Introducing Dr. Toby Trahair: one of our 2025–2026 grant recipients.
Dr Toby Trahair is a paediatric haematologist and oncologist who has practiced as a Staff Specialist at Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital since 2006. Dr Trahair is involved in clinical trials research as the lead Australian investigator on the international SIOPEN trial for high-risk neuroblastoma.
Dr. Trahair’s research focuses on developing improved neuroblastoma models that contain patient-derived cancer cells as well as a working immune system from the same patient. These “humanised” mouse models are important because they allow researchers to study how neuroblastoma interacts with the immune system.
Immunotherapy treatments for neuroblastoma, including antibody therapy, CAR-T cells, partial-matching transplants, and vaccination, are being increasingly used in clinical trials. While these treatments are effective for some children with neuroblastoma, they are not effective for all. Moreover, current patient-derived neuroblastoma models are not well suited for immuno-oncology research because they are developed without a functioning immune system.
Dr. Trahair and his team will develop realistic mouse models to address this limitation and to test new immunotherapy treatments.
Read more about the project here.
Dr. Trahair is also a previous winner of our grants round.
