Professor Maria Kavallaris
PhD - University of New South Wales
B App Sci - University of Technology Sydney
Professor Maria Kavallaris AM is Founding Director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine at the University of New South Wales, Head of the Translational Cancer Nanomedicine Theme at the Children鈥檚 Cancer Institute and a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator. Maria is recognised for her innovation in driving multidisciplinary research in cancer nanomedicine. An outstanding scientific leader, she is internationally recognised for her research in cancer biology and therapeutics. Her research has identified clinically important mechanisms of resistance to cancer therapies, with her discoveries leading to patents, industry and clinical linkages for the development of cancer therapeutics and devices. Maria鈥檚 pioneering research has shown effective nanoparticle-based delivery of gene silencing material and chemotherapy, can reduce tumour growth in aggressive cancers.听
Maria is Chair of the Australian Institute for Policy and Science, and a Life Member and past-President of the Australian Society for Medical Research. The impact of her research has been recognised many times, including via receipt of the Australian Museum Eureka Prize, as well as being named by the NHMRC as an Australian 鈥榟igh achiever鈥 in health and medical research. Recognition of her significant contributions to innovation is reflected in her being named in 2015 amongst the AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence (Innovation category), as well as the inaugural Knowledge Nation 100 鈥 the 鈥榬ock stars鈥 of Australia's innovation-driven new economy, and she received the 2017 Premiers Science and Engineering Award for Leadership in Innovation in NSW. In 2019, she was awarded the Lemberg Medal, a prestigious award bestowed by ASBMB; and has won both the 2019 UTS Chancellor鈥檚 Excellence Award and the 2019 UTS Alumni Excellence Award for Science. She is an elected Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Royal Society of New South Wales. 听Maria was named the 2020 NSW Premier's Woman of the Year.听听听
A recognised medical research leader, she has been appointed on government funding panels including NHMRC Research Committee, NHMRC Women in Health Sciences Committee, and the Medical Research Future Fund Stem Cell Therapies Advisory Committee, where she contributes to high level policy. In 2019, Maria was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her significant service to medicine, and to medical research, in the field of childhood and adult cancers. Maria received the 2022 Presidential Medal for Outstanding Contributions, Republic of Cyprus.
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- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Outstanding track record of attracting competitive peer-reviewed research funding throughout career having secured more than $70 million in support either as lead or co-investigator. This includes lead Chief Investigator (CI) on an NHMRC Program Grant ($7M; 2016-21), NHMRC Investigator Grant ($2.45M; 2023-27), NHMRC Synergy Grant (2023-2027), co-CI ARC Centre of Excellence (2014-21), Cancer Australia (2020-22), NSW Cancer Council (2023-25), Tour de Cure (2022-24), and Neuroblastoma Australia (2023-24).
Professor Kavallaris has held numerous prestigious fellowships that include: IARC Cancer Research Training Award, NHMRC RD Wright Fellowship, NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship, NHMRC Principal Research Fellowship, and NHMRC Investigator.
Fellowships
2023-2027听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NHMRC Investigator (Level 3)
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2017-2021听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NHMRC Principal Research Fellowship
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2014-2018听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NHMRC Established Career Fellowship
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2009 鈥 2013听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship
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2004 鈥 2008听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NHMRC RD Wright Career Development Fellowship
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1996听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 International Agency for Research on Cancer, Cancer Research Training Fellowship*.听 World Health Organisation.听 Host: Prof. Susan B Horwitz, Department Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.听 *Highly competitive fellowship with only 13 awarded worldwide in 1995.
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Prizes/Awards
2022 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听 听听听听听听听听听听 Presidential Medal for Outstanding Contributions, Republic of Cyprus
2021听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology
2020听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 NSW Premier's Woman of the Year听
2019听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Lemberg Medal, ASBMB
2019听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听 UTS Chancellor鈥檚 Excellence Award听
2019听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听 UTS Alumni Excellence Award for Science
2019听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听 Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
2017听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听 Premier's Science and Engineering Prize for Leadership in Innovation in NSW
2015听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听听 AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence
2015听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淜nowledge Nation 100鈥澨 (Australia鈥檚 top 100 visionaries, intellects, founders and game changers who help shape the country鈥檚 future prosperity).
2015听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The Australian Financial Review & Westpac 鈥100 Women of Influence鈥 Award
2013听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NSInnovations People鈥檚 Choice Award and Division Finalist for the 鈥溾
2011听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 OEEGA International Women鈥檚 Day 鈥 Award for Excellence in the field of Scientific Research
2007听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Voiceless Research Which Replaces the Use of Animals or Animal Products 鈥 鈥淯nravelling the Enigma of Drug Resistance in Cancer鈥
2007听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听 听 听听 Visiting Professorship Awarded from the University of Marseille, France (all expenses paid)
2005听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Achievement Award International Women鈥檚 Day 鈥 in recognition of 鈥渆xtraordinary contributions to research鈥, Cyprus Community of NSW
2004听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Young Tall Poppy Award 鈥 recognises 鈥渁chievements of outstanding young researchers in the sciences and biomedical sciences鈥, Australian Institute of Policy and Science
2002听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Institute Award - Children鈥檚 Cancer Institute Australia for Outstanding Service in Pursuit of the Institute鈥檚 Vision
1998听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Leo & Jenny Leukaemia and Cancer Foundation Your Research of the Year.听 Finalist and Merit Certificate Awardee.
1998听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology Young Investigator Award 鈥 American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, New Orleans, March, 1998.听 Highly competitive award.
1997听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 B G Levanthal Scholar Award 鈥 Women in Cancer Research.听 American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, San Diego, CA, April 1997.听 Highly competitive award.
1996听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology Travel Award 鈥 American Association for Cancer Research Meeting, Washington DC, April 1996.听 Highly competitive.
1994听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 NSW State Cancer Council Travel Grant.听
1990听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Tow Research Prize 鈥 Coast Medical Association Meeting, Prince Henry Hospital, NSW, Australia