Westmead. Professor 'outstanding researcher'

Professor Roger Reddel, who is the Sir Lorimer Dods Professor and director of Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI), and head of CMRI's Cancer Research Unit, has been named “Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year” at the 5th annual Cancer Institute NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research. Professor Reddel and his team at CMRI are best known for discovering Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres, the mechanism that 10 to 15 per cent of cancers depend on for their continual growth. In addition, the team were the first to discover the molecular composition of the enzyme, telomerase, on which the other 85 per cent of cancers depend.