National Science Week runs from the 14 – 22 August in Australia and is an annual celebration of science, research, medicine and technology in this country.
This week we are going to meet some of the amazing Mater people to hear about what they do and why they chose to pursue a science related career.
Dr Mimi Yue is a Haematologist who treats patients at Mater Hospital while also committing her time to research and laboratory work.
“The main focus of my work in research is clinical trials where I am trying to find new effective medications with fewer side effects to treat people with blood cancers,” Dr Yue said.
“We are trying to move away from the traditional chemotherapy agents with many side effects, which will improve a patient’s qualify of life during treatment which is of benefit to the patient.
“We are working hard to find the best outcome for our patients and while some may not be completely cured, they can receive treatment that can improve their symptoms, extend their life expectancy and give them a better overall quality of life.”
Dr Yue is currently working on medications for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) which predominately impacts older patients,
“Two of the trial participants are aged in their eighties and nineties and have been responding well to treatment with minimal side effects,” Dr Yue said.
“I think a more customised approach to treating cancer is the way of the future. It’s important to give our patients the best quality of life, and with these novel targeted therapies we should be able to do this.”