include isolation of exosomes, primary cortical neurons, and cardiomyocytes. Ms Doan's key research interests include stem cells, and neuroscience.
Project Manager Ms Janet Chang manages the Monash Live-Biobanking (MoLBi) platform, bringing extensive experience in research project coordination and management. With a strong background in clinical and translational research, Janet plays a pivotal role in overseeing the operational aspects of the MoLBi project, ensuring smooth collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
Research Assistant & PhD Candidate Ms Jessica Wu completed her BBiomedSc (Honours) in 2022, investigating the potential of cancer vaccines targeting mutant tumour neoantigens using patient-derived xenograft models. She joined the Cancer Immunology Laboratory as a Research Assistant shortly after and is currently undertaking a PhD in the Cell Therapy Group, co-supervised by Dr Gwo Yaw Ho. Jessica's research focuses on developing personalised T-cell based therapies targeting tumour-specific neoantigens. Her key technical skills include animal modelling, immune cell cultures, tumour imaging, and in vivo assessment of immunotherapies.
Dr Christian Orlowski is a medical oncologist at Monash Health and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University. He brings expertise in translational oncology, molecular profiling, and early-phase clinical trials. Christian completed his PhD at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, where he studied epigenetic responses in embryonic stem cells. His current research focuses on biomarker discovery and integrating precision oncology into clinical trial development, particularly in chemo-resistant cancers. Within the lab, he contributes to protocol design, biospecimen collection, and multi-omics analysis to inform targeted therapy strategies.
Technical Assistant Mr Khoi Ly is a third-year Bachelor of Science student at Monash University, majoring in Immunology. He is currently contributing to the “Brain on MoLBi” platform, where he assists with processing brain tumour specimens and isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patient samples. Khoi brings strong laboratory skills developed through coursework and an industry placement project focused on developing novel therapies for adult granulosa cell tumours. He is passionate about translational research and brings precision and integrity to his work in the lab.
Lung cancer research group, headed by Associate Professor Surein Arulananda, is focused on understanding and developing novel strategies to manage minimal residual disease in oncogene driven lung cancers.
Group Head
A/Prof Surein Arulananda
A/Prof Surein Arulananda has a special interest in thoracic malignancies and is Primary Investigator (including Australian lead) on multiple Phase I to III commercial, collaborative and academic studies. He is the associate editor for the Journal of Thoracic Oncology Clinical Research Reports published by the IASLC. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts, been an invited speaker both nationally and internationally and has been successful at competitive grant funding. He is the Small cell lung cancer and Mesothelioma scientific committee co-chair for TOGA and IASLC Basic and Translational Science committee member. He has completed a Master of Business Administration in 2024 through the University of Melbourne and in his spare time enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying the culinary and wine delights Melbourne has on offer.