Two leading Australian scientists, Dr. Clare Weeden and Dr. Qi Zhang, have won a prestigious CSL Centenary Fellowship. This award provides $1.25 million over five years to support their cancer research.
The declaration was made on October 24 during the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Annual Meeting in Adelaide.
Dr. Weeden, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne, and Dr. Zhang, from the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) in Adelaide, tackle critical cancer research issues. Their work focuses on two urgent areas: lung cancer and cell epigenetic regulation.
The CSL Centenary Fellowships were created to support Australia’s brightest mid-career medical researchers. They offer stable funding and resources that allow researchers to pursue innovative and complex studies.
With this support, Dr. Weeden and Dr. Zhang can work toward breakthroughs without the typical financial pressures researchers often face.
Dr. Weeden’s work focuses on lung cancer, a leading cause of cancer death in Australia. Lung cancer mortality rates have risen sharply, even as smoking has declined over recent decades. Surprisingly, one in four lung cancer patients today has never smoked, suggesting other factors play a significant role.
For over a decade, Dr. Weeden has studied why lung cancer rates are increasing worldwide, particularly in urban areas. Her research reveals that potentially cancerous cells lie dormant in everyone’s lungs. Environmental factors, including cigarette smoke and urban pollution, can activate these cells.
Her journey in cancer research took her to the Francis Crick Institute in London, a renowned center for scientific discovery. Recently, she returned to Melbourne to establish her lab at WEHI, supported by the CSL Centenary Fellowship. Her focus is how chromatin changes—the material that packages DNA—can trigger cancerous transformations in lung cells.
Chromatin plays a crucial role in determining how cells express genes. When chromatin changes, it can alter the behavior of lung cells. Dr. Weeden suspects that inflammation in the lungs, often caused by pollution or smoking, might change chromatin in ways that encourage cancer growth.
She aims to uncover how these chromatin changes initiate cancer and, more critically, why some cells resist targeted therapies. Her ultimate goal is to find ways to reverse these abnormal cellular states.
Meanwhile, Dr. Qi Zhang is investigating how cells turn genes on and off during their development. This process, known as gene regulation, allows cells to develop unique identities, which is essential for proper function. However, when gene regulation fails, it can lead to diseases like cancer.
Dr. Zhang’s work at SAiGENCI focuses on understanding how healthy cells regulate gene expression. By studying this process in detail, she hopes to identify where it breaks down in cancer cells.
“We want to know what’s happening with the packaging of our DNA in a healthy cell,” she explains. Then, by comparing this to cancer cells, her team can pinpoint the precise changes that drive tumor growth. This information could ultimately result in therapies that focus on these specific breakdowns in gene regulation.
Epigenetic misregulation is complex, involving intricate networks of biochemical signals. It signals instruct cells on how to behave, including when to divide and remain dormant. Dr. Zhang aims to map these processes to understand how cancer cells lose their original identities and begin to spread.
Dr. Zhang’s research insights could inspire new drugs to correct these epigenetic errors. Such treatments could potentially reprogram cancer cells, preventing their uncontrolled growth.
The CSL Centenary Fellowships were established in 2016 to celebrate CSL’s 100th anniversary. They fund two mid-career researchers in Australia each year, each receiving $1.25 million over five years.
The fellowships aim to help researchers focus on discovery and translational research, particularly in areas where current medical solutions are limited.
A panel of experts, including three independent specialists and two CSL representatives, reviews the fellowship applications to ensure rigorous selection. CSL’s Head of Research, Dr. Andrew Nash, chaired the 2025 committee. He emphasized the impact that stable funding can have on transformative research.
“Dr. Zhang and Dr. Weeden are making fundamental discoveries about how normal cells develop and how that development can go wrong, leading to cancer and other diseases,” Dr. Nash explained. “With the support of their CSL Centenary Fellowships, their research will open paths to new kinds of treatment for cancer and developmental diseases.”
Cancer research often requires long-term commitment and substantial resources. With these fellowships, Dr. Weeden and Dr. Zhang can concentrate on their work without the distraction of securing additional funding.
By investigating the root causes of cancer at the cellular level, both researchers are working toward a future where treatments do more than manage symptoms.
Dr. Weeden’s lung cancer research can potentially impact millions of people. Her work could redefine how we understand and treat lung cancer, focusing on prevention and reversal rather than just treatment.
Dr. Zhang’s work on epigenetics could revolutionize our approach to cancer drugs. Many current therapies target cancer cells broadly, often causing harmful side effects. By pinpointing the specific errors in gene regulation, Dr. Zhang hopes to inspire drugs that work more precisely, reducing unintended consequences and improving patient outcomes.
Both scientists bring unique perspectives and expertise to their research. Dr. Weeden’s background in cancer biology gives her insights into how lung cells respond to environmental factors. Dr. Zhang’s genetics and cellular identity expertise help her understand the deep-seated changes that drive cancerous transformations.
The CSL Centenary Fellowships symbolize Australia’s commitment to fostering medical innovation. By supporting mid-career researchers, these awards recognize the potential of scientific talent within the country.
Dr. Weeden and Dr. Zhang’s work aligns with CSL’s mission to advance public health and treat rare and severe diseases. As they continue their studies, the scientific community eagerly awaits the breakthroughs that may emerge.
The support from CSL allows these researchers to focus on long-term solutions. Instead of pursuing immediate but incremental advances, they can work toward transformative discoveries.
In the fight against cancer, researchers like Dr. Weeden and Dr. Zhang represent the front lines. Their dedication to understanding cancer’s root causes could eventually make the disease far more manageable—or even curable.
With the backing of the CSL Centenary Fellowships, these scientists now have the resources to pursue that vision.