Pathology research

Alfred Health Pathology Services incorporates Laboratory Haematology, Microbiology and Clinical Biochemistry (also known as Chemical Pathology) and Anatomical Pathology. 

This year’s report focuses on Haematology. Anatomical Pathology, headed by Professor Catriona McLean, is also reported.

Laboratory Haematology is primarily a diagnostic and consultative service providing expertise in blood banking, laboratory-based general haematology, including morphology, coagulation and flow cytometry, immunology tests and diagnostic bone marrow biopsies. The unit incorporates a specialist multidisciplinary transfusion medicine team which audits transfusion safety and practice.

Research collaborations involve identifying and supplying material for various registries of the Transfusion Outcomes Research Collaborative; Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society’s TRANSFUSE trial; Clinical Haematology and Trauma Unit clinical trials; Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD), Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group and Nucleus Network.

Current research

  • Development of highly sensitive flow cytometric techniques for detection of small volume minimal residual disease after potentially curative therapy, particularly in multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
  • Coagulopathy associated with mechanical circulatory assist devices and heart valve dysfunction (ACBD collaboration)
  • PTP1B expression in myeloproliferative disorders as a marker of JAK-STAT pathway dysregulation
  • Haematological and biochemical complications of dapsone therapy
  • Predicting outcome in AML: molecular testing for founder mutations
  • Blood product use in bone marrow transplant and cardiac surgery patients
  • Pre-operative optimisation of haemoglobin in orthopaedic patients to limit need for transfusion

Achievements

  • Dr Victoria Ling, Haematology RACP /RCPA Advanced Trainee, won the 2014 Victorian RACP Trainee Research Award for Excellence in Adult Medicine
  • Dr Kay Htun, Haematology RACP /RCPA Advanced Trainee, won the 2014 Alfred Hospital prize for Best Advanced Physician Trainee Project
  • Dr Mandy Davis, Haematologist and Transfusion Specialist, was awarded the WTMS (Whole Time Medical Specialist) grant of $56,000 for expansion of the BloodTrack program to improve safety of blood administration.

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia: predicting outcome

Find out more

Inappropriate pre-operative testing

Find out more

Side effects of Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)

Find out more

Publications

TP53 status and impact on AML prognosis within the ELN 2022 risk classification

Fleming S, Tsai XC, Morris R, Hou HA, Wei AH

(2023), Blood, 142(23), 2029-2033

DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023020855

Integrative omics identifies conserved and pathogen-specific responses of sepsis-causing bacteria

Mu A, Klare WP, Baines SL, Ignatius Pang CN, Guérillot R, Harbison-Price N, Keller N, Wilksch J, Nhu NTK, Phan MD, Keller B, Nijagal B, Tull D, Dayalan S, Chua HHC, Skoneczny D, Koval J, Hachani A, Shah AD, Neha N, Jadhav S, Partridge SR, Cork AJ, Peters K, Bertolla O, Brouwer S, Hancock SJ, Álvarez-Fraga L, De Oliveira DMP, Forde B, Dale A, Mujchariyakul W, Walsh CJ, Monk I, Fitzgerald A, Lum M, Correa-Ospina C, Roy Chowdhury P, Parton RG, De Voss J, Beckett J, Monty F, McKinnon J, Song X, Stephen JR, Everest M, Bellgard MI, Tinning M, Leeming M, Hocking D, Jebeli L, Wang N, Ben Zakour N, Yasar SA, Vecchiarelli S, Russell T, Zaw T, Chen T, Teng D, Kassir Z, Lithgow T, Jenney A, Cole JN, Nizet V, Sorrell TC, Peleg AY, Paterson DL, Beatson SA, Wu J, Molloy MP, Syme AE, Goode RJA, Hunter AA, Bowland G, West NP, Wilkins MR, Djordjevic SP, Davies MR, Seemann T, Howden BP, Pascovici D, Tyagi S, Schittenhelm RB, De Souza DP, McConville MJ, Iredell JR, Cordwell SJ, Strugnell RA, Stinear TP, Schembri MA, Walker MJ

(2023), Nature communications, 14(1), 1530

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37200-w

Gastroenteritis complicated by mycotic aneurysm

Spelman D

(2023), 295-8

View all publications for Pathology research