Academic Activity

Research

Professor Ian Vela is one of a small group of academic Urologic Oncologists within Australia. He has very active research programs which span from clinical research and trials through to basic and translational laboratory-based research. Prof Vela may discuss potential research or clinical trial opportunities with you and invite your involvement in these, depending on your individual case. Prof Vela leads research programs in both bladder and prostate cancer and is a nationally recognised expert in these areas.

Translational Research

Prof Vela heads award winning research groups at QUT in both prostate and bladder cancer translational research. His labs are based at the Translational Research Institute on the PAH campus.

The focus of all of the research led by Prof Vela is getting cutting edge research from the bench to the bedside, in order to improve the outcomes of his patients. His main focus is in a precision medicine approach to both bladder and prostate cancer.

The concept of precision medicine is “treating the right patient, at the right time, with the right treatment”. This is achieved via cutting edge technology (such as next generation sequencing technologies) to analyse individual patients tumours for targetable genetic aberrations with specific treatments, and growing their tumour in the laboratory to test these treatments and demonstrate efficacy prior to use in the patient. Analysis of the individual patient tumours may also identify eligibility for potential clinical trial enrolment. Prof Ian Vela may discuss with you opportunities for your involvement in these studies.

Grants

Prof Vela has had substantial, ongoing competitive grant funding success in order to support his research groups in bladder and prostate cancer. Without the support of these funding bodies, none of the important research being done by his groups would be possible.

2019-2020

AU $100,000

PA Research Foundation Translational Research Innovation Award “A multifaceted precision approach to high risk prostate cancer” – PI

2019

AU $80,000

TRI SPORE Grant – Improving the PSA test to detect all lethal prostate cancers – CI

2019-2021

AU $5,200,000

Prostate Cancer Research Alliance (Australian Government and Movember) - “Up-Front PSMA”​​ Alliance: Using Theranostics Early to Eradicate Prostate Cancer and Developing Novel Strategies for PSMA-negative disease – CI

2019-2020

AU $100,000

PA Research Foundation Translational Research Innovation Award “A multifaceted precision approach to high risk prostate cancer” – PI

2018-2019

AU $100,000

PA Research Foundation Translational Research Innovation Award “A multifaceted precision approach to high risk prostate cancer” – PI

2018-2019

AU $100,000

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, New Concept Grant “Targeting N-myc-driven Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer” – CI2

2016-

AU $4,000,000

Gap 6 – Initiative in Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer, QLD – PI, member, international steering committee

2016-2018

AU $450,000

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Movember Clinician Scientist Award – PI

2015-2016

AU $222,469

Queensland Health: New Technology Funding and Evaluation Program Grant: “Biojet” MRI Fusion Transperineal Prostate Biopsy – PI

2014-2017

AU $4,250,000

Movember Revolutionary Team Award

2009

AU $2,500

Neville Davis Research Prize RACS QLD

2019-2020

AU $100,000

PA Research Foundation Translational Research Innovation Award “Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative” – PI

2019

AU $10,000

QUT IHBI, TRI grant round. “Personalised functional bioassay sensitivity to immunotherapy for bladder cancer” – PI

2019-2020

AU $100,000

Movember – “Identifying clinician-related barriers to active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer in Australia and New Zealand” – Team Member

2019-2020

AU $100,000

PA Research Foundation Translational Research Innovation Award “Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative” – PI

2018-2019

AU $100,000

PA Research Foundation Translational Research Innovation Award “Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative” – PI

2017

AU $3,000

Winner 2017 ASMR Queensland Health & Medical Research Awards – Clinician Researcher Category

2016-2018

AU $561,012

NHMRC Project Grant: The Microniche: A novel in-vitro and in-vivo prostate cancer model system – CIB

2016-2018

AU $2,884,559

Gap 4 - INTense Exercise foR surVivAL among men with Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer (INTERVAL – MCRPC) – CI

2015-2016

AU $60,000

Tolmar ANZUP Clinical Research Fellowship – PI

2014-2017

AU $6,163,000

Australian Government Department of Health

2006-2010

AU $100,000

Australasian Urologic Foundation Scholar

2007

AU $4.500

Smart State PhD Scholarship, Queensland Government

2019

AU $1,150,000

BDHP MRFF Rapid Applied Research Translation Program – Centre for Personalised Analysis of Cancers (CPAC): Clinician research training at the translational interface – CI

2019

AU $17,500

Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners (BDHP) Cancer Theme Grant Scheme (2019). “Immune cell analysis in tumouroids towards modelling immunotherapy” – PI

2019-2021

USD $784,000

US DOD – “The Long and Short of a GWAS-Identified Long Non-Coding RNA” – CI

2018

AU $10,000

QUT IHBI, TRI grant round. “Personalised functional bioassay sensitivity to immunotherapy for bladder cancer” – PI

2018-2020

AU $75,000

PA Research Support Scheme Project Grant “Investigation of the role of lymph node metastasis in initiation and progression of bone metastasis” – PI

2017-2020

AU $150,000

PA Research Foundation Large Project Grant: “Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of PSMA PET/MRI, mpMRI, MRI USS Fusion Biopsy and “Prolaris” genomic risk stratifier in reclassification of men on Active Surveillance with low risk prostate cancer” – PI

2016-2020

AU $1,393,083

NHMRC Project Grant: NABNEC: A Randomised Phase II Study Of Nab-paclitaxel In Combination With Carboplatin As First Line Treatment Of Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Carcinomas – AI

2016-2018

AU $75,000

PA Research Foundation Support Scheme “Analysis of treatment response in metastatic PCa” – CI

2015-2016

AU $150,000

PA Research Foundation New Appointment Grant – PI

2009

AU $28,900

University of Queensland Pathfinder Grant

2008

AU $3,000

Queensland Cancer Fund Travel Grant

current clinical trial activity

Bladder Cancer Trials

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital

Astra Zeneca - A Phase III, Randomised, Open‐Label, Multi‐Centre, Global Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of Durvalumab in Combination with Gemcitabine + Cisplatin for Neoadjuvant Treatment Followed by Durvalumab Alone for Adjuvant Treatment in Patients with Muscle‐Invasive Bladder Cancer (NIAGARA)

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital

Astra Zeneca - Study of Durvalumab in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) versus BCG alone (standard of care) in patients with high-risk non muscle invasive bladder cancer (POTOMAC)

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital & Redland Hospital

An observational study of efficacy and utility of Cxbladder tests in the identification of low vs high risk patients and the detection of urothelial carcinoma in patients presenting with haematuria

Prostate Cancer Trials

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital

Janssen - A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Phase 3 Study of Apalutamide in Subjects with High Risk, Localized or Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer Who are Candidates for Radical Prostatectomy – (PROTEUS)

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital

Movember GAP4­QLD INTense Exercise foR surVivAL among men with Metastatic Castrate­Resistant Prostate Cancer (INTERVAL ­ MCRPC): A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled, Phase III Study

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital

Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of PSMA PET/MRI, USS MRI Fusion Biopsy and "Prolaris" genomic risk stratifier in reclassification of men on Active Surveillance with low risk prostate cancer (The PUMP Trial)

RECRUITING

Member Project International Steering Committee, Principle Investigator - Princess Alexandra Hospital

Movember GAP6-QLD- Initiative in Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – QLD & Princess Alexandra Hospital

Movember International Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry in Advanced Prostate Cancer (IRONMAN)

RECRUITING

Principle Investigator – Princess Alexandra Hospital

Movember Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry Australia and New Zealand – QLD (PCOR-QLD)

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