Oncology Research Unit (Cancer Research)
Focal Adhesion Biology in Cancer Group
Research Directions
The spread of cancer cells from the primary tumour to secondary sites in the body (metastasis) is the overwhelming cause of death from cancer. However, because the mechanisms of metastasis remain poorly understood, few therapies directly target metastasis. Thus there is an urgent need to understand the molecular events governing metastatic cancer. The goal of research in the Focal Adhesion Biology group is to understand the fundamental regulation of cell migration, a process that underpins the development of metastatic, disseminated cancer. The definition of the core events that cause the spread of cancer cells is a key step to designing future therapies that directly target metastasis. The team's research focuses on the mechanisms that control the formation and turnover of cellular adhesions to the extra-cellular matrix that permit cell movement. The group use cell culture models and microscopy-based cell biology approaches to investigate the fundamental cellular machinery involved in adhesion turnover and to elucidate the molecular regulation of the metastasis promoting molecule HEF1 in this process.
Group Leader Profile - Dr Geraldine O'Neill
Geraldine O'Neill is Group Leader of the focal adhesion biology group and holds a Conjoint Senior Lecturer appointment at the University of Sydney. Geraldine has attracted over $1.7 million in peer-reviewed funding from national (NHMRC), specialist (Cancer Council and Cancer Institute NSW) and local agencies, contributed highly cited research publications and formed international and national collaborations. Her excellence in research was recognized by an AIPS Young Tall Poppy Award (2006) and promotion to Conjoint Senior Lecturer (2006). Other major awards received during her post-doctoral research career include an NHMRC Howard Florey Centenary Research Fellowship (2001 - 2002) and a NSW Cancer Council Career Development Fellowship (2003 - 2008). Regard for her research is reflected by invited speaker presentations at national conferences and at international and national institutes and leadership roles in major national conferences including symposia chair and stream coordinator. Geraldine's standing in the field is recognized by invitations to act as a grant reviewer for NHMRC, Cancer Council, Cure Cancer Australia and the Heart Research Foundation, along with regular invitations to review manuscripts for international cancer and biochemistry journals. Included among key roles held in national societies, she is secretary elect, Australian and NZ Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (2008). Her commitment to student mentoring is indicated by her receiving a teaching award in 2006 and prizes awarded to her Honors and PhD students.
Recent Grants
NSW Cancer Council Research Fellowship
2003 - 2008: $750, 000
NHMRC Project Grant
2003 - 2008: $250,000
Recent Publications
For a full list of publications by GM O'Neill, please visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez and use the following search:
"O'Neill GM OR (O'Neill G and Gunning P) OR (Singh M and Cowell L) NOT Karras D NOT Chishti AH"
Yager M, Hughes JAI, Lovicu FJ, Gunning PW, Weinberger RP and O'Neill GM (2003). Functional analysis of the actin-binding protein, Tropomyosin 1, in neuroblastoma. Br. J. Cancer. 89; 860-863
Bargon S, Gunning PW and O'Neill GM (2005). The Cas family docking molecule, HEF1, promotes the formation of neurite-like membrane extensions. BBA Mol. Cell Res. 1746; 143-154
Cowell LN, Graham JD, Bouton A, Clarke CL and O'Neill GM (2006). Tamoxifen treatment promotes phosphorylation of the adhesion molecules, p130Cas/BCAR1, FAK and Src, via an adhesion-dependent pathway. Oncogene. 25; 7597-7607
Singh MK, Cowell LN, Seo S, O'Neill GM and Golemis EA. (2007). Molecular basis for HEF1/NEDD9/CAS-L action as a central coordinator in migration, apoptosis and cell-cycle. Cell Biochem. Biophys. 48; 54-72
O'Neill GM, Seo S, Serebriiskii IG, Lessin S and Golemis EA. (2007) A new central scaffold for metastasis: parsing HEF1/Cas-L/NEDD9. Cancer Res. 67; 1 - 4
O'Neill GM, Stehn J and Gunning PW. (2008) Tropomyosins as interpreters of the signalling environment to regulate the local cytoskeleton. Sem. Cancer Biol. 18; 35-44
This document was updated on Thursday, 4th September 2008
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