Associate Prof Jennette Sakoff (PhD, Chief Hospital Scientist, Medical Oncology)

Associate Prof Jennette Sakoff has been conducting research in the Department of Medical Oncology Research Laboratory at Calvary Mater Newcastle since 1996 and is the leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Group in this department. Her research focuses on the development and optimisation of chemotherapy treatments for the fight against cancer. As a cell biologist her expertise lies with the growth of tumours in the laboratory and the screening of new compounds for anti-cancer activity.

Associate Prof Sakoff’s team cultures tumours from breast, ovary, colon, prostate, brain, blood, lung, pancreas, skin, head and neck, and cancers derived from patient ascitic fluid. Her research into the development of better chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients also includes identifying better drug combinations and predicting chemotherapy induced toxicity. Her research facility provides state-of-the-art equipment and expertise for the study of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, combination analysis, therapeutic drug monitoring, drug screening, drug development, cell biology, and molecular biology studies.

Associate Prof Sakoff is the Chairperson of the Calvary Mater Newcastle Research Development and Engagement Committee. Associate Prof Sakoff also holds a senior conjoint appointment at the University of Newcastle.