Global engagement in action: Suzanne’s research exchange sparks future collaborations
Suzanne Rajesh, a PhD student in the Prostate Cancer Research Group at the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), is advancing the search for new biomarkers in prostate cancer through international collaboration.
Suzanne Rajesh with Dr Melanie Foll and members of the MALDI Imaging Group at the Universitätsklinikum, Freiburg, Germany. L-R: Nastasja Diel, Rabea Schwarz (who will come to Adelaide in early 2026 for a research visit), Melanie Foell and Suzanne Rajesh.
Suzanne’s doctoral research focuses on identifying lipid biomarkers that could help distinguish responses to treatment and guide treatment decisions. Her work involves culturing clinical prostate cancer tissue under various treatment conditions and applying advanced mass spectrometry imaging to map the spatial distribution of lipid molecules within the tissue slices. By linking specific lipid signatures to the tissues’ response to the treatments, Suzanne aims to contribute to more precise and effective therapies for prostate cancer.
As part of her PhD, Suzanne recently completed a four-week research exchange with Dr Melanie Foell's MALDI Imaging Group at the Universitätsklinikum, Freiburg, Germany. The exchange provided valuable opportunities to learn new imaging and data analysis techniques, while also exploring how the techniques and methodology she uses in Adelaide can be applied to other tissue types, including bladder and colorectal samples.
Suzanne Rajesh at the Spatial Biology: The Melting Pot conference in Heidelberg, Germany.
"The exchange was a really valuable experience for me, not only because of the similar techniques our labs use, but also because of the international connections I have made. I now have a whole new group of researchers that I can discuss ideas with, exchange wet lab and analysis techniques, and form collaborations for future work or publications. Getting to see how international research groups are run and what kind of projects they work on was very interesting and opened my eyes to other global research opportunities.”Suzanne Rajesh
Following her exchange, Suzanne presented her research at the Spatial Biology: The Melting Pot EMBL conference in Heidelberg, Germany. The meeting brought together leading academic and industry experts, in the rapidly growing field of spatial biology, fostering discussions on cutting-edge technologies, innovative data analysis approaches, and their applications in both fundamental and translational research. The conference provided Suzanne with an opportunity to showcase her progress to date and to discuss future directions with experts in mass spectrometry and imaging.
This research exchange was made possible through the University of Adelaide Global Engagement Program’s Freiburg-Adelaide Partnership Fund, which supports international collaboration and knowledge exchange. The program has already facilitated reciprocal visits, with another Adelaide PhD student undertaking research in Freiburg, and two PhD students from Dr Foell’s group scheduled to visit Adelaide in 2026.