Postdoctoral Researcher
Flinders University, Australia
Dr Charlotte Toomes (BSc, PhD) is an early-career researcher in the Haematology Research Team at Flinders University (South Australia, Australia). Her research is dedicated to developing prognostic tools and targeted therapies for haematological malignancies to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Charlotte's PhD at the University of Adelaide (South Australia, Australia), conferred in December 2022, identified promising new precision medicine approaches and described previously undescribed mechanisms of drug resistance within a high-risk subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In August 2022, she began her postdoctoral role at Flinders University and has since demonstrated the potential of a novel cell surface marker as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. She has a strong publication history relative to the early stage of her career. She has published 3 first-author manuscripts, co-authored 1 manuscript, and has presented at 15 conferences and seminars, including 3 esteemed international conferences. Her research capability has been recognised by a best short talk award, 2 travel grant awards, a poster prize, 2 summer scholarships, and in 2023 she was awarded $25K seed grant by the Flinders Foundation to support her research. Charlotte has also taken on significant leadership roles in the Haematology Research Team (Flinders University) to establish their group as key contributor to multiple myeloma research. Her long-term goal is to establish an independent research team situated in the intersection of academic research, clinical practice, and industry to deliver innovative and highly translatable research that improves outcomes for patients living with haematological malignancies.