Researcher Success: Dr Arutha Kulasinghe

Congratulations to Dr Arutha Kulasinghe for receiving two prestigious research awards in recognition of his immunotherapy work. 

Cure Cancer is thrilled to share the news that Dr Arutha Kulasinghe (funded by our principal supporter, The Can Too Foundation) has received the AusBiotech and Johnson & Johnson Innovation Excellence Awards. By adapting his immunology research to patients with severe COVID-19, Arutha has been recognised with an AusBiotech COVID-19 Life Science Sector Collaboration Award and Industry’s Choice Award.

Whilst 2020 has proved a challenging year for many early-career cancer researchers, it has excitingly seen academic partnerships develop leading to Arutha’s award-winning work. “COVID-19 has made us think deeply about our projects, and the work has forced us to pivot and work efficiently in the labs,” Arutha explains. “As a result of this, I began a number of collaborations (having not met most of the researchers pre-Covid-19) and have just submitted a paper about COVID-19 and lung cancer to MEDRXIV. This project was dreamt up at a Cure Cancer event earlier this year between Dr Fernando Guimaraes and myself, and we have identified gene signatures that may be used as triage bio-markers to assess COVID-19 disease severity.”

“We used a new cell mapping technology approach, which we’re applying to cancer immunotherapy for COVID-19. In the study, we analysed COVID-19 tissue and compared it to that of pandemic H1N1 (2009 Swine Flu). By spatially mapping cell types within the lungs and disease states, we’ve identified a number of immune-related genes which differentiate those infected by COVID-19, from that of pH1N1.”

Receiving the two awards has been a celebration for Arutha, but has also acknowledged the importance of collaboration within the medical landscape. “The two awards recognise the efforts by early-career cancer researchers and Cure Cancer Alumni that are able to pivot from their current projects, and make a meaningful contribution during trying times. It also speaks to the collaborative efforts by researchers at QUT, UQ and the WEHI who came together and collectively sought to understand the disease better. A great example of collaborative science.”

THE NEED FOR  FUNDING

For Arutha, his achievement would not be possible without the support of funding bodies like Cure Cancer.

“Funding for early-career researchers is critical as they allow young researchers to develop their ideas and own research questions. This is enabled through Cure Cancer, where researchers can pursue their own ideas with dedicated funding. We are often at a career stage where we are developing our track record without the rungs on the board to demonstrate completeness for NHMRC grants.”

“It’s also allowed me to stop, pause and take a breath, as the landscape for funding is ultra competitive at the moment. I am now more motivated than ever before to pursue a career in cancer research and this is directly linked to the support from Cure Cancer.”

Without generous donations, ground-breaking research like Arutha’s would not be possible. Please consider making a donation today to help Cure Cancer fund the next generation of brilliant minds, dedicated to making this the last generation to die from cancer.