Flinders University health and medical researchers continue to shine on the national stage, with outstanding success in recent Cancer Council SA fellowships for cancer research and Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grants.

These achievements recognise the depth of talent across the University and reaffirm Flinders’ leadership in improving health outcomes for the community.

2026 Cancer Council SA Research Fellowships

Four Flinders University researchers have been named among Cancer Council SA’s ‘Super Seven’ fellowship recipients for 2026 – an exceptional result that highlights the university’s growing impact across cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship.

The Flinders recipients are:

• Dr Raj Kumar Shrestha – advancing new treatments for advanced prostate cancer by blocking the PDIA1 and PDIA5 enzymes that help cancer cells thrive
• Dr Oluwaseyifunmi Andi Agbejule – examining how financial discrimination affects people living with cancer, to better inform policy and legal reform
• Dr Jacqueline Roseleur – working to improve cancer outcomes for people living in disadvantaged areas who also manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease
• Dr Sana Ishaque – partnering with culturally and linguistically diverse communities to increase screening participation and reduce cancer inequities.

Together, these researchers will contribute to a statewide effort aimed at reducing the rate and impact of cancer for South Australians.

Flinders Foundation Seed Grants

Flinders Foundation has awarded 33 innovative research projects, led by researchers from Flinders University and the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN), to help researchers test bold ideas and build evidence for future large‑scale grants.

Flinders University funded projects:

• Dr Chad Yixian Han – Involving Older Cancer Survivors in Co-Designing a Telehealth-Enabled Health Recovery Through an Integrated Virtual Exercise-Nutrition Intervention for Frailty (I-Can-THRIVE)
• Dr Sunita Ramesh – developing new drugs to stop the lethal spread of glioblastoma brain cancer
• Dr Yee Lian Chew – investigating ways to preserve memory in ageing brains by studying neural pathways in worms
• Associate Professor Erin Symonds – using a novel faecal test to guide when colonoscopies are needed for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
• Associate Professor Ranjay Chakraborty – trialling a new intervention aimed at slowing the progression of childhood myopia
• Dr Darling Rojas Canales – exploring an innovative approach to expand the donor kidney pool by enhancing kidney viability and function
• Associate Professor Jacqueline Stephens – Adenovirus Faecal Shedding in South Australian Adults
• Dr Sara Tommasi – Investigation of the Cardio-Protective Effects of Methotrexate: A New Approach to Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Cardiovascular Complications
• Dr Shawgi Sukumaran – Integrating Vedanta Principles to Alleviate Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR) in Cancer Survivors
• Dr Mallika Prem Senthil – Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) as a Novel Biomarker for Early Detection of Peripheral Arterial Disease in At-Risk Individuals
• Associate Professor Nicola Dean – Understanding the Experiences of Individuals Waiting to Access Gender-Affirming Surgery Within South Australia – A Qualitative Study
• Dr Molla Wassie – Identifying Nutritional Challenges Following Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Mixed-Methods Study
• Dr Rami Al-Dirini – A Digital Prescription Tool to Improve Prevention and Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
• Associate Professor Vi Khanh Truong – Ultrasound-Triggered Gallium Hydrogel Therapy for Periprosthetic Joint Infections
• Professor David Lynn – Defining the Mechanisms Through Which a Probiotic Intervention Boosts Immune Responses to Vaccination in Early Life
• Associate Professor Yogesh Sharma – Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial of Vitamin C Supplementation in Hospitalised Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Effect on Inflammatory Biomarkers
• Dr Radwan Ansaar – Wound Healing: Understanding the Molecular Pathobiology of Surgical Failure in Glaucoma
• Professor Geraint Rogers – Targeting Gut Health to Reduce Osteoporosis Risk During Perimenopause
• Dr Elke Sokoya – Feasibility of a Diet and Lifestyle Program Guided by Real-Time Glucose Monitoring in Postmenopausal Women at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Associate Professor Matthew Hong – Unravelling the Contribution of the Gut Microbiome to the Efficacy of BCG-Immunotherapy for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC)
• Dr Ramin Hassankhani – PRE-ADAPT: Preliminary Evaluation of Anti-Cancer Drug Assays for Personalised Treatment
• Associate Professor Mary-Louise Rogers – CIPN-FOCUS – Functional Outcomes, Clinical and Biomarker Understanding in CIPN Survivors
• Dr Jasmin Pople – Investigating the Biological Activity of a New Class of Sulfur-Based Antimicrobials Called Poly(trisulfides)
• Dr Jocelyn Choo – Contribution of Vaginal Microbiota Dynamics to Genitourinary Health in Perimenopause
• Dr Long Yu – Discovery of Natural Inhibitors Targeting Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Remodelling in Rhizopus oryzae for Potential Antifungal Therapy
• Dr Eva Hesping – Exploiting Targeted Protein Degradation to Expand Antiviral Activity of JNJ-1802
• Dr Yuri Ogawa – How Does Hoverfly Sleep Disruption Affect Motor and Visual Function
• Dr Amal Osman – Pulse Oximeter Function in Different Populations: Implications for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Beyond
• Dr Ian Zajac – Towards Zero Suicide: Co-Designing STRONG Intervention Pathways for Men After Separation (Supporting TRansitions Of meN through separation and Grief)
• Dr Cody Lindsay – Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Falls Screening in Older Adults
• Dr Muktar Ahmed – Development and Validation of an Artificial Intelligence–Driven Predictive Triage System for Colonoscopy Referral in Australian Primary Care
• Associate Professor Bart Eijkelkamp – Developing a Novel Anti-Pneumococcal Intervention That Capitalises on a Major Evolutionary Constraint
• Dr Joshua Trigg – Extending the Sober Curious Movement to Reduce Use of Tobacco and Nicotine

You can read more about the grants at Cancer Council SA and Flinders Foundation.