Dr Glukhova’s work looks at how cells communicate and what happens when those signals go wrong, leading to diseases like cancer.

By using advanced imaging techniques, her research hopes to uncover new ways to develop more precise and effective cancer treatments with fewer side effects.

The Fellowship provides the stability needed to drive this research forward, offering real hope for new breakthroughs in cancer treatment.

Chair of Snow Medical, Tom Snow, highlighted the Foundation’s commitment to funding researchers willing to take bold steps toward innovation.

“The Snow family believes in backing exceptional minds who take risks and challenge the limits of scientific discovery,” he said.

“Alisa’s research is exactly the kind of high-impact, world-changing work that needs long-term support to thrive.

“She has consciously chosen to apply her outstanding structural biology skills in an area often avoided by others due to its complexity and degree of challenge.

“Alisa is aware of the risks, however, with this Fellowship, she will have the independence and stability to push the boundaries of biomedical science and deliver real outcomes for patients.”

WEHI director, Professor Ken Smith, welcomed the investment in Dr Glukhova’s research and praised the Snow Fellowship program for providing scientists with the security to focus on ambitious, pioneering projects.

“Groundbreaking discoveries in medical research don’t happen overnight. They require sustained commitment, resources, and the freedom to explore complex problems.

“The Snow Medical Fellowship allows scientists like Alisa to do exactly that, giving them the best chance to turn their research into life-changing medical advances.

“This Fellowship and the collaborations fostered through it will not only benefit cancer patients but also the broader biomedical research community here in Australia and globally.”

Dr Glukhova expressed her gratitude for the opportunity and the long-term support provided by Snow Medical.

“I am incredibly honoured to be selected as a Snow Fellow,” Dr Glukhova said.

“My research focuses on understanding how cells respond to external signals and communicate with one another, and what happens when these processes go wrong, leading to diseases like cancer.

“By visualising key signalling events at the molecular level, my team and I aim to uncover new drug targets and develop precision therapies tailored to different cancers. This Fellowship provides the critical support needed to advance this research towards real-world treatments that can make a tangible difference for patients.

“I am deeply grateful to the Snow family for their belief in fundamental research and their commitment to fostering the next generation of scientific leaders.”

Over five years since it began, the Snow Medical Research Foundation has now committed over $260 million to biomedical innovation in Australia, supporting 14 Fellows and their teams to drive discovery in fields ranging from genomics to immunology and now, cutting-edge cancer research, amongst other philanthropic giving. The Foundation was established by the Snow family with the vision of transforming healthcare through sustained, long-term investment in exceptional research leaders.

The Snow Fellowship is the latest accolade awarded to Dr Glukhova, with previous honours including the L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship, the Gottschalk Medal from the Australian Academy of Science and a CSL Centenary Fellowship.

She is the second WEHI researcher to receive a Snow Fellowship, with Dr Stephin Vervoort awarded the prestigious accolade in 2022 for his research into new treatment options for cancers such as leukaemia.

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Header image: Dr Alisa Glukhova is a structural biologist and Laboratory Head at WEHI specialising in imaging molecular interactions at an atomic level.