Dr Sarah Bray

• Biography/ Background

  I have a wide interest in science, health and fitness and am also passionate about science engagement with the wider community. I have worked on a diverse range of projects over my career so far, from medical research projects in cancer biology (leukaemia and rare blood disorders) and tropical infectious disease research for a biotech company, to my PhD project wrangling ancient DNA from extinct bears! My background and experience in working in such a diverse range of research areas as a scientist and research admin/manager has given me the ability to understand and interpret complex scientific and medical information, and to communicate the research in meaningful ways to different audiences.

  In my current role at SAHMRI, I helped establish & develop the Registry of Older South Australians (ROSA), including managing the complex ethics and governance requirements for this ambitious resource that seeks to improve the lives of all Australians accessing aged care services. I also coordinate the consumer & community engagement activities for ROSA.

  ROSA was established in 2017 by the Healthy Ageing Research Consortium – a cross-sectoral partnership of researchers, clinicians, aged care providers and consumer advocacy groups. ROSA is designed to monitor the health, service utilisation, medication use, mortality, and other outcomes of people receiving aged care services in South Australia. ROSA’s efficient model leverages existing information from both the aged care and health care sectors, bringing together diverse datasets already collected by different organisations throughout the country, to provide us with a more complete picture of the ageing pathway.

   

  My SAHMRI profile: https://portal.sahmriresearch.org/en/persons/sarah-bray

  My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbray01/

  ROSA website: www.rosaresearch.org

  ROSA twitter: https://twitter.com/ROSA_Project  @ROSA_Project #ROSAResearch

• Research Interests

  I have worked on a diverse range of projects over my career so far, and have gained some experience in aspects of each of the following areas:

  • Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes (particularly Diamond Blackfan Anaemia)
  • Cancer predisposition syndromes
  • Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) research
    
  • Molecular biology
  • Ancient DNA
  • Research management/administration
    
  • Science communication / Science engagement with the wider community 

  I am currently the Project Manager and Consumer Engagement Officer for the Registry of Older South Australians (ROSA), based at SAHMRI. https://rosaresearch.org/

  I have officially Co-Supervised the following students to completition:

  PhD Students:

  2013 - 2017 University of Adelaide (Medicine): Kyaw Zeya Maung

  Project: "Role of FANC genes in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) pathogenesis".

  Dr Kyaw Ze Ya Maung graduated in 2018.

   

  2014 - 2018 University of South Australia (School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences): Ka Leung (Nick) Li

  Project: "Investigation of the mode of action of a novel multi-kinase inhibitor, CDKI-73, and its potential as a therapeutic treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)".

  Dr Ka Leung (Nick) Li graduated in 2019.

   

  Masters Students:

  2013 University of Adelaide (Masters of Biotechnology): Puspita Suci Wulandari

  Completed her degree in December 2013. 

   

  I am available to supervise honours, masters and PhD students based at SAHMRI who are enrolled through the University of Adelaide or through the University of South Australia. To express your interest in student projects using the Registry of Older South Australians (ROSA) data to improve the lives of people in our state accessing aged care and health care services, please contact me, or the Director of ROSA, A/Prof Maria Inacio: https://portal.sahmriresearch.org/en/persons/maria-inacio 

  Info on our student projects: https://rosaresearch.org/studentprojects

• Research Funding

  Theo Murphy (Australia) Initiative. For the Theo Murphy Frontiers of Science Healthy Ageing Symposium. South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. Chief Investigator: Stephanie Harrison. Symposium organizing commitee members: Cations M, Laver K, Bray S, Inacio M, Sluggett J, Radford K, Laverncic L, D'Angelo S, Turley G, Schulze M.

  National Science Week South Australian Community Grant ($800). Chief Investigators: Sarah Bray and Lyn Bermudez. Grant to contribute to “Science for Seniors” seminar program during National Science Week.

  University of Adelaide, Discipline of Medicine RIBG Equipment grant ($10,000) awarded in November 2013 for Nikon TS100-F inverted LED microscope and DS-Fi2-L3 stand-alone camera system. Investigators: Peter Zalewski, Sarah Appleton and Sarah Bray.

