Pamela J. Russell AM FAHMS was an Australian academic researcher of immunology, bladder and prostate research.[1] Russell was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) for her research on prostate and bladder cancer in 2003.[2]
Russell was Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, based at the Translational Research Institute (Australia)[3] and adjunct professor, Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland.[4]
Russell trained in immunology at Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, where she obtained an MSc with Sir Macfarlane Burnet. Subsequently, Prof. Russell completed a PhD with Sir Gustav Nossal, on studies of autoimmune diseases.[citation needed]
Russell's postdoctoral training was at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra, and then she moved to Sydney to take up a postdoctoral position at The Kolling Institute of Medical Research.[citation needed]
Russell joined the APCRC – Q in 2009.[5]
Russell's early work in Immunology on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) showed that the immunosuppressive drug, cyclophosphamide, could be successfully used to treat animals with this disease, leading to its use in patients with SLE. Early work WEHI showed that T cells could kill cancer cells.[6] Further studies of autoimmunity were performed by Russell's group at the Kolling Institute specifically SLE.[7] but also some related work in rheumatoid arthritis and in ankylosing spondylitis and its association with HLA-B27.[8][9]
Russell's focus of the work at the Kolling Institute was on autoimmunity, specifically Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE),[10] but also some related work in rheumatoid arthritis and in ankylosing spondylitis and its association with HLAB27.[11][12]
In 1984, Prof. Russell changed her research focus to cancer and, with Dr. Derek Raghavan, established the Urological Cancer Research Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital/University of Sydney. Prof. Russell then directed the Oncology Research Centre (ORC), Prince of Wales Hospital from 1992 to 2010, as conjoint Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Russell then moved to the Translational Research Institute and the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre in Queensland in 2012.[13][14]