HSANZ congratulates Rithin Nedumannil on being awarded an HSANZ / Leukaemia Foundation PhD scholarship to commence in 2025.

Rithin Nedumannil is a dual-trained haematologist, currently completing a Fellowship in Acute Leukaemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He has research interests in the use of novel targeted therapies in myeloid malignancies and the molecular mechanisms that lead to treatment resistance.

Lay summary of project:

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer with poor survival outcomes and around 900 people are diagnosed with the condition in Australia each year. A protein called menin is essential for the growth of cancer cells in certain subtypes of AML. Menin inhibitors are a promising therapy that has recently shown potential in treating these AML subtypes. However, resistance to this therapy can develop, making the treatment less effective over time. Dr Nedumannil’s research will use advanced technologies to investigate this resistance in an attempt to identify which genetic and epigenetic changes help leukaemia cells survive despite menin inhibition. By integrating data from these cutting-edge techniques, Dr Nedumannil hopes to uncover new therapeutic approaches to overcome resistance. This research has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients with menin-dependent AML by providing a deeper understanding of the disease and paving the way for more effective therapies.