  Australian Hotel Association (AHA Hotel Care) Grant ($9,757). Awarded June 2013 for gene expression analysis costs. Chief Investigator: Dr. Sarah Bray.    

  European Hematology Association Travel Grant (500 Euro/Complimentary conference registration). Awarded in June 2013 to S. Bray based on mean score of submitted abstract at the European Hematology Association 18th annual congress.

  University of Adelaide, Discipline of Medicine Travel Grant ($1,460). Awarded to S. Bray in May 2013 for travel in June 2013 to present at the European Hematology Association 18th annual congress in Stockholm, Sweden.

  University of Adelaide, Discipline of Medicine Travel Grant ($2,253). Awarded to S. Bray in September 2012 for travel to present at the American Society of Hematology conference in Atlanta USA.

  University of Adelaide, Discipline of Medicine RIBG Equipment grant ($3,130). Awarded September 2012. Chief Investigator: Dr. Sarah Bray Co-Investigators: Dr B. Grubor-Bauk, Dr. A. Trotta and Dr. E. Smith.

  Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation grant ($73,000). Awarded October 2011. Project title: Molecular characterisation of Diamond Blackfan Anaemia. Chief Investigator: A/P. R. D'Andrea Associate Investigators: Prof. P. Klinken, Prof. B. To, Dr. H. Tapp, Dr. M. Perugini and Dr. S. Bray.

  The Hospital Research Foundation small project grant ($20,000), January 2011 - December 2011. Project title: Identification of key target proteins affected by translational de-regulation in Diamond Blackfan Anaemia. Chief Investigator: S.Bray. Co-Investigators: A/P. R. D'Andrea, C. Butcher, Dr. M. Perugini, Prof. Bik To

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  I would like to acknowledge that in addition to the grants listed above, the research project investigating the molecular mechanisms of Diamond Blackfan Anaemia was supported by funds raised by Captain Courageous Foundation - Australia. https://www.facebook.com/captaincourageousfoundation/

• Publications

  Journal articles:

  
  

  Maria Inacio, Sarah C.E. Bray, Craig Whitehead, Megan Corlis, Renuka Visvanathan, Keith Evans, Elizabeth Griffith, Steve Wesselingh. The Registry of Older South Australians (ROSA): Framework and Plan. BMJ Open. June 2019, 9(6):e026319.

  Kyaw Ze Ya Maung, Paul Leo, Mahmoud Bassal, Debora A. Casolari, James X Gray, Sarah C. Bray, Stephen Pederson, Deepak Singhal, Saumya E. Samaraweera, Tran Nguyen, Gokhan Cildir, Mhairi Marshall, Adam Ewing, Emma Duncan, Matthew Brown, Russell Saal, Vinay Tergaonkar, Luen Bik To, Paula Marlton, Devinder Gill, Ian Lewis, Andrew J Deans, Anna L Brown, Richard J D’Andrea, Thomas J Gonda. “Rare variants in Fanconi Anemia complex genes increase risk for Acute Myeloid Leukemia”. Blood Cancer Journal, Accepted for publication 30/04/2018

  Venugopal P, Moore S, Lawrence DM, George AJ, Hannan RD, Bray SC, To LB, D'Andrea RJ, Feng J, Tirimacco A, Yeoman AL, Young CC, Fine M, Schreiber AW, Hahn CN, Barnett C, Saxon B, Scott HS (2017). “Self-reverting mutations partially correct the blood phenotype in a Diamond Blackfan anemia patient”. Haematologica 102(12):e506-e509.
  

  Casolari DA, Nguyen T, Butcher CM, Iarossi DG, Hahn CN, Bray SC, Neufing P, Parker WT, Feng J, Maung KZY, Wee A, Vidovic L, Kok CH, Bardy PG, Branford S, Lewis ID, Lane SW, Scott HS, Ross DM, D'Andrea RJ (2017). “A novel, somatic, transforming mutation in the extracellular domain of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor identified in myeloproliferative neoplasm”. Scientific Reports 26;7(1):2467.
  

