Honorary Research Associate
BSc (Hons), PhD
In late 2023, Rachael was awarded a Fred Hutchinson IIRC Fellowship – a prestigious appointment aimed to support immunotherapy research and she has since relocated to the Fred Hutch Cancer Centre based in Seattle. She is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Newell Lab to identify the time-dependent events that activate tumor-specific T cell responses after surgical removal of solid tumors and after checkpoint-blockade immunotherapy.
Rachael aims to inform the optimal timing when scheduling these therapies in relation to each other, for improved immunotherapy responses. At Telethon Kids, Rachael’s work in immunotherapy treatments for Sarcoma has made breakthrough discoveries to advance our understanding about why some cancers do not respond well to immunotherapy and has identified effective new drug combinations to improve responsiveness to immunotherapy. Her skillset spans both the lab and computational analyses, allowing her to combine immunology, cancer biology, computational biology and drug discovery.
Rachael is a successful NHMRC Emerging Leader (Lvl 1) Investigator Grant recipient and is currently an Honorary Research Associate at the Telethon Kids Institute and collaborates closely with the team to continue the research program, produce manuscripts, and supervise students.
Find Dr Zemek on ORCID.
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Publications
May 2024
Time-course RNAseq data of murine AB1 mesothelioma and Renca renal cancer following immune checkpoint therapy
Time-critical transcriptional events in the immune microenvironment are important for response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), yet these events are difficult to characterise and remain incompletely understood. Here, we present whole tumor RNA sequencing data in the context of treatment with ICB in murine models of AB1 mesothelioma and Renca renal cell cancer.
Children's Cancers Published research Computational Biology Sarcoma Translational Research Translational GeneticsApril 2024Immune checkpoint therapy responders display early clonal expansion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes
Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) causes durable tumour responses in a subgroup of patients, but it is not well known how T cell receptor beta (TCRβ) repertoire dynamics contribute to the therapeutic response.
Children's Cancers Computational Biology Airway Epithelial Research Sarcoma Translational Research Subsite: Walyan Translational GeneticsApril 2024Protocol for delivery of intraoperative immunotherapy to mice by surgical debulking of subcutaneous tumors
Pre-clinical studies developing novel therapies to prevent cancer recurrence require appropriate surgical models. Here, we present a protocol for surgical debulking of subcutaneous tumors in mice, which allows for intraoperative application of immunotherapy-loaded biomaterials.
Children's Cancers Published research Sarcoma Translational ResearchOctober 2023Celebrating 100 years of Immunology & Cell Biology – a special focus on the field of tumor immunology in Australia
In this Commentary article, as part of the 100-year celebrations of the journal, we reflect on the contribution of articles published in ICB in the field of tumor immunology. A highlight is a series of interviews conducted with three Australian-based ICB authors who have contributed key papers over the years: Rajiv Khanna, Delia Nelson and Ian Frazer.
Children's Cancers Published research Subsite: Cancer Sarcoma Translational ResearchJuly 2023A surgically optimized intraoperative poly(I:C)-releasing hydrogel prevents cancer recurrence
Recurrences frequently occur following surgical removal of primary tumors. In many cancers, adjuvant therapies have limited efficacy. Surgery provides access to the tumor microenvironment, creating an opportunity for local therapy, in particular immunotherapy, which can induce local and systemic anti-cancer effects.
Children's Cancers Published research Subsite: Cancer Sarcoma Translational Research Translational GeneticsMay 2023Geldanamycin treatment does not result in anti-cancer activity in a preclinical model of orthotopic mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is characterised by its aggressive invasive behaviour, affecting the surrounding tissues of the pleura or peritoneum. We compared an invasive pleural model with a non-invasive subcutaneous model of mesothelioma and performed transcriptomic analyses on the tumour samples.
Children's Cancers Published research Systems Immunology Airway Epithelial Research Subsite: Cancer Sarcoma Translational Research -
Education and Qualifications
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Awards/Honours
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Active Collaborations