Prof Mark Dawson

Professor Mark Dawson is a physician-scientist and an Associate Director of Research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He is an internationally recognised leader in the field of cancer biology, and his research has helped lead to the development of several first-in-class epigenetic therapies that have been translated into various clinical trials across the world.

Prof Dawson graduated with a medical degree from the University of Melbourne in 1999 and subsequently trained as a haematologist in Melbourne, Australia. After his clinical training, he completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge, followed by a Wellcome Trust Fellowship studying the epigenetic regulation of normal and malignant haematopoiesis. Prof Dawson returned to Melbourne in 2014 to lead a team investigating chromatin regulation in haematopoiesis and cancer. His research has helped define key molecular mechanisms that underpin the initiation, maintenance, and progression of cancer. These insights have led to the development of several first-in-class epigenetic therapies that have been translated into various clinical trials across the world.

In recognition of his research achievements, Prof Dawson has been awarded several awards and prizes, including HHMI International Scholar, the William Dameshek prize from the American Society of Hematology, The Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science as Life Scientist of the Year 2020. Prof Dawson has been elected to the Australian Academy of Science, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).