  Kieren J. Mitchell, Sarah C. Bray, Pere Bover, Fabiana Martin, Flavia Morello, Alfredo Prieto, Leopoldo Soibelzon, Blaine Schubert, Jeremy Austin, Alan Cooper (2016). Ancient mitochondrial DNA reveals convergent evolution of giant short-faced bears (Tremarctinae) in North and South America. Biology Letters 12:20160062
  

  Jessica L. Metcalf, Ross Barnett, Fabiana Martin, Sarah Bray, Julia Vistrup, Ludovic Orlando, Rudolfo Salas-Gismondi, Daniel Loponte, Matias Medina, Mariana De Nigris, Teresa Civalero, Pablo Marcelo Fernandez, Kevin Seymor, Alejandra Gasco, Victor Duran, Clara Otaola, Adolfo Gil, Rafael Paunaro, Pancho Prevosti, Jane Wheeler, Luis Borrero, Jeremy J. Austin, Alan Cooper (2016). Synergistic roles of climate warming and human occupation in Patagonian megafaunal extinctions during the Last Glacial Deglaciation. Science Advances 2(6) e1501682
  

  Shabnam Shokouhi, Sarah Bray, Salar Bakhtiyari, Kourosh Sayehmiri, Kamran Alimoghadam, Ardeshir Ghavamzadeh (2015). Effects of aGVHD and cGVHD on Survival Rate in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation. International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research 9(3): 112-21
  

  Sarah C.E. Bray, Jeremy J. Austin, Jessica L. Metcalf, Kjartan Østbye, Eivind Østbye, Stein-Erik Lauritzen, Kim Aaris-Sørensen, Cristina Valdiosera, Christina J Adler and Alan Cooper. (2013). Ancient DNA identifies post-glacial recolonisation, not recent bottlenecks, as the primary driver of contemporary mtDNA phylogeography and diversity in Scandinavian brown bears. Diversity and Distributions 19(3) p.245-256.
  

  Joshua Jervis-Bardy, Andrew Foreman, Sarah Bray, Lorwai Tan, Peter-John Wormald. (2011). Methylglyoxal-Infused Honey Mimics the Anti-Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Activity of Manuka Honey: Potential Implication in Chronic Rhinosinusitis. The Laryngoscope 121 (May) p.1104-1107.
  

  John Davison, Simon Ho, Sarah C. Bray, Marju Korsten, Egle Vulla, Maris Hindrickson, Kjartan Ostbye, Eivind Ostbye, Stein-Erik Lauritzen, Jeremy Austin, Alan Cooper, Urmas Saarma. (2011). Late-Quaternary biogeographic scenarios for the brown bear (Ursus arctos), a wild mammal model species. Quaternary Science Reviews 30 (3-4) p.418-430. 
  

  Krause J, Unger T, Nocon A, Malaspinas A-S, Kolokotronis S-O, Stiller M, Soibelzon L, Spriggs H, Dear PH, Briggs AW, Bray SCE, O'Brien SJ, Rabeder G, Matheus P, Cooper A, Slatkin M, Paabo S, Hofreiter M. (2008). Mitochondrial genomes reveal an explosive radiation of extinct and extant bears near the Miocene-Pliocene boundary. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8, 220.
  

  Published conference abstracts/papers:
  

  Kyaw Ze Ya Maung*, Paul Leo, Anna L Brown, Mahmoud A Bassal, Debora A. Casolari, Adam Ewing, Emma Duncan, Sarah C Bray, Evgeny Glazov, Luen Bik To, Russell Saal, Ian D Lewis, Devinder S Gill, Paula Marlton, James X Gray, Thomas J Gonda and Richard D'Andrea (2016). “Rare Variants Affecting the Fanconi Anaemia DNA Repair Genes Associate with Increased Risk for AML”. Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 128:41; American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA.
  

