Col Reynolds Fellow, Dr Noemi Fuentes-Bolanos

Dr Noemi Fuentes-Bolanos is a Clinical Academic in Precision Medicine and Genetic Cancer Risk at the Children’s Cancer Institute and Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Additionally, an Associate Lecturer at the University of New South Wales, Dr Fuentes-Bolanos research hones in on understanding the genetic causes of tumorigenesis and integrating germline findings in diagnosing, managing, and treating children, adolescents and young adults with cancer. 

Dr Fuentes-Bolanos outlined her scope of research to The Kids’ Cancer Project, along with her hopes for future outcomes and what it means to be a 2024 Col Reynolds Fellow.

What inspired you to pursue a career in childhood cancer research?

Noemi Fuentes-Bolanos: My inspiration comes from my father. He was a strong, brave, caring, and talented man who passed away due to an untreatable brain cancer. In the wake of his passing, I felt compelled to improve the outlook for individuals with high-risk cancers and to offer hope for a better future for those diagnosed.

What is your current childhood cancer research project?

Children get cancer primarily because of changes in their genes, particularly rhabdoid tumours. Rhabdoid tumours are highly aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers in children, predominantly found in the brain or kidney but can occur in other locations.

My childhood cancer research project examines the differences between children with and without genetic predisposition to a specific cancer. I believe this research will not only guide further projects involving genetic alterations, but also provide insights into assessing risk best and managing cases without genetic predispositions.

With that in mind, what is your vision for the future?

I aim to improve the understanding of the causes of rhabdoid tumours as the first step to inform further research on preventive interventions. The ultimate goal, of course, is to prevent cancer from ever occurring.

How does it feel to be a recipient of the Col Reynolds Fellowship?

To be named a recipient of the Fellowship has reaffirmed to me that my research hypothesis is worth pursuing. It’s motivated me to do my utmost in assisting families at the hospital and translate the clinical questions I encounter with families in the clinic into concrete projects aimed at finding the answers we all seek.

You’re Spanish. How does Australian research measure up internationally? 

Australia is globally recognised as a frontrunner in childhood cancer research, yielding exceptional research outputs and exerting influence on research endeavours internationally through the collaborative spirit and sense of community that characterised Australian researchers. This not only facilitated the advancement of cutting-edge research nationally but also acted as a catalyst for similar initiatives on an international scale, with Australian researchers offering invaluable support and guidance to research consortia across the globe.

The funding for research is raised from The Kids’ Cancer Project’s community of donors. Without their support, our charity would not be able to fund researchers. Would you like to share a message of thanks to those donors?

I genuinely cannot thank the donors enough. Childhood cancer affects not only children with the disease but their entire families and communities. The support from The Kids’ Cancer Project’s donors is making fundamental changes, in their journeys and lives, as shown in the high-impact papers in essential journals that reach out to the international community and advance research in Australia locally and globally.