From Discovery to Impact: The Future of Cancer Research

Candid Conversations Lunch with Prof Marco Herold

Hosted by Peter Lamell

Cancer research is advancing at an extraordinary pace. Our understanding of cancer biology continues to deepen, new technologies are changing the way researchers investigate disease, and innovative treatments are creating opportunities to improve both survival and quality of life for patients. Yet one of the greatest challenges is no longer simply making scientific discoveries. It is ensuring those discoveries reach patients quickly, safely and effectively.

In this presentation, Professor Marco Herold, Chief Executive Officer of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Head of the School of Cancer Medicine at La Trobe University, will explore how modern cancer research is bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and patient care through a translational “bedside-to-bench-to-bedside” approach. Drawing on his experience as both an internationally recognised cancer researcher and research leader, he will explain how clinicians, scientists, patients, universities, technology specialists and industry increasingly work together to accelerate the development of more effective, more tolerable and more accessible cancer diagnostics and treatments.

The presentation will also explore how advances in genomics, imaging, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are helping researchers better understand cancer and develop more personalised approaches to care. Professor Herold will offer an optimistic and thought-provoking perspective on one of the greatest medical challenges of our time, and why collaboration, innovation and patient-centred thinking have the potential to reshape cancer care for future generations.

Professor Marco Herold is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) and Head of La Trobe University’s School of Cancer Medicine. He holds a joint appointment with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and is an NHMRC Investigator Grant Leadership L2 Fellow and Honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne. 

Prof Herold completed his PhD at the University of Würzburg, Germany, where he trained in cell death research and mouse genetics. He established his independent laboratory at WEHI in 2013 before taking over as CEO of ONJCRI. A globally recognised leader in genome engineering for cancer research, Prof Herold was among the first to apply CRISPR technology in Australia. He developed a world-first inducible CRISPR knockout system for in vitro and in vivo use and adapted this system for disease-relevant modelling. He founded the Melbourne Advanced Genome Editing Centre (MAGEC) in 2014 and still oversees its operation today. His research team specialised in applying advanced CRISPR gene editing techniques to critical gene targets to develop next-generation cancer therapies. These tools have been used by over 500 labs worldwide and have allowed his team to make landmark discoveries including the identification of novel tumour suppressors and validation of anti-cancer drug targets. These research techniques are being utilised by ONJCRI laboratories to discover drug resistance factors and targets that enhance immune therapies. Prof Herold’s work has been recognised by multiple awards and funding including the David Syme Research Prize and Broomhead Centenary Fellowship in Genetic Engineering.

Since joining ONJCRI in 2023, Prof Herold has driven the Institute’s strategic growth, broadened its research programs and invested in areas such as mRNA technologies, immunogenomics, and data science. Under his leadership, ONJCRI launched its 2025-2029 Impact Strategy and expanded its early-phase clinical trials unit, with a focus to reach regional and rural patients.

We are privileged to have this opportunity to hear from the CEO of ONJCRI, Prof Marco Herold in such an intimate lunch setting.

ONJCRI is a world-class, independent medical research institute at the forefront of conducting impactful clinical trials. It brings together world-class researchers, clinicians, and research support professionals in a uniquely integrated environment.