Moganalaxmi (Mogana) Reckdharajkumar

What is your current research focused on?

I am currently investigating how breast cancer cells that have metastasised to the lungs and brain interact with and reprogram cells in their tumour microenvironment (TME), promoting cancer growth and progression. My research focuses on fibroblasts, a key cell type responsible for producing extracellular matrix (ECM) components. When activated by cancer cells, these fibroblasts produce excess ECM, creating a dense matrix that protects cancer cells and hinders immune cell access, impairing the immune system's ability to clear the cancer. My PhD project aims to uncover the mechanisms by which cancer cells activate fibroblasts to drive excessive ECM deposition, a critical step towards developing next-generation therapies targeting these fibroblasts.

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What is your study background and when did you decide you wanted to be a research scientist?

I finished my schooling and obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (Biotechnology) from Anna University, India. I then moved to Adelaide, Australia in 2019 (just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic!) to undertake my Master's studies. My final year master's project focused on studying the role of hypoxia in heart regeneration. During this time, I developed a strong appreciation for the dynamic nature of lab work, where each day brought new challenges and opportunities for discovery, despite occasional setbacks when experiments didn’t yield expected results. This experience sparked my passion for research and motivated me to pursue it as a long-term career.

 

What attracted you to cancer research?

After completing my Masters, I was keen to continue to complete a PhD and when I was actively looking for a PhD opening in other labs, I came across Michael Samuel’s lab. The projects in his lab were very interesting for me and when I reached out to him. it was very fortunate that he had a funded project and was looking for PhD students. I then started as a PhD candidate in his lab with a scholarship from the University of Adelaide.

In India, people still do not talk about cancer, as cancer has historically been surrounded by social taboos and stigma which impacts various aspects of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. I had not come across anyone in my family or friends with cancer until my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, in my first year of PhD. This gave me a sense of purpose to study breast cancer and make meaningful impacts on improving outcomes for patients.

 

Why do you think research on metastases is important?

Cancer research has made significant strides, and while we are now able to detect and manage primary tumours to a certain extent and improve patients' quality of life, a cure for metastatic cancers remains elusive. Understanding the fundamental biology of how cancer cells disseminate from the primary site and metastasize is critical for developing future therapies that can more effectively treat patients.

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What do you find exciting about your research work?

The prospect of being the first to discover something novel that could one day contribute to the development of therapies, improving the lives and well-being of cancer patients, is incredibly exciting to me.

 

What do you hope to achieve in your research career?

My goal is to one day elucidate the mechanisms by which cancer cells metastasise to other organs and to share these findings with both scientific and non-scientific communities, working together to make a meaningful impact in the fight against cancer.

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