Associate Professor Michelle Hill
Research Institution: Proseek Bio, formerly at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
OCRF priorities the researcher addresses: Early Detection
Their OCRF-funded research projects: Discovery of new blood protein biomarkers for ovarian cancer early detection
My goal is to translate research into the clinic to help women, not just develop knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It’s about making it as accessible as quickly as possible.”
About Associate Professor Hill’s research
Associate Professor Michelle Hill specialises in a field of science call proteomics and examines modifications that impact the way proteins function.
In pursuing an early detection test for ovarian cancer, her team are particularly attuned to not only innovating with new technologies in the lab but adapting how existing technologies (currently used in clinical settings) can be applied to new ovarian cancer detection approaches. This is because her team aim to expedite accurate ovarian cancer early detection into a clinical pathology setting.
Background
Associate Professor Hill has always been curious with a desire to answer questions and “find things out.” Although she considered studying medicine, she found she was drawn towards new innovations—she wanted to change the status quo, rather than treat people within medicine’s current limitations. It was a natural incentive to catalyse a research career.
“I realised that in the medical profession they have limited tools in their toolbox and research can help develop more.”
Serendipity intervened in Associate Professor Hill’s career when after studying her honours she went to speak to a professor who ended up being unavailable on the day. Instead, she met a different Professor who specialised in cell signalling and diabetes, which led to her specialising in examining protein modifications using proteomics—the field of study that underpins her OCRF project.
Associate Professor Hill then undertook her PhD at The University of Queensland before three post-doctoral studies in Switzerland, Ireland and Queensland. During these post-doctoral positions, she examined various subsets of proteins. Initially, this included ‘phosphorylation’— how signals are transmitted inside a cell. She also studied sub-cellular proteomics, which involves examining the different compartments within a cell and how interaction with proteins affects them.
At The University of Queensland, she established the Cancer Proteomics Group, within the Diamantina Institute. Associate Professor Hill then moved to QIMR Berghofer to lead the Precision and Systems Biomedicine Lab.
Associate Professor Hill has a family history of cancer which spurred a motivation to research it. Having developed technology towards a blood test for oesophageal cancer, she turned her attention to ovarian cancer because the biology of the two diseases have similarities. She was awarded an OCRF National Research Grants Program funding opportunity, making this research possible.
In 2023 Associate Professor Hill established Proseek Bio, a medtech company to develop her ovarian cancer research to in vitro or lab-based diagnostic tests.
Career highlights
- Associate Professor Hill is most proud of her publications that are focused on translation —getting research from the lab and into the clinic. These include a publication on the implementation of a clinical mass spectrometry test (an analytical technique) to determine the subtype of amyloidosis (a disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in organs). Her paper helped demonstrate the clinical impact of this test, because the amyloidosis subtype determines the appropriate therapy for a specific patient.
- Additionally, she’s proud of her biomarker discovery for ovarian cancer and the development of a pipeline towards early detection through her own company, who are currently optimising a test for ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Collaborative impact
Associate Professor Hill collaborates with University College London researchers including Professor Usha Menon. Professor Menon leads the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening biobank, the largest collection of ovarian cancer early-stage samples—which can be difficult to source, and are precious because ovarian cancer is often diagnosed in the later stages. These samples are vital to allowing Associate Professor Hill to understand how early her early detection approach can identify ovarian cancer.
For every project like this, many more can’t get underway due to a lack of funding. Support research like this to help them move forward.
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