Dr. Amr H. Allam in a laboratory at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute.

Dr. Amr H. Allam

About

Senior Research Officer, WEHI, Melbourne

A veterinarian who became a cancer immunologist, working on the path from bench to bedside.

I am a translational cancer scientist. I work where immunology, imaging, and artificial intelligence meet. One question has run through all of it: why does the immune system fail to clear a cancer, and what can we do about it? The answers have taken the form of diagnostics, analysis software, and biology that feeds drug discovery.

I trained as a veterinarian in Alexandria. I then completed an MRes in Medical and Veterinary Microbiology with Distinction at Glasgow, and a PhD in Cancer Immunology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. I have worked at the Garvan and Beatson institutes. I led the correlative science workstream for a national multi-site clinical study, and built the spatial-omics and AI pipelines used to work out which patients an immunotherapy is most likely to help.

Today I co-lead a tumour-immunology research program at WEHI, working within a team. I also build the analysis infrastructure this kind of work needs, from digital pathology pipelines to a clinical-research analysis platform I built, and I have taken one idea from hypothesis through to early-stage IP. I have presented the work in Vienna, Paris, Basel, and the UAE. I want research that does not stop at the paper. It should end as a test or a tool that someone in a clinic can use.

Experience

  1. 2026–

    Senior Research Officer

    WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute), Melbourne

    Co-leads a tumour-immunology research program within a team, and contributes spatial biology and AI-based approaches to precision-oncology translation.

  2. 2023–2026

    Senior Postdoctoral Researcher

    Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI)

    Led the correlative science workstream for a national multi-site clinical study, and directed spatial-omics and AI digital pathology pipelines for precision-oncology diagnostics. Supervised two PhD, one Masters and two Honours students; all graduated with distinction.

  3. 2020–2023

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI)

    Built spatial-omics and AI-driven digital pathology pipelines for tumor immunology and precision-oncology diagnostics.

  4. 2017–2025

    Teaching Associate

    Swinburne University of Technology

    Taught and mentored undergraduate students across cell and molecular biology subjects.

  5. 2016–2020

    PhD Candidate, Cancer Immunology

    Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

    Studied T-cell development and the immunological synapse during beta-selection using advanced multiplex imaging.

  6. 2014–2016

    Research Assistant

    Garvan Institute of Medical Research

    Investigated tumor microenvironment, stromal remodelling, and metastasis in pancreatic and breast cancer models.

  7. 2012–2014

    Research Intern

    Beatson Institute / University of Glasgow

    Conducted research internships in medical and veterinary microbiology and cancer cell biology.

  8. 2010–2011

    Medical Sales Representative

    Pharmaceutical industry, Egypt

    Promoted antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections to doctors and pharmacists. First role after veterinary school.

Education

  • PhD, Cancer Immunology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
    2016–2020
  • MRes, Medical and Veterinary Microbiology (Distinction) University of Glasgow
    2011–2012
  • Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Alexandria University
    2005–2010

Current affiliations

  • Honorary Research Fellow The University of Melbourne
  • Honorary Scientist Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute
  • Adjunct Research Associate La Trobe University

Memberships

  • Metastasis Research Society (2025-)
  • European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) (2024-)
  • Protoaxiom (2024-)
  • Egypt Scholars Organization, Postgraduate Research Counsellor (2016-)
  • Sydney Catalyst (2014-)