Senior Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Project Manager
BSc(Hons), PhD
Dr Meegan Howlett’s research focuses on identifying novel treatments to combine with standard-of-care chemotherapy and radiotherapy that also induce minimal side effects, to improve outcomes for paediatric brain cancer patients.
Meegan completed her Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) at Murdoch University before working in immunology diagnostics and research as a locum medical scientist in the Department of Immunology, Fremantle Hospital.
Meegan then relocated to Melbourne taking up a Research Assistant position in the Department of Medicine, Melbourne University, where she later completed her Honours degree in gastric cancer research. Her lab relocated to the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) where she completed her PhD studies on STAT3 signalling in gastric cancer.
After a short post-doctoral position in the same laboratory, travelling and voluntary work abroad, Meegan returned to WA and began her postdoctoral studies in Prof’s Kees’ Leukaemia and Cancer Laboratory at the Telethon Kids Institute, focussing on leukemia and microenvironmental interactions in the bone marrow.
Meegan has been in her current Postdoctoral and Research Project Manager position with Dr Raelene Endersby and Dr Nick Gottardo since 2016, where she utilises her expertise in cancer signalling, mouse modelling, the cancer microenvironment and project management to help drive the team’s research closer toward improving survival and quality of life for all children suffering from deadly brain cancers.
Find Dr Howlett on ORCID.
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Publications
May 2023
ONC201 in Combination with Paxalisib for the Treatment of H3K27-Altered Diffuse Midline Glioma
Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG), are the most lethal of childhood cancers. Palliative radiotherapy is the only established treatment, with median patient survival of 9 to 11 months. ONC201 is a DRD2 antagonist and ClpP agonist that has shown preclinical and emerging clinical efficacy in DMG.
Children's Cancers Published research Brain Tumour ResearchMarch 2023In vivo loss of tumorigenicity in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft mouse model of ependymoma
Ependymomas (EPN) are the third most common malignant brain cancer in children. Treatment strategies for pediatric EPN have remained unchanged over recent decades, with 10-year survival rates stagnating at just 67% for children aged 0-14 years. Moreover, a proportion of patients who survive treatment often suffer long-term neurological side effects as a result of therapy. It is evident that there is a need for safer, more effective treatments for pediatric EPN patients.
Children's Cancers Published research Brain Tumour Research -
Education and Qualifications
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Awards/Honours
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Active Collaborations