University of Newcastle
Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
Dr Ryan Duchatel, is an early career researcher, and Defeat DIPG ChadTough Fellow at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Dr Duchatel joined the Cancer Signalling Research Group (CSRG) led by Prof Matthew Dun in 2018, after completing a PhD in experimental pharmacology, investigating the neurobiology of schizophrenia and other mental health disorders.
Dr Duchatel is an expert in Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), in vivo modelling including stereotaxic/orthotopic surgery and oversees the DMG preclinical modelling platform the University of Newcastle, testing new treatments for DMG in a wide variety of immunocompromised PDX and genetically induced, immunocompetent DMG models. This platform is underpinned by cellular and molecular biology techniques, in vitro and in vivo modelling utilising patient samples, coupled with high-resolution, quantitative proteomics.
Dr Duchatel’s primary research focus is on harnessing the therapeutic potential of the PI3K signalling axis for the treatment of DMG using the blood brain barrier penetrant inhibitor, paxalisib, including elucidating the preclinical mechanistic biology underpinning the promising combination of ONC201 and paxalisib for the treatment of DMG patients, recently published in Cancer Research. Recently, Dr Duchatel has been investigating the therapeutic potential of an optimised paxalisib treatment regimen in combination with anti-glycemic therapies, metformin and the PKC inhibitor, enzastaurin for the treatment of patients with DMG. Together these data have assisted the development of the international clinical trial, PNOC-022 testing the combination of ONC201 and paxalisib with standard of care radiation therapy, providing access to ONC201 and paxalisib to children with DMG all around the world, including Australia since September 2022.
