Staff Profile

Dr Skelding is an early career researcher (PhD awarded in 2008), whose research focuses on understanding the role of protein targeting in human disease, specifically in cancer and neuronal cell death following stroke. She commenced her first lectureship position at the start of 2012. Dr Skelding’s PhD investigated the use of oncolytic viruses as novel anti-cancer agents, and was funded by a prestigious National Breast Cancer Foundation Scholarship, as well as the commercial company, Viralytics Ltd. This work saw Dr Skelding develop new mouse models of spontaneously metastasising breast cancer to examine the pre-clinical effectiveness of novel viral therapies for cancer, both as single agents, and in combination with currently approved chemotherapeutic agents. Additionally, the research undertaken throughout Dr Skelding’s PhD has led to the commencement of a Phase II clinical trial in the use of this virus (CAVATAK) as an intravenous treatment for melanoma, breast, and prostate cancer.

In her post-doctoral studies, Dr Skelding further applied her background in cell biology to examine signal transduction pathways and the role of targeting in regulating CaMKII (calcium/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II) function in neuronal cells. Dr Skelding has developed a new overlay binding assay that has allowed, for the first time, the examination of protein phosphorylation state on the interaction between CaMKII and its target proteins, and led her to examine how protein targeting can control cellular functions. Dr Skelding has now established a research group that focuses on the role of CaMKII in cell proliferation, survival and invasion/migration, and her team has discovered new CaMKII-dependent mechanisms for controlling cell division.

Dr Skelding’s interest in the regulation of protein function by targeting has led to her forming local, national, and international collaborations to investigate the role of CaMKII phosphorylation in heart disease and following stroke, as well as investigating protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) reactivation in leukaemia and breast cancer.

Dr Skelding has 11 publications, 9 as first author, appearing in journals of good impact in the field, which have over 225 citations to date. She has received several awards throughout her research career, including the International Society for Neurochemistry Travel Award (2011), Best Early Career Researcher Speaker at the Hunter Medical Research Institute Cancer Research Program Symposium (2010), Best Speaker at the University of Newcastle Graduate Student’s Day (2006), University Medal in Biomedical Science (2003), the University of Newcastle Vice Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence (2000), and numerous undergraduate and post-graduate training scholarships. Due to work completed throughout her PhD, the Hon Roslyn Kelly (Chair of the National Breast Cancer Foundation Board of Trustees) nominated Dr Skelding for a Fresh Science Award in 2006, for which she was short-listed.

Dr Skelding has supervised one Master Research Higher Degree Student (completed in 2012), two Honours Students, and two Undergraduate Research Students. She is member of the University of Newcastle Faculty of Health Occupational Health and Safety Committee, and was part of the Conference Organising Committee for the 2012 Hunter Medical Research Institute Cancer Research Symposium. Her expertise in the field of cancer cell biology has led to invitations to peer review grant applications (for example, NHMRC). Dr Skelding has a strong commitment to the promotion of medical research in the community. As part of this, she has disseminated her findings through television, radio and print medias. Dr Skelding is a member of the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s Speaker’s Bureau, which sees her presenting recent advances in the field of breast cancer research to various scientific and community forums.