Associate Professor Frances Byrne
PhD, Children’s Cancer Institute, UNSW Sydney
Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons), Flinders University, South Australia
Associate Fellow, Advance Higher Education
Research Focus
My laboratory is in the School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences (BABS) at UNSW. Our research focuses on understanding the unique metabolism of cancer cells and how we can exploit this phenotype to selectively kill cancer cells using novel small molecules developed in my lab. We are also investigating how metabolic diseases like obesity promote cancer development and whether we can target obesity to improve patient response to cancer therapies.
Teaching
I am an Associate Fellow of Advance Higher Education (AFHEA) and convene the second-year course BIOC2181 (Fundamentals of Biochemistry). I also give lectures in BABS3151 (topic: Cancer Genetics), BIOC3271/3671 (topics: Molecular Approaches to Cancer Cell Biology, Human Cytoskeleton and Disease), BIOC3261 (topic: Cancer Metabolism), and BABS2011 (topic: Natural Products in Cancer Therapy). I lead the cancer themed lectures and practicals for first and second year students in the Faculty of Medicine & Health (MFAC1525: Ageing and Endings). I supervise PhD, Masters, honours, and undergraduate students in the Schools of BABS, Chemistry, and Biomedical Sciences.
Engagement with community
Mr Jeff Cuff, a cancer research advocate, has been an active member of my laboratory since 2017 which led to co-authorship on our publication (Byrne et al, 2020 Redox Biology). My research highlighting the links between the endometrial microbiome and cancer was featured in the book ‘Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began’ by NHS midwife and best-selling author, Lead Hazard.
Engagement with Industry
As a previous participant in the MTP Connect Bridge Program (2020) and prior recipient of a Bridge Industry Fellowship (2021), I now serve as the UNSW representative on the Bridge Program steering committee. The Bridge Program is a national drug commercialisation training program for early and mid-career researchers.
Contribution to Profession
I review fellowship applications (Hope Funds for Cancer Research), NHMRC grants, HDR student theses, and manuscripts for Nature Communications, Science Advances, Cancer Research, Molecular Cancer Research, Gynecologic Oncology, Genes & Diseases, Cellular & Molecular Life Sciences, BMC, Cancers, and AJP Endocrinology & Metabolism.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Fellowships/Scholarships/Funding
UNSW Women's Wellbeing Academy Grant (2025)
Bridge Award grant, Faculty of Science, UNSW (2025)
Seed funding from the Schools of Biomedical Sciences/Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences ($20K) (2023)
Tenure Track Support Award (2022)
Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellowship (2022-2024)
Researcher Exchange & Development within Industry (REDI) Fellowship (2021)
Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship (2018-2021)
UNSW Career Advancement Fund (2019)
Translational Cancer Research Network (TCRN) grant (2018)
Next Generation Sequencing Grant, UNSW (2018)
Conference and Professional Development Grant, TCRN (2017)
Early Career Researcher Grant, Faculty of Science, UNSW (2016)
Hope Funds for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2017) (USA), Malcolm AS Moore Honorary Fellow
Anthony Rothe Memorial PhD Scholarship (2008-2011)
Louiza Zervos Memorial Scholarship in Paediatrics (2010)
Paper of the Month for publication in RSC Med Chem, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW (May 2025)
Bioscience Reports Best EMCR Poster Presentation, NSW Cancer Conference, Sydney NSW (2022)
Paper of the Month for publication in Cancers, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW (May 2022)
Paper of the Month for publication in Redox Biology, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW (November 2019)
Best oral presentation at AussieMit conference, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA (2014)
Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Travel Grant, AussieMit conference, Perth, WA (2014)
Paper of the Month for publication in Cancer Research, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Australia (2014)
Sydney Catalyst Prize for best cancer-related poster, Annual Garvan Signalling Symposium, Sydney, Australia (2014)
Jefferson Cup awarded for oral presentation at the UVA Postdoctoral Research Day, University of Virginia (USA) (2014)
Poster prize at the Inaugural UVA Postdoctoral Research Day, University of Virginia (USA) (2013)
University of Sydney Medal for Best Overall Presentation, ASMR Medical Research Week NSW Scientific Meeting (2011)
My Research Supervision
UNSW PhD Students (current)
Suri Zhang - School of BABS
Claudia Tiplady - School of BABS
UNSW PhD Students (previous)
Yao Cheng - School of Chemistry
Riya Shrestha (Scientia Scholarship) - School of BABS
Sing-Young Chen (Scientia Scholarship) - School of BABS
Stephanie Alexopoulos (Scientia Scholarship) - School of BABS