Overview
Background
Peter Simpson is a recognised expert in the molecular and pathological characterisation of breast and lung cancers. His research is based at the UQ Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), where he is the Head of the Cancer Theme and is a Research Group Leader in Cancer Genomics. He has published >150 articles (>12,000 citations, H-index 52; Scopus, May2025) including in Nature, Nature Medicine, Annals of Oncology and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. He co-manages the Brisbane Breast Bank (BBB), a tissue bank created to facilitate clinical breast cancer research, and the Debutant lung cancer Program.
Pete also holds a teaching appointment in UQ, where he is passionate about the science and clinical applications of Pathology. He teaches into the UQ Medical Program (Year 1 and 2), as well as to undergraduates. He has co-authored a chapter ‘Breast Diseases’ in the latest edition (11th) of the internationally acclaimed Medical text book Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease.
Outside UQ, Pete is a Fellow of the Faculty of Science in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FFSc RCPA), a member of the kConFab Executive (https://www.kconfab.org/), a member of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Scientific Advisory Board (https://lobularbreastcancer.org/), and a member of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (Breast Cancer group).
Pete enjoys supervising students at all levels in their careers and collaborating within multidisciplinary teams spanning clinical (e.g. pathology, oncology) and science teams (e.g. in ‘omics, bioinformatics and machine learning).
Availability
- Associate Professor Peter Simpson is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Liverpool
Research interests
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Broad Research Program
Cancer is a very heterogeneous disease, making morphological classification and management of patients a significant challenge. Despite great advances it remains difficult to predict which patients are at risk of their disease returning (recurrence), spreading (metastasis) or which patients will gain most benefit to specific therapies. There has therefore been a concerted effort to supplement the morphological classification of disease with molecular data that can provide a clearer appreciation for this complexity and better predict tumour behaviour. This ideology has driven significant advancements in the field of molecular pathology research. My research program embraces these advances in technology to help better understand mechanisms of disease development and progression and help improve the molecular aspects of diagnosis and patient management. Themes of research involve 1) invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast, 2) breast cancer diagnosed in young individuals, and 3) lung cancer.
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Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) is the most commonly diagnosed ‘special’ morphological type of breast cancer, comprising up to 15% of all cases. The most important biological feature of lobular breast cancer is the functional loss of cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. This is the glue that holds epithelial cells together. Loss of E-cadherin leads to a growth pattern that can be diffuse and highly invasive through the breast tissue. This leads to a number of important clinical challenges with diagnosing and managing this cancer: the cancer can be hard to palpate or detect by mammographic screening and hard to fully excise during surgery; if the cancer spreads it can again be hard to detect. A large component of Peter's research focuses on aspects of this specific cancer subtype, including understanding molecular determinants that predict tumour behaviour and prognosis, and mechanisms of invasion and metastasis.
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Familial Breast Cancer
Family history is a significant risk factor for the development of breast cancer, often leading to early diagnosis of disease. For some families, the genetic component of this risk is well understood and attributed to pathogenic germline variants in moderate-high risk genes (e.g. BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, TP53, ATM, CHEK2). For many families the underlying genetic risk is unknown. Further, some individuals develop breast cancer at a young age when they have no family history. We study clinical samples using a variety of molecular profiling techniques, including whole genome sequencing and digital spatial transcriptomics, and we are interested in understanding the germline and somatic molecular mechanism that contribute to the development of disease. This work is a collaboration with several tissue banks: kConFab, the BBB and the Australian Breast Cancer Tissue Bank.
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Lung Cancer Diagnostics
Lung Cancer has the highest mortality of all cancers. Most cases are diagnosed at an advance, inoperable stage and so are associated with a poor prognosis. Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) sampling is an important procedure to make a tissue diagnosis of disease and to provide specimens for molecular testing. Next generation sequencing is an important component of diagnostic practice and therapeutic decision making for lung cancer patients. Our program of work is focused on optimising molecular testing strategies from different types of cancer samples (tissue, supernatant, cfDNA) to improve the success of testing for patients. This is a collaboration with A/Prof David Fielding (https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/9060) from the Department of Thoracic Medicine (RBWH), plus colleagues from Pathology Queensland, QIMR Berghofer and a network of hospitals around Australia.
