Professor Maher Gandhi

Director, MRI & CEO Mater(Conjoint)

Mater Research Institute-UQ
Faculty of Medicine

Overview

Maher Gandhi received his medical degree in the UK in 1989, and then trained as a haematologist, including a Fellowship in malignant haematology at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto. He was awarded a PhD in immunology at Cambridge University under Patrick Sissons. In 2003 he moved to Brisbane, and works as a Senior Staff Specialist (Pre-Eminent Status) in the Haematology / Oncology Department of the Princess Alexandra Hospital. He leads his own laboratory group and has established an international reputation studying immunity and identification of novel biomarkers in lymphoma, with continuous NHMRC funding since 2005. He was Chair of Laboratory Sciences for the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group between 2010-2016, won the prestigious Australian Society of Medical Research Clinical Research Award in 2010 and in 2012 took up the inaugural John McCaffrey Cancer Council of Queensland / Office of Health and Medical Research Clinical Research Fellowship. Between 2011-2014 he was privileged to serve as Chair of the Metro South Human Research Ethics Committee. In 2013 he was appointed Professor of Experimental Haematology, University of Queensland, based at the Translational Research Institute, in 2014 became the inaugural Leukaemia Foundation Chair of Blood Cancer Research at the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, and was appointed Diamantina Cancer Program Head in 2016. In 2018 to current, he moved to Mater Research, where he is Executive Director, as well Director of MRI-UQ.

Research Interests

  • Lymphoma
  • Immunotherapy
  • Biomarkers

Research Impacts

The research of the Blood Cancer Research Laboratory aims to understand the basis of lymphoma; to devise new treatments which are less toxic and more effective; to establish new biomarkers which will help determine the most effective treatment strategies and to monitor response and relapse and understand the development of lymphomas. The group has a strong emphasis on patient material, which it obtains from international and national clinical collaborators. Lymphomas studied include Hodgkin Lymphoma, PTLD, Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma, Follicular Lymphoma and virus associated lymphomas. We utilise a broad range of approaches including genomics, molecular and cellular biology techniques and functional immunoassays. Several of our studies are linked with the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group.

The Mater Foundation, the Leukaemia Foundation, and the Brisbane Girls Grammar School Kirsten Jack Memorial Fund are thanked for their kind support.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge
  • Bachelor of Medicine Surgery, University of Aberdeen

Publications

  • Gandhi, Maher K., Hoang, Thanh, Law, Soi C., Brosda, Sandra, O'Rourke, Kacey, Tobin, Joshua W. D., Vari, Frank, Murigneux, Valentine, Fink, J. Lynn, Gunawardana, Jay, Gould, Clare M., Oey, Harald, Bednarska, Karolina, Delecluse, Susanne, Trappe, Ralf Ulrich, de Long, Lilia Merida, Sabdia, Muhammed Bilal, Bhagat, Govind, Hapgood, Greg, Blyth, Emily, Clancy, Leighton E., Wight, Joel, Hawkes, Eliza A., Rimsza, Lisa M., Maguire, Alanna, Bojarczuk, Kamil, Chapuy, Bjoern and Keane, Colm (2021). EBV-associated primary CNS lymphoma occurring after immunosuppression is a distinct immunobiological entity. Blood, 137 (11), 1468-1477. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020008520

  • Cristino, Alexandre S., Nourse, Jamie, West, Rachael A., Sabdia, Muhammed Bilal, Law, Soi C., Gunawardana, Jay, Vari, Frank, Mujaj, Sally, Thillaiyampalam, Gayathri, Snell, Cameron, Gough, Madeline, Keane, Colm and Gandhi, Maher K. (2019). EBV-microRNA-BHRF1-2-5p targets the 3'UTR of immune-checkpoint ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. Blood, 134 (25), 2261-2270. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019000889

  • Tobin, Joshua W. D., Keane, Colm, Gunawardana, Jay, Mollee, Peter, Birch, Simone, Hoang, Thanh, Lee, Justina, Li, Li, Huang, Li, Murigneux, Valentine, Fink, J. Lynn, Matigian, Nicholas, Vari, Frank, Francis, Santiyagu, Kridel, Robert, Weigert, Oliver, Haebe, Sarah, Jurinovic, Vindi, Klapper, Wolfram, Steidl, Christian, Sehn, Laurie H., Law, Soi-Cheng, Wykes, Michelle N. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2019). Progression of disease within 24 months in follicular lymphoma is associated with reduced intratumoral immune infiltration. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 37 (34), 3300-3309. doi: 10.1200/JCO.18.02365

  • Vari, Frank, Arpon, David, Keane, Colm, Hertzberg, Mark S, Talaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Cui, Qingyan, Han, Erica, Tobin, Josh, Bird, Robert, Cross, Donna, Hernandez, Annette, Gould, Clare, Birch, Simone and Gandhi, Maher K (2018). Immune evasion via PD-1/PD-L1 on NK-cells and monocyte/macrophages is more prominent in Hodgkin lymphoma than DLBCL. Blood, 131 (16), 1809-1819. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-07-796342

  • Keane, Colm, Gould, Clare, Jones, Kimberley, Hamm, David, Talaulikar, Dipti, Ellis, Jonathan, Vari, Frank, Birch, Simone, Han, Erica, Wood, Peter, Le-Cao, Kim-Anh, Green, Michael R., Crooks, Pauline, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh, Steptoe, Raymond J. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2017). The T-cell receptor repertoire influences the tumor microenvironment and is associated with survival in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Clinical Cancer Research, 23 (7), 1820-1828. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-1576