  Mahmoud A Bassal*, Paul Leo, Saumya E Samaraweera, Kyaw Ze Ya Maung, Milena Babic, Parvathy Venugopal, Jesse Cheah, Christopher N Hahn, Hamish S Scott, Evgeny Glazov, Sarah C Bray, Diana Iarossi, Ing Soo Tiong, Mhairi Clout, Emma Duncan, L. Bik To, Paula Marlton, Ian D Lewis, Devinder S Gill, Thomas J Gonda, Anna L Brown and Richard D'Andrea (2016). “Metabolic Profiling of Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)”. Blood (ASH Meeting Abstracts) 128:1684; American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA.
  

  Saumya E Samaraweera*, Francine E. Garrett-Bakelman, Yaseswini Neelamraju, Michelle Perugini, Debora A. Casolari, Diana Iarossi, Sarah C Bray, Caroline Sheridan, Tak C Lee, Ing Soo Tiong, Silke Danner, Nik Cummings, Monica L. Guzman, Gail J. Roboz, Luen Bik To, Andrew Wei, Christopher E. Mason, Christopher Y. Park, Ross L. Levine, Martin Carroll, Michael W. Becker, Ian D Lewis, Ari Melnick and Richard D'Andrea (2016). “Hypermethylation of GADD45A Defines a Methylation Profile Distinct to Mutant IDH1/2, and Correlates with More Aggressive AML”. Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 128:2877; American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA.
  

  Ka Leung Li, Sarah C Bray, Diana Iarossi, Julian Adams, Longjin Zhong, Ben Noll, Muhammed H Rahaman, Jennifer Richmond, Luen Bik To, Ian D lewis, Richard B Lock, Shudong Wang and Richard D'Andrea. "Investigation of a Novel Cyclin-Dependent-Kinase (CDK) Inhibitor, CDKI-73, As an Effective Treatment Option for MLL-AML" (2015); Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 126(23):1365
  

  Kyaw Zeya Maung, James X Gray*, Paul Leo, Mahmoud Bassal, Andrew Deans, Chung Kok, Evgeny Glazov, Brooke Gardiner, Mhairi Marshall, Sarah Bray, Grant Engler, Paula Marlton, Devinder Gill, Ian Lewis, Anna Brown, Luen Bik To, Richard D'Andrea, and Thomas J Gonda. "Whole Exome Sequencing of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Patients Identifies Somatic Mutations in Fanconi Anaemia Genes" (2014); Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 124(21):698
  

  Debora A Casolari*, Diana G Iarossi, Carolyn M Butcher, Sarah C Bray, Wendy T Parker, Chris N Hahn, Susan Branford, Peter Bardy, Ian D Lewis, Hamish S Scott, Steven W Lane, David M Ross and Richard J D'Andrea. "Aberrant Activation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in MPN May Respond to the Kinase Inhibitor Gefitinib" (2014); Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 124(21):1882
  

  S.C.E. Bray*, A. Wee, M. Perugini, L.B. To, R.J. D'Andrea. "The effects of RPS19 Knockdown on Gata1 expression in a cell line model of Diamond Blackfan Anemia" (2013); Haematologica 98(s1): 229-230. Abstract n. S549. European Hematology Association 18th Annual Congress, June 2013, Stockholm, Sweden.
  

  S.C.E. Bray*, A. Wee, M. Perugini, L.B. To, R.J. D'Andrea. "Expression of erythroid transcription factors are decreased in an RPS19 knockdown cell line model of Diamond Blackfan Anaemia". Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 120; 21 Abstract:3473. American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, Atlanta, USA (2012).
  

  N. Rao*, C. Butcher, P. Neufing, S. Bray, C.Hahn, H. Scott, J. Melo, D. Ross, I. Lewis, P. Bardy and R. D’Andrea. “Mechanisms of co-operation of DNMT3A mutations with JAK2 V617F through Histone H4 Arginine 3 provides new insights in MPN disease pathogenesis”. Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts)18:2823 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA (2011).
  