Research impacts
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and consequently is the biggest contributor to morbidity and mortality from cancer.
My work in the field of breast cancer genomics has sought to unravel molecular mechanisms driving the evolution of disease, from early lesions through to treatment resistance and metastatic progression. Our work uses various types of ‘omics applications, including whole genome sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, married with detailed cancer morphology assessment. Gene mutations and mutational signature analysis in the context of sporadic and familial breast cancer has revealed pathogenic germline mutations, different mechanisms of genomic evolution and clonal heterogeneity. The work through the International Cancer Genome Consortium contributed to the development of HRDetect (Nature Medicine) for therapeutic decision making.
My work in lobular breast cancer has an international standing. As a research community, we aim to raise the profile of lobular breast cancer as an important, common and yet understudied type of breast cancer. We have demonstrated this disease is in fact a heterogenous subtype, exhibiting morphological variants and diverse genomic features. We developed LobSig as a potential prognostic tool for lobular breast cancer, which is undergoing further validation. We have a program of work to better understand the biology of disease and identify tissue- and blood-based biomarkers of disease progression.
Lung cancer is the highest mortality rate of all cancers worldwide. The Debutant lung cancer clinical research program was established in 2018 and has sought to optimise and expand lung cancer molecular testing applications. The work has been funded by various sources, including Pathology Queensland, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital Foundation, Cancer Council Qld, Cancer Australia, Australian Genomics and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). The work has demonstrated the clinical utility of very small cytology samples and blood (cfDNA) samples using comprehensive genomic assays. The translation of results from this Program could significantly enhance the number of patients eligible for targeted therapies.
Works
Search Professor Peter Simpson’s works on UQ eSpace
2012
Conference Publication
Abrogated cell-cell adhesion in the phenotypic drift from ductal to lobular breast cancer types
Da Silva, Leonard, McCart Reed, Amy E., Kutasovic, Jamie R., Vargas, Ana Cristina, Jayanthan, Janani, Reid, Lynne, Fritz, Brian, Cummings, Margaret C., Porter, Alan, Evans, Elizabeth, Lakhani, Sunil R. and Simpson, Peter T. (2012). Abrogated cell-cell adhesion in the phenotypic drift from ductal to lobular breast cancer types. 24th Lorne Cancer Conference 2012, Lorne, VIC, Australia, 9-11 February 2012.
2012
Conference Publication
Role of HER3 in brain metastases from primary breast cancer
Saunus, Jodi M., Da Silva, Leonard, Momeny, Majid, Morrison, Brian, Lane, Annette, Smart, Chanel, Al-Ejeh, Fares, Khanna, Kum Kum, Chenevix-Trench, Georgia, Simpson, Peter T. and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2012). Role of HER3 in brain metastases from primary breast cancer. 24th Lorne Cancer Conference, Lorne, VIC, Australia, 9-12 February 2012.
2012
Book Chapter
Invasive lobular carcinoma
Lakhani, S. R., Rakha, E. and Simpson, P. T. (2012). Invasive lobular carcinoma. WHO classification of tumours of the breast. (pp. 40-42) Lyon, France: IARC Press.
2012
Conference Publication
Uncovering molecular mechanisms involved in metastasis to the brain
Saunus, Jodi M., Momeny, Majid, Da Silva, Leonard, Vargas, Ana Cristina, Al-Ejeh, Fares, Morrison, Brian, Khanna, Kum Kum, Grimmond, Sean, Chenevix-Trench, Georgia, Jeffree, Rosalind L., Waddell, Nicola, Simpson, Peter T. and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2012). Uncovering molecular mechanisms involved in metastasis to the brain. 14th International Biennial Congress of the Metastasis Research Society, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2-5 September 2012.
