Dr Claudine Bonder

• Biography/ Background

  Professor Claudine Bonder (BSc (Hons), PhD) is Head of the Vascular Biology and Cell Trafficking Laboratory at the Centre for Cancer Biology.

  Her research interests focus on understanding the blood vasculature in diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Claudine currently leads a team of enthusiastic and dedicated staff/students across a broad program with established academic and commercial collaborators in Australia, the US and Europe. Under her leadership, ~$11M in grant funding has come to South Australia, 6 patents have been filed, and new partnerships with multi-national companies have been formed. Claudine is a Senior Scientific Advisor to Carina Biotech Pty (a company that develops novel CAR-T cells to combat solid tumours) and TekCyte Pty (a company that makes medical devices BIOINVISIBLE).

• Qualifications

  Doctor of Philosophy: 2001
  Flinders University, Adelaide, SA

  Bachelor of Science (Honours): 1993
  University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA

• Awards & Achievements

  Fellowships and Scholarships:
  2011-14: Heart Foundation Fellowship
  2009-11: Florey Fellowship, Royal Adelaide Hospital
  2005-08: NHMRC Peter Doherty Fellowship
  2004: Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellowship
  2002-04: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, Flinkelstein Fellowship
  2002: Alberta Heritage for Medical Research Fellowship
  1998-2001: NHMRC Dora Lush Postgraduate Scholarship

   

  Other awards and prizes:
  2016: Women in Innovation – Emerging Innovator

  2013: ASMR Leading Light Finalist
  2009: South Australia Young Tall Poppy Science Award
  2007: New Basic Scientist Investigator Award, Hanson Institute
  2005: Early Career Research Award, Australian Academy of Science
  2000: Ross Wishart Award, ASMR, SA Division Conference

   

   

   

• Teaching Interests

  Professor Bonder has been actively involved in teaching and training throughout her research career. Since her return to Australia, she has continued to provide lectures for 3rd year university courses and has supervised 3rd year placement students from the University of Adelaide. Prof Bonder has successfully obtained Cancer Council of SA and Heart Foundation summer scholarships for multiple students and has supervised many PhD & Honours students to completion.

• Research Interests

  Our laboratory has a broad interest in vascular biology in healthy and disease states.

  
  Firstly, vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a process wherein cancer cells themselves form vascular-like structures to increase access to the blood supply to assist in tumour growth. In breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma, increased VM is associated with poor clinical outcome. We have begun to identify novel elements in VM and are now targeting these in an attempt to prevent the progression of breast cancer and melanoma.

  Secondly, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) directly contribute to blood vessel formation (vasculogenesis) and can be used to support organ transplantation. Using nanotechnology we are developing smart surface biomaterials to co-transplant EPCs with insulin-producing beta islet cells to help cure patients with type 1 diabetes.

   

  Current research projects

  • Vasculogenic mimicry in cancer progression: For solid tumours to grow they require access to the blood supply for the provision of oxygen and nutrients. Highly vascularised tumours correlate with poor survival for patients with e.g. melanoma and breast cancer. Tumour vascularisation can occur via a number of processes including angiogenesis (the proliferation of existing blood vessel endothelial cells (ECs), which form the inner monolayer of blood vessels) as well as an EC-independent manner known as vasculogenic mimicry (VM, wherein vascular-like channels are formed by the cancer cells themselves). Our work in melanoma, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer has identified key growth factors and adhesion molecules which underpin VM and are now of interest in terms of developing new treatment opportunities for patients.
    
    
  • Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in disease: With a focus on how the vasculature contributes to health and disease, we have a strong programme on endothelial progenitor cells (the precursors of cells which form the inner lining of all blood vessels). Having recently identified a suite of novel surface expressed proteins by EPCs we are have begun to unravel how EPCs contribute to health and disease.  For example, in Type 1 Diabetes, pancreatic islet transplantation is the only current cure, but success is limited by death of insulin producing beta cells post-transplantation. EPCs have the potential to improve islet engraftment and production of insulin. Our work understanding the critical cross-talk between the vasculature and beta islet cells together with smart surface materials will advance our ability to cure diabetes.
    
    

  • Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy and is an incurable disease of neoplastic plasma cells (PC). With only 17% of MM patients surviving 10-years post diagnosis, faster detection and earlier intervention would unequivocally improve outcomes. The Bonder lab recently discovered that the cell surface protein desmoglein-2 (DSG2) is overexpressed in ~20% of bone marrow biopsies from newly-diagnosed MM patients and that it is strongly predictive of poor clinical outcome. Current work uses molecular biology techniques to investigate DSG2 as cell surface biomarker that supports the survival of myeloma and promotes disease progression. 

• Research Funding

  During Prof Bonder's career, she has been awarded >$11M in grant funding from NHMRC, CRCs, Heart Foundation, Cancer Council SA, Royal Adelaide Hospital Resaerch Fund, Pankind and more. 

• Publications

  Publication list available via:

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Bonder+C&sort=date

• Professional Associations

  Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR)

  Australaian and New Zealan Society for Immunology (ASI)
  
  Australian Vascular Biology Society

   

• Community Engagement

  2017                      Leaders’ Edge Lunch, ‘Tomorrow’s SA Icons’ Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)

  2017                       Advertiser article - Tomorrow’s SA Icons

  2017                       Ten Eyewitness National News - headline article on breast cancer research

  2017                       Radio Canberra 2CC – invited expert to comment on breast cancer research

  2018                       9 News Adelaide - headline article on Heart Health Month 

  2018                       Radio 5AA with Ribka Warbanoff - invited expert to comment on breast cancer research

  2020                       Channel 44, Paula’s Place - invited guest to comment on breast cancer research

  2020                       7.30 Report – The funding crisis facing universities

  2021                       SANFL cancer awareness, invitation to speak about cancer research in SA, THRF

  2021                       Business SA, invitation to speak about cancer research in SA, THRF

  2021                       Australian Science Media Centre – Expert reaction to the 2021 Federal Budget

  2021                       National 9 News - headline article on melanoma research

   

Entry last updated: Friday, 30 Jun 2023