Biography
Professor Riccardo Dolcetti is the Head of Clinical and Translational Immunotherapy in the Cancer Immunology Program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne. In addition to leading his laboratory-based research program in cancer immunotherapy at Peter Mac, Professor Dolcetti works closely with the Director of the VCCC Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy to facilitate and support the rapid translation and clinical application of new discoveries for the benefit of cancer patients across Victoria and beyond. This role extends across all ten members of the VCCC alliance, their affiliated health services and to clinical and translational research across a broad variety of tumour streams including children’s and adolescent cancers.
Professor Dolcetti is a clinician scientist with MD specializations in Oncology and Clinical Immunology with more than 20 years research experience in cancer immunology/immunotherapy. As former Director of the Cancer Bio-Immunotherapy Division at the CRO-National Cancer Institute of Aviano, Italy, he performed cutting-edge science in the fields of immunopathogenesis and therapy of infection-driven tumours, lymphomas, colorectal and breast cancer. He designed and co-led clinical trials of immunotherapy for cancer patients, particularly those with breast cancer. In 2015, he relocated to Brisbane as Chair in Cancer Medicine, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, where he coordinated the Cancer Immunotherapy Program, and contributed to the development of novel cancer vaccines and clinical immunomonitoring assays.
Professor Dolcetti published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and had the privilege to be the President of the Italian Society for Cancer Research in 2012-13.