2012
Conference Publication
Calcium channel transient receptor potential V6 (TRPV6) as a potential therapeutic target for some breast cancers
Peters, A. A., Simpson, P. T., Bassett, J. J., Lee, J. M., Song, S., Parat, M. O., Lakhani, S. R., Kenny, P. A., Roberts-Thomson, S. J. and Monteith, G. R. (2012). Calcium channel transient receptor potential V6 (TRPV6) as a potential therapeutic target for some breast cancers. 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, Dublin, Ireland, 6-9 November 2012. Oxford, United Kingdom: Pergamon. doi: 10.1016/S0959-8049(12)72328-6
2012
Book Chapter
Lobular neoplasia
Lakhani, S. R., Schnitt, S., O’Malley, F., van de Vijver, M., Simpson, P. T. and Palacios, J. (2012). Lobular neoplasia. WHO classification of tumours of the breast. (pp. 77-80) Lyon, France: IARC Press.
2012
Journal Article
Gene expression profiling of tumour epithelial and stromal compartments during breast cancer progression
Vargas, Ana Cristina, McCart Reed, Amy E., Waddell, Nic, Lane, Annette, Reid, Lynne E., Smart, Chanel E., Cocciardi, Sibylle, da Silva, Leonard, Song, Sarah, Chenevix-Trench, Georgia, Simpson Peter T. and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2012). Gene expression profiling of tumour epithelial and stromal compartments during breast cancer progression. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 135 (1), 153-165. doi: 10.1007/s10549-012-2123-4
2011
Journal Article
Tumor heterogeneity in a follicular carcinoma of thyroid: a study by comparative genomic hybridization
Da Silva, Leonard, James, Daniel, Simpson, Peter T., Walker, Daniel, Vargas, Ana Cristina, Jayanthan, Janani, Lakhani, Sunil R. and McNicol, Anne Marie (2011). Tumor heterogeneity in a follicular carcinoma of thyroid: a study by comparative genomic hybridization. Endocrine Pathology, 22 (2), 103-107. doi: 10.1007/s12022-011-9154-y
2011
Journal Article
Application of molecular findings to the diagnosis and management of breast disease: Recent advances and challenges
Simpson, Peter T., Vargas, Ana Christina, Al-Ejeh, Fares, Khanna, Kum Kum, Chenevix-Trench, Georgia and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2011). Application of molecular findings to the diagnosis and management of breast disease: Recent advances and challenges. Human Pathology, 42 (2), 153-165. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2010.07.008
2011
Conference Publication
The Role of Type XI and Type XVII Collagen in Breast Cancer Progression
Vargas, Ana Cristina, Simpson, Peter, McCart Reed, Amy, Lane, Annette, Smart, Chanel, Da Silva, Leonard and Lakhani, Sunil (2011). The Role of Type XI and Type XVII Collagen in Breast Cancer Progression. 100th Annual Meeting of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, San Antonio, Texas, United States, February 6 - March 4 2011. London, United Kingdom: Nature Publishing Group.
2011
Conference Publication
The Transient Receptor Potential V6 (TRPV6) channel in clinical breast cancers and breast cancer cell lines
Peters, Amelia A., Simpson, Peter T., Bassett, John J., Da Silva, Leo, Reid, Lynne, Lakhani, Sunil R., Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory, R. (2011). The Transient Receptor Potential V6 (TRPV6) channel in clinical breast cancers and breast cancer cell lines. 17th International Symposium on Calcium-Binding Proteins and Calcium Function in Health and Disease (CaBP17), Beijing, China, 16-21 July 2011.
2011
Book Chapter
Genetic alterations in normal and malignant breast tissue
Smart, Chanel, Simpson, Peter T., Vargas, Ana Cristina and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2011). Genetic alterations in normal and malignant breast tissue. Breast cancer, a lobar disease. (pp. 53-66) edited by Tot, Tibor. London, United Kingdom: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-84996-314-5_4
2011
Conference Publication
Expression of the calcium pump PMCA2 in lactating breast and breast cancer
Lee, W. C., Reid, L., Smart, Chanel, Simpson, P. T., Da Silva, L., Peters, Amelia, Lakhani, Sunil, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2011). Expression of the calcium pump PMCA2 in lactating breast and breast cancer. ComBio 2011, Cairns, Australia, 25-29 September 2011.
