Meet our researchers: Dr Adrienne Sullivan
As Group Leader of the Development and Epigenetics Laboratory at SAiGENCI and the , studies epigenetics, the molecular system that controls how genes are switched on and off without changing the DNA code itself.
Dr Adrienne Sullivan - Group Leader, Development and Epigenetics Laboratory.
This finely tuned process allows stem cells to become specialised tissues, but when disrupted, it can contribute to diseases such as cancer.聽 Understanding these changes, she believes, is key to developing more precise and effective treatments.
Dr Sullivan鈥檚 passion for science began early.聽 As a child, she was captivated by nature documentaries, particularly The Private Life of Plants narrated by Sir David Attenborough.聽 鈥淪eeing time-lapse footage of plants growing or hidden patterns revealed under ultraviolet light was incredible,鈥 she recalls.聽 鈥淚t showed me that there鈥檚 so much happening beyond what we can observe directly.鈥
That sense of wonder deepened in high school, where she became fascinated by DNA and molecular biology.聽 鈥淭he idea that the same genetic code underpins all life鈥攁nd yet produces such diversity鈥攚as extraordinary,鈥 she says.聽 This curiosity eventually led her to epigenetics, a field that sits at the intersection of genetics, development, and environmental influence.
Today, Dr Sullivan鈥檚 research focuses on how epigenetic changes shape cell identity during development, and how those same mechanisms can be hijacked in cancer.聽 鈥淓pigenetics is central to defining what a cell does,鈥 she explains.聽 鈥淎s cells mature, their epigenetic markers guide them into specific roles.聽 In cancer, that control system can break down.鈥
What draws her to cancer research is its complexity.聽 鈥淐ancer isn鈥檛 something foreign like a virus鈥攊t鈥檚 our own cells behaving abnormally,鈥 she says.聽 鈥淭hey鈥檙e using the same genes and machinery as healthy cells, just in the wrong way.鈥澛 For Dr Sullivan, studying normal cell biology is inseparable from studying cancer.聽 鈥淭hey鈥檙e two sides of the same coin,鈥 she notes.
Her team aims to uncover the molecular pathways that drive these changes, with the ultimate goal of identifying new strategies to target cancer cells more precisely or prevent tumours from becoming more aggressive.聽 鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 just academic questions,鈥 she says.聽 鈥淭hey have real potential to improve cancer care and open doors in regenerative medicine.鈥
Leading her own lab is one of Dr Sullivan鈥檚 proudest achievements.聽 Throughout her career, she has been inspired by colleagues who persevered through failed experiments and long hours driven by curiosity and determination.聽 鈥淩esearch is full of setbacks,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ut passion for discovery keeps you going.聽 That鈥檚 something I really value in my team.鈥
Outside the lab, Dr Sullivan finds balance through art, photography, and time spent in nature.聽 She still enjoys the documentaries that first sparked her interest in science and appreciates the lighter side of research鈥攊ncluding the occasional humour hidden in gene names.聽 鈥淓very gene needs an official name, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they have to be boring,鈥 she laughs, citing GATA3 and its partner protein FOG1鈥攕hort for 鈥楩riend of GATA鈥欌攁s a personal favourite.
Looking ahead, Dr Sullivan remains guided by curiosity and perseverance.聽 鈥淭he joy of science comes from grappling with difficult questions and those rare moments when things finally click,鈥 she says.聽 鈥淭here鈥檚 still so much to discover鈥攂ut every insight brings us closer.鈥
Listen to Dr Sullivan on 2GB Sydney鈥檚 Healthy Living podcast here.