Associate ProfessorJames Wilmott

I am a senior investigator and program leader in translational cancer immunology at the Melanoma Institute Australia, where I lead multidisciplinary research programs focused on the interface of discovery science, clinical integration, and patient care. My work is centred on identifying critical unmet needs in pathology and oncology, developing implementable translational science, and delivering these solutions into clinical workflows to improve patient outcomes.

A defining feature of my role is creation and leadership of flagship research programs that deliver translational research to oncology clinics. I work closely with clinicians, pathologists, genomics teams, data scientists, industry partners and consumer groups to design and deliver large‑scale translational programs that integrate clinicopathology, genomics, transcriptomics and high‑dimensional spatial biology. These programs have produced clinically actionable tools that support decision making in melanoma diagnosis, prognosis and the precision use of immunotherapies, while also generating new insights into mechanisms of treatment resistance.

I am committed to working in multi-disciplinary teams that bridge laboratory discovery and real‑world clinical implementation. This includes establishing governance structures, securing competitive and philanthropic funding, mentoring emerging scientific leaders, and fostering collaboration across institutional and disciplinary boundaries.

I currently lead the following flagship research programs:

Personalised Immunotherapy Program (PIP)

The Personalised Immunotherapy Program is a nationally embedded precision immunotherapy platform designed to transform how immunotherapies are selected and deployed in both clinical trials and routine oncology care. The program challenges the prevailing one‑size‑fits‑all approach to immunotherapy by integrating tumour genomics, gene expression and immune profiling to personalise treatment selection for individual patients. PIP is supported by a $3.7 million Cancer Institute NSW Program Grant (2022–2026) and serves as a model for scalable, biomarker‑driven integration of immunology and genomics into clinical practice. My research leadership spans national and international programs involving hospitals, universities, diagnostic providers and industry partners.

Effective Therapies for Patients with High‑Risk Disease

This program focuses on developing effective therapeutic strategies for patients with high‑risk, in‑transit melanoma, an area of significant unmet clinical need. Funded through a Melanoma Research Alliance Team Science Award ($1.4 million), the program brings together investigators from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, QIMR Berghofer, Melanoma Institute Australia and the University of Sydney. By integrating whole‑genome and transcriptome sequencing, single‑cell RNA sequencing and high‑plex spatial tissue imaging, the program is defining resistance mechanisms at cellular resolution and informing next‑generation therapeutic strategies.

Genomic Etiology of Rare Melanomas

This program investigates the genomic foundations of rare melanoma subtypes, including acral, mucosal and uveal melanomas. Through international collaboration, it has delivered the most comprehensive genomic characterisation of melanoma to date, encompassing whole‑genome, transcriptomic and methylomic profiling of over 570 tumours, with outputs in Nature and multiple Nature Communications publications. These studies have reshaped understanding of melanoma biology and informed classification, diagnosis and therapeutic development.

Across these programs, my goal is to deliver research that is scientifically ambitious, clinically meaningful, and operationally deliverable, while building strong teams and partnerships that sustain long‑term impact for patients and the healthcare system.