2011
Conference Publication
The role of Type XI Collagen in Breast Cancer Progression
Vargas, Ana Cristina, Simpson, Peter T., McCart Reed, Amy E., Smart, Chanel, Waddell, Nic, Lane, Annette and Lakhani, Sunil (2011). The role of Type XI Collagen in Breast Cancer Progression. LICR Translational Oncology Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 24-26 October 2011.
2011
Journal Article
Molecular classification of breast cancer: Is it time to pack up our microscopes?
Cummings, Margaret C., Chambers, Rachael, Simpson, Peter T. and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2011). Molecular classification of breast cancer: Is it time to pack up our microscopes?. Pathology, 43 (1), 1-8. doi: 10.1097/PAT.0b013e328341e0b5
2011
Journal Article
Molecular aspects of breast cancer metastasis to the brain
Saunus, Jodi M., Momeny, Majid, Simpson, Peter T., Da Silva, Leonard and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2011). Molecular aspects of breast cancer metastasis to the brain. Genetics Research International, 2011, 219189-1-219189-9. doi: 10.4061/2011/219189
2011
Conference Publication
The transient receptor potential V6 (TRPV6) calcium channel in breast cancer cell lines and clinical breast cancer tissues
Peters, Amelia, Simpson, Peter T., Bassett, Johnathon, Lakhani, Sunil, Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2011). The transient receptor potential V6 (TRPV6) calcium channel in breast cancer cell lines and clinical breast cancer tissues. American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting, Orlando, United States, 2 - 6 April 2011. Philadelphia, PA, United States: American Association for Cancer Research. doi: 10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2954
2011
Conference Publication
Calcium Channel Transient Receptor Potential V6 (TRPV6) in Breast Cancer Cell Lines and in Breast Tumours
Peters Amelia A., Simpson, Peter T., Bassett ,John J., Da Silva Leo, Reid, Lynne, Lakhani, Sunil R., Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2011). Calcium Channel Transient Receptor Potential V6 (TRPV6) in Breast Cancer Cell Lines and in Breast Tumours. 5th PacRim Breast and Prostate Cancer Meeting, Kingscliffe, NSW, Australia, 3-7 May 2011.
2010
Journal Article
Subtypes of familial breast tumours revealed by expression and copy number profiling
Waddell, N, Arnold, J, Cocciardi, S, da Silva, L, Marsh, A, Riley, J, Johnstone, CN, Orloff, M, Assie, G, Eng, C, Reid, L, Keith, P, Yan, M, Fox, S, Devilee, P, Godwin, AK, Hogervorst, FBL, Couch, F, Grimmond, S, Flanagan, JM, Khanna, K, Simpson, PT, Lakhani, SR, Chenevix-Trench, G and kConFab Investigators (2010). Subtypes of familial breast tumours revealed by expression and copy number profiling. Breast Cancer Research And Treatment, 123 (3), 661-677. doi: 10.1007/s10549-009-0653-1
2010
Journal Article
Gene expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded familial breast tumours using the whole genome-DASL assay
Waddell, Nic, Cocciardi, Sibylle, Johnson, Julie, Healey, Sue, Marsh, Anna, Riley, Joan, da Silva, Leonard, Vargas, Ana Cristina, Reid, Lynne, Simpson, Peter T., Lakhani, Sunil R. and Chenevix-Trench, Georgia (2010). Gene expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded familial breast tumours using the whole genome-DASL assay. Journal of Pathology, 221 (4), 452-461. doi: 10.1002/path.2728
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Peter Simpson is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing optimal transport models for spatial and single cell data to understand cancer progression
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jessica Mar, Dr Quan Nguyen
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigating therapeutic vulnerabilities in breast cancer.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Sunil Lakhani, Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
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Doctor Philosophy
Breast cancer metastasis prediction via machine learning and spatial cellular pathology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nan Ye, Dr Quan Nguyen
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Doctor Philosophy
Circulating biomarkers in invasive lobular breast carcinoma
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Sunil Lakhani, Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
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Master Philosophy
Applications of Molecular Genetics in Translational Breast Cancer Research
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Professor Sunil Lakhani
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Studies on the utility of Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS TBNA) samples in