Associate ProfessorPegah Varamini

A/Prof Varamini’s research interests and expertise are in several areas of pharmaceutical sciences, including cancer targeting, drug design and drug delivery, and nanomedicine/nano-formulation, with a strong focus on translational oncology. Through her research program, A/Prof Varamini has secured over $3 million in competitive research funding and industry support, enabling the development and translation of advanced therapeutic and drug-delivery platforms for hard-to-treat cancers, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Her major research interests are:

1) Targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells, with a primary focus on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), using advanced delivery platforms including peptide–drug conjugates (PDCs), radiotheranostic peptides, and nanotechnology-based drug-delivery systems. This research stream includes advanced preclinical studies, is protected by a patent in the national phase, and has supported the supervision and completion of multiple PhD candidates.

2) Development of advanced drug-delivery systems for the prevention and targeted treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis, integrating nanotechnology, controlled-release systems, and biomaterials to address metastatic disease. This program is supported by competitive funding, including a Tour de Cure grant, and is conducted in collaboration with A/Prof Michelle McDonald (University of Sydney) and A/Prof Behnam Akhavan (University of Newcastle).

An overview of this bone metastasis research program is available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6GDkQO7oPk&feature=youtu.be

This research theme also includes the Hybrid Nano-Systems Curing Cancer Spread program, an interdisciplinary initiative supported by Sydney Nano Kickstarter funding and HMRI, involving national and international academic and industry partners.

3) Development of biomimetic and membrane-coated nanotechnologies for precision therapy of TNBC, including cell membrane-coated multifunctional liposomes and bionic membrane-coated nanocarriers designed to enhance tumour targeting and therapeutic efficacy. This work includes the supervision of PhD and MPhil candidates and is conducted in collaboration with Prof Andrew McLachlan, Dr Dinny Graham (WIMR), and Prof Valentina Cauda, with support from the Sydney Pharmacy School Development Grant.

4) Establishment of clinically relevant preclinical models of breast cancer, including patient-derived organoids (PDOs), to develop a translational laboratory platform closely linked with clinical practice. This program enables therapy screening and treatment-response evaluation using patient-derived material to support precision medicine and translational decision-making and is conducted in collaboration with researchers at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), including Dr Dinny Graham, as well as national and international clinical collaborators.