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OVERVIEW

The Cancer Program is led by Professor Pilar Blancafort.

The mission of the Perkins Cancer Program is to transform cancer outcomes by uncovering the molecular and cellular causes, advancing early detection methods, and developing precision treatments for poor prognosis cancers, specifically women’s cancers (breast, ovarian), liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma and head and neck cancers.

Perkins Cancer Researchers are working towards understanding cancer, detecting it sooner and treating it smarter by: ​

  1. Uncovering how cancer starts, grows and resists treatment, to find new ways to stop it in its tracks.​
  2. Creating better tests and tools to detect cancer sooner and predict how it might respond to treatment.​
  3. Developing personalised cancer treatments, from new medicines to advanced immunotherapy, giving patients the best chance at beating even the toughest cancers.​
  4. Understanding the biological factors influencing poorer outcomes in Aboriginal people with cancer.​

Perkins researchers have made major discoveries in the field of cancer including uncovering the SLIRP gene which controls hormone production in breast and prostate cancers, the tumour suppressor gene HLS5 and a process for normalising blood vessels in tumours to allow more effective absorption of cancer-combating drugs. Detailed information about our cancer laboratories can be found below.

Professor Pilar Blancafort

Professor Pilar Blancafort

Cancer Epigenetics (Program Leader - Cancer)

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RESEARCH NEWS & EVENTS

Perkins research finds new way to silence sarcoma gene

Perkins researchers have led a major collaborative study exploring a new way to switch off a key genetic driver of Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive cancer that mostly affects children and…

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Perkins researcher honoured with Cancer Council WA award

Dr Bo He, a mid-career researcher at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and The University of Western Australia, was recognised as Cancer Council WA's 2026 Cancer Researcher of…

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Corporate Partnerships help turn discoveries into real world impacts

Strong community support and generous sponsorship has helped make the MACA Cancer 200 Ride for the Perkins a resounding success bringing people together with a shared purpose — to support…

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Help WA's best medical researchers beat the world's toughest diseases.