What are your research interests?
- Haematology (study of blood disorders)
- Leukemia and pre-leukemia (blood cancers)
- Translational diagnostics
- Transfusion
- Coagulation (clotting) and venous thromboembolism
Why did you get into research?
Blood cancers are devasting for the patient and their families.
As a clinician researcher, I am humbled by the unique opportunity to work closely at the bedside and to translate the developments in the lab directly to clinical practice as a constant inspiration in the journey to treat blood diseases.
What would be the ultimate goal for your research?
Working together with my clinical colleagues, students and other researchers, we aim to bring novel drugs and diagnostics as well as introduce health system changes as part of world class research into blood disorders that will improve outcomes for patients with blood disorders.
Biography
Associate Professor Anoop Enjeti is an early career clinician researcher and clinical haematologist with dual clinical fellowships (Physician & Pathology), a masters in epidemiology/biostatistics, a clinical doctorate (MD) and a PhD. postgraduate physician qualifications from the UK Royal College of Physicians and specialist haematology from the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (2006). His physician and specialist haematology training has spanned across India, UK, Singapore and Australia including specialist training in genetics and molecular genetics where he contributed to a high impact publication outlining geographical variations in leukemia genetics.
In Dr Enjeti’s clinical haematologist role at the Calvary Mater Hospital, he leads the acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplasia program. He is an active member of the Hunter Cancer Research Alliance (HCRA) where he has established active collaborations with cancer researchers locally and across the state. He was the recipient of the prestigious ‘visiting fellowship’ in Molecular Oncologic Pathology Strategic Health Research Training Program in Cancer Research, Canada (funded by the Terry Fox Foundation) for the year 2016. He was the recipient of the HCRA fellowship in 2015 and more recently was awarded a Translational Research Fellowship from Pathology NSW - Hunter/HNE LHD /HCRA and Calvary Mater Hospital (2017-19) to pursue translational clinical research in Haematology.
Dr Enjeti has over 43 publications with an average of 13.9 citations per publication (Scopus). He has a H-Index of 16 (google scholar) and 12 (Scopus, Web of Science and Dimensions). He has obtained > $3 million in research support funding including a recent NHMRC Ideas grant exploring novel drug targets in leukemia. He has received over 3 million dollars in competitive and other research funding.
Dr Enjeti is the clinical lead for leukemia and myelodysplasia (pre-leukemia) clinical trials at the Calvary Mater Newcastle where he has led the development, recruited patients, submitted ethics, reviewed safety data and analysed results for over 30 clinical trials. He is also the Myelodysplasia (MDS) trials lead for ALLG where he is developing a national platform trial concept. A focus on low intensity or oral therapies led to the discovery that Venotoclax was a viable effective oral anti-leukemic drug. The results of this trial, led by Dr Enjeti at the Calvary Mater as part of an International effort, has led to the US Food and Drug Administration considering this drug in older leukemia patients which was given a breakthrough therapy designation.
Dr Enjeti lead the state-wide molecular haematology service run out of Newcastle (NSW Health Pathology, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle). He is on the Board for Education and Assessment in Haematology for the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia, the professional body overseeing training, education and policy for pathologists in the Australian as the Chief examiner in Haematology. He is also the President of the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Dr Enjeti’s translational haematology research program links discovery, diagnostics, health system changes and early phase clinical trials to improve the outcomes for patients with blood diseases in regional Australia and beyond with both health and knowledge impacts.
Future Focus
I am working together with several others sharing my passion for solving challenges in blood cancer. Our focus is to develop new drugs which are easily administered and have less toxicity than conventional chemotherapy. I am also involved with my colleagues in the Australasian Leukemia and Lymphoma group to develop approaches to clinical trials in blood cancers which will evaluate lateral approaches to therapy and bring drugs more rapidly to patients in Australia.
Specialised/Technical Skills
- Early phase clinical trials with focus on acute leukemia and pre-leukemia (AML/MDS)
- Translational diagnostics in Haematology with focus on sequencing and array technologies (for all blood cancers)
- Service delivery transformation projects with focus on blood transfusion
- Understanding the biology of clotting; risk reduction strategies for venous thromboembolism with a focus on delivery of preventative strategies.
Affiliations
Downloads
ABC Newcastle interview with Kia Handley - 2 July 2019