Major research programs in the Prostate Cancer Research Group include:

• Aberrant androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer: Our team has uncovered mechanisms by which aberrant forms of the AR (AR mutants, truncated AR variants) drive therapy resistance in drug-resistant forms of prostate cancer, including identification of new AR co-regulators using integrative genomic techniques (Chan et al, Nucleic Acids Research 2015; Hickey et al, Oncotarget 2015; Paltoglou et al, Cancer Research 2017; Luo et al, European Urology 2017; Lawrence et al, European Urology 2018).
• Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of prostate cancer cell plasticity: We have defined new mechanisms by which microRNAs (Selth et al, Oncogene 2016; Das et al, Cancer Research 2017; Pillman et al, EMBO J 2018; Fernandes et al, Cell Reports 2021), transcription factors (Tse et al, Oncogene 2017; Miao et al, Cancer Research 2017) and epigenetic enzymes (Davies et al, Nature Cell Biology 2021) control cancer cell plasticity and thereby influence prostate cancer metastasis and therapy resistance.
• Pre-clinical drug and biomarker development in prostate cancer: We have investigated the development and pre-clinical evaluation of multiple new therapeutic strategies (Gillis et al, Oncotarget 2013; Ponnusamy et al, Cancer Research 2017; Watt et al, Science Translational Medicine 2019) and biomarkers (Selth et al, International Journal of Cancer 2012; Selth et al, British Journal of Cancer 2013; Selth et al, Endocrine-Related Cancer 2014; Selth et al, Oncogene 2016) for prostate cancer.
• Functional genomics of steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer: We have demonstrated that both cell context and interplay between steroid hormone receptors has a major impact on breast cancer pathobiology (Need et al, Molecular Endocrinology 2012; Hu et al, Cancer Research 2016; Holding et al, Genome Biology 2019; Hickey et al, Nature Medicine 2021). 
• Androgens as regulators of prostate cancer metabolism: We are investigating how the AR signalling axis influences prostate cancer metabolism, with a particular interest in glucose and lipid metabolism (Nassar et al, eLife 2020; Gillis et al, eLife 2021; Centenera et al, Cancer Research 2021).

Current research projects in the Prostate Cancer Research Group include:

• Aberrant androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer: We continue to research how the activity of AR evolves during prostate cancer progression, with a particular emphasis on the genomic actions of aberrant forms of the AR (mutants, truncated variants) in lethal disease states. Funded by Cancer Australia, Cancer Council SA and The Hospital Research Foundation.
• Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of prostate cancer cell plasticity: We are investigating how AR-targeted therapies increase cancer cell plasticity, leading to neuroendocrine and other phenotypes (e.g. epithelial-mesenchymal transition). Funded by Cancer Council SA and The Hospital Research Foundation.
• Targeting CDK9 in lethal prostate cancer: CDK9 is a kinase that enhances prostate cancer growth by enhancing transcription of oncogenes. In collaboration with Prof Shudong Wang (University of South Australia), we are investigating CDK9 inhibitors as novel therapeutics for prostate cancer and using them as tools to understand CDK9 activity. Funded by Cancer Australia and The Hospital Research Foundation.
• Androgens as regulators of prostate cancer immunology: Immunotherapy only works in a very small subset of patients with lethal prostate cancer. We are investigating whether androgens can be harnessed to sensitise tumours to immunotherapy. Funded by Cancer Council NSW, Cancer Council SA, the Freemasons Foundation for Male Health and Wellbeing and a generous donation from Ralph and Pixie Ernst.