  • Keane, Colm, Vari, Frank, Hertzberg, Mark, Le Cao, Kim-Anh, Green, Michael R., Han, Erica, Seymour, John F., Hicks, Rodney J., Gill, Devinder, Crooks, Pauline, Gould, Clare, Jones, Kimberley, Griffiths, Lyn R., Talaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). Ratios of T-cell immune effectors and checkpoint molecules as prognostic biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a population-based study. Lancet Haematology, 2 (10), e445-e455. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(15)00150-7

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Supervision

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Publications

Featured Publications

  • Gandhi, Maher K., Hoang, Thanh, Law, Soi C., Brosda, Sandra, O'Rourke, Kacey, Tobin, Joshua W. D., Vari, Frank, Murigneux, Valentine, Fink, J. Lynn, Gunawardana, Jay, Gould, Clare M., Oey, Harald, Bednarska, Karolina, Delecluse, Susanne, Trappe, Ralf Ulrich, de Long, Lilia Merida, Sabdia, Muhammed Bilal, Bhagat, Govind, Hapgood, Greg, Blyth, Emily, Clancy, Leighton E., Wight, Joel, Hawkes, Eliza A., Rimsza, Lisa M., Maguire, Alanna, Bojarczuk, Kamil, Chapuy, Bjoern and Keane, Colm (2021). EBV-associated primary CNS lymphoma occurring after immunosuppression is a distinct immunobiological entity. Blood, 137 (11), 1468-1477. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020008520

  • Cristino, Alexandre S., Nourse, Jamie, West, Rachael A., Sabdia, Muhammed Bilal, Law, Soi C., Gunawardana, Jay, Vari, Frank, Mujaj, Sally, Thillaiyampalam, Gayathri, Snell, Cameron, Gough, Madeline, Keane, Colm and Gandhi, Maher K. (2019). EBV-microRNA-BHRF1-2-5p targets the 3'UTR of immune-checkpoint ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. Blood, 134 (25), 2261-2270. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019000889

  • Tobin, Joshua W. D., Keane, Colm, Gunawardana, Jay, Mollee, Peter, Birch, Simone, Hoang, Thanh, Lee, Justina, Li, Li, Huang, Li, Murigneux, Valentine, Fink, J. Lynn, Matigian, Nicholas, Vari, Frank, Francis, Santiyagu, Kridel, Robert, Weigert, Oliver, Haebe, Sarah, Jurinovic, Vindi, Klapper, Wolfram, Steidl, Christian, Sehn, Laurie H., Law, Soi-Cheng, Wykes, Michelle N. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2019). Progression of disease within 24 months in follicular lymphoma is associated with reduced intratumoral immune infiltration. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 37 (34), 3300-3309. doi: 10.1200/JCO.18.02365

  • Vari, Frank, Arpon, David, Keane, Colm, Hertzberg, Mark S, Talaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Cui, Qingyan, Han, Erica, Tobin, Josh, Bird, Robert, Cross, Donna, Hernandez, Annette, Gould, Clare, Birch, Simone and Gandhi, Maher K (2018). Immune evasion via PD-1/PD-L1 on NK-cells and monocyte/macrophages is more prominent in Hodgkin lymphoma than DLBCL. Blood, 131 (16), 1809-1819. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-07-796342

  • Keane, Colm, Gould, Clare, Jones, Kimberley, Hamm, David, Talaulikar, Dipti, Ellis, Jonathan, Vari, Frank, Birch, Simone, Han, Erica, Wood, Peter, Le-Cao, Kim-Anh, Green, Michael R., Crooks, Pauline, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh, Steptoe, Raymond J. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2017). The T-cell receptor repertoire influences the tumor microenvironment and is associated with survival in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Clinical Cancer Research, 23 (7), 1820-1828. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-1576

  • Keane, Colm, Vari, Frank, Hertzberg, Mark, Le Cao, Kim-Anh, Green, Michael R., Han, Erica, Seymour, John F., Hicks, Rodney J., Gill, Devinder, Crooks, Pauline, Gould, Clare, Jones, Kimberley, Griffiths, Lyn R., Talaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). Ratios of T-cell immune effectors and checkpoint molecules as prognostic biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a population-based study. Lancet Haematology, 2 (10), e445-e455. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(15)00150-7

Book Chapter

  • Lees, Charlotte and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Host genetic mutations and expression analyses in PTLD. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders. (pp. 39-50) edited by Vikas R. Dharnidharka, Michael Green, Steven A. Webber and Ralf Ulrich Trappe. Cham, Switzerland: Springer . doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-65403-0_4

  • Jones, Kimberley, Seymour, Louise and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). Serum CD163 and TARC as circulating biomarkers in Hodgkin Lymphoma. Biomarkers in cancer. (pp. 955-978) edited by Victor R. Preedy and Vinood B. Patel. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-7681-4_5

  • Keane, Colm, Nourse, Jamie P. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2012). Rituximab induced late-onset neutropenia. Rituximab: Pharmacology, Clinical Uses and Health Effects. (pp. 93-102) Hauppauge, NY United States: Nova Science Publishers.

  • Green, Michael R., Camilleri, Emily, Gandhi, Maher K. and Griffiths, Lyn R. (2009). Genetic susceptibility to complex traits: moving towards informed analysis of whole-genome screens. Human genome: features, variations and genetic disorders. (pp. 167-180) edited by Akio Matsumoto and Mai Nakano. New York, NY, United States: Nova Science.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision