Biography:Sherene Loi

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Short description: Breast cancer research and translational medicine


Sherene Loi

Alma materUniversity of Melbourne (PhD)
Scientific career
InstitutionsPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Sherene Loi is an Australian oncologist. She is the 2021 winner of the Australian Prime Ministers Prize for Science, in the category of Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year. Loi is Head of Translational Breast Cancer Research, within the Peter Macallum Cancer Centre.[1] Loi's research has advanced understanding into breast cancer, developing and implementing an immune system biomarker. This biomarker will enable improved management for people with advanced cancer. This biomarker is now part of routine pathology reporting across many countries and also is included in the World Health Organisation Classification of Tumours (the WHO Blue Book on Breast Tumors).

Early life and career

Loi has an MMBS (Hons), and a PhD, from the University of Melbourne (2008).[citation needed] Loi has, from 2018 to 2020, ranked in the top 1% of global researchers,[2] according to the Web of Science, with more than 240 peer-reviewed publications.

Loi is a medical oncologist, and her career involves translational medicine, which includes translating research findings into treatments, including using genomic medicine, for people with breast cancer, both in Australia and around the world. Her research has helped develop findings supporting that immunotherapy, treatment using the immune systtem to fight cancer, assists with the survival and improved quality of life of patients with advanced breast cancer.[3]

Loi is the co-chair on the International Breast Cancer Study Group Committee (Switzerland), as well as on the Scientific Advisory Committee Member of Breast Cancer trials group. Her research uses genomic medicine to translate interesting sciencific findings to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients.[1] As at 2021, her H-index is 90 and she has over 40,000 citations in Google Scholar.[4]

Select publications

  • P Schmid, et al. (2018) Atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel in advanced triple-negative breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine: 379 (22), 2108-2121[5]
  • C Sotiriou, et al. (2014) Gene expression profiling in breast cancer: understanding the molecular basis of histologic grade to improve prognosis Journal of the National Cancer Institute: 98 (4), 262-272.[6]
  • S Loi, N Sirtaine, et al. (2013) Prognostic and predictive value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in a phase III randomized adjuvant breast cancer trial in node-positive breast cancer comparing the additiotion. Journal of Clin Oncol: 31 (7), 860-867.[7]
  • S Loi, S Michiels, R Salgado, N Sirtaine, V Jose, D Fumagalli (2014) Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes are prognostic in triple negative breast cancer and predictive for trastuzumab benefit in early breast cancer: results from the FinHER trial. Annals of oncology: 25 (8), 1544-1550.[8]

Media

Loi's work was described, by the American Assosciation for Cancer Research, as "at the forefront of research on the biological and clinical relevance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer". The Association states "she is a pioneer in designing and executing clinical trials using immunotherapy agents for the treatment of breast cancer."[9]

When winning the Prime Ministers's award, her work was described as developing a treatment, using immunotherapy, to treat the 'world's first immunotherapy' to treat patients with the most aggressive forms of breast cancer.[10] Her findings may benefit breast cancer patients both in Australia and around the world.[11]

Prizes and awards[12][3]

Year Award
2021 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the year
2020 Outstanding investigator award for Breast Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research
2020 European Society of Clinical Oncology Award for Breast Cancer Research.
2021 Jian Zhou Medal recipient, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
2019 Bruce Cain Award for Clinical Research, New Zealand Society for Oncology
2019 Robert Sutherland Award for Excellence in Translational Research, Breast Cancer Trials Group of Australia/NZ
2018-2020 Clarivate Analytics – Highly Cited Researcher (Top one per cent) in the field of Clinical Medicine
2018-2022 Inaugural Endowed Chair, National Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Australia
2016 ’Accelerate Discovery’ Individual Category Award, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
2015-2022 Research Fellow, Breast Cancer Research Foundation (New York)
2012 Career Development Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Professor Sherene Loi" (in en). https://asc.surgeons.org/speakers/sherene-loi.  [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  2. "Sherene Loi" (in en). 2016-06-02. https://www.petermac.org/research/labs/sherene-loi. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Professor Sherene Loi receives the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year" (in en-US). https://oncologynews.com.au/professor-sherene-loi-receives-the-frank-fenner-prize-for-life-scientist-of-the-year/. 
  4. "Sherene Loi". https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZPdqe6gAAAAJ&hl=en. 
  5. Schmid, Peter; Adams, Sylvia; Rugo, Hope S.; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Barrios, Carlos H.; Iwata, Hiroji; Diéras, Véronique; Hegg, Roberto et al. (2018-11-29). "Atezolizumab and Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer". New England Journal of Medicine 379 (22): 2108–2121. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1809615. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 30345906. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1809615. 
  6. Sotiriou, Christos; Wirapati, Pratyaksha; Loi, Sherene; Harris, Adrian; Fox, Steve; Smeds, Johanna; Nordgren, Hans; Farmer, Pierre et al. (2006-02-15). "Gene Expression Profiling in Breast Cancer: Understanding the Molecular Basis of Histologic Grade To Improve Prognosis". JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute 98 (4): 262–272. doi:10.1093/jnci/djj052. ISSN 0027-8874. PMID 16478745. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djj052. 
  7. "Prognostic and predictive". https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235363871. 
  8. Loi, S.; Michiels, S.; Salgado, R.; Sirtaine, N.; Jose, V.; Fumagalli, D.; Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, P. -L.; Bono, P. et al. (2014-08-01). "Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes are prognostic in triple negative breast cancer and predictive for trastuzumab benefit in early breast cancer: results from the FinHER trial" (in en). Annals of Oncology 25 (8): 1544–1550. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdu112. ISSN 0923-7534. PMID 24608200. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923753419348070. 
  9. "Award Winners Named for the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium | AACR | News Releases" (in en). https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/award-winners-named-for-the-2020-san-antonio-breast-cancer-symposium/. 
  10. "Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps" (in en-AU). https://dsf.newscorpaustralia.com/theaustralian/subscription/. 
  11. "Self-described 'Forrest Gump of COVID' wins PM's science prize" (in en-AU). ABC News. 2021-11-03. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-11-03/prime-ministers-science-prize-eddie-edward-holmes-covid-19-virus/100552752. 
  12. Department of Industry, Science (2021-10-29). "2021 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year". https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/prime-ministers-prizes-for-science-2021/2021-frank-fenner-prize-for-life-scientist-of-the-year. 

External links