  Sarah Bray*, Jeremy Austin, Ian Barnes, Jacobo Weinstock, Beth Shapiro, Alan Cooper (2007). ‘The evolution and genetic diversity of the extinct Tremarctine bears’ in: Warren A. (editor) Geological Society of Australia Abstracts 85, p.41.
  

  Austin*, Jeremy James; Bray, Sarah Catherine; Worthy, Trevor Henry; Medlin, Graham; Cooper, Alan (2007). “Reconstructing Southern Hemisphere late-Pleistocene and Holocene paleaeo-environments using ancient DNA from cave and swamp-preserved bones and sediments”. Quaternary International,167-168(supplement 1):19
  

  Invited conference presentations:
  

  Sarah C. Bray*, Michelle Perugini, Amilia Wee, Louise Winteringham, L. Bik To, Heather Tapp, Thomas J. Gonda, S. Peter Klinken, Richard D'Andrea. "The role of Myb in Diamond Blackfan Anaemia". 12th Diamond Blackfan Anemia International Consensus Conference (DBA ICC), New York, USA (2012).
  

  (*) denotes presenting author

  
  

   

   

• Professional Associations

  Committee/Working Group involvement:

  Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) - Frontiers of Science - symposium organising committee (member; 2018-2019).

  Registry of Older South Australians (ROSA) Consumer & Community Committee (member & co-Chair; 2018-current).

  Inspiring South Australia - Working Group (member; 2016-current).

  Basil Hetzel Institute Managment Committee (deputy chair; 2012-2014, acting chair; 2012, ECR rep; 2010-2014).

  Basil Hetzel Institute Strategic Directions group (ECR postdoctoral representative; 2012-2014)

   

  Professional societies/associations:

  AAG - Australian Association of Gerontology (EMCR member; 2018-current)

  HCASA - Health Consumers Alliance of South Australia (member; 2018-current)

  EHA - European Hematology Association (junior member; 2013-2016)

  GSA - Genetics Society of Australasia (student member; 2007-2009)  

   

  Titleholder positions:

  Affiliate Lecturer, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide (2014-current).

  Adjunct Research Fellow (Level B Academic), Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia (2017-current)

   

  Peer review experience:

  NHMRC - Peer Review Panel (PRP) member 2018, external reviewer 2014.

  Journal article peer reviewer for Australasian Journal on Ageing, Molecular Ecology, and PLOS One journals.

  Part of the invited staff judging panel for student abstracts submitted to the annual "Research Day" symposium at the Basil Hetzel Institute, 2010-2014.

• Community Engagement

  Coordinated and chaired the inaugural “Science for Seniors” event at Holdfast Bay Community Centre for National Science Week (15 & 17 August 2017). This was a series of public science seminars for seniors in my local community with volunteer Tall Poppy award-winning scientists as guest speakers.

  Coordinated and ran hands-on DNA experiments with 3 x classes of school students aged 7-9 years old (Woodend Primary School; Tall Poppy program 2016)

  Invited Speaker - Leukaemia Foundation

  September 2016: Guest speaker on reasearch into "Acute Leukaemia" at the Leukaemia Foundation Education Conference for patients and families impacted by blood cancers.

  Invited Speaker - University of the Third Age (Flinders) Inc.

  September 2014: Guest speaker for the University of the Third Age (Flinders) Community Group presenting about Acute Leukaemia Research.

  Scientists in Schools program

  May 2013, I gave a lay presentation on Diamond Blackfan Anaemia and rare disease research, followed by a hands-on laboratory tour at the Basil Hetzel Institute, TQEH for the Year 12 Biology class, Woodville High.

  School Counsellors’ Day (2008) – University of Adelaide. Ancient DNA presentation and hands-on workshop for high school careers counsellors. Presented by: Jeremy Austin & Sarah Bray. 

  Maths Science Life Impact (2007) – University of Adelaide. Ancient DNA presentation and hands-on workshop for high school students. Presented by: Sarah Bray & Laura Watson.

   

Entry last updated: Friday, 12 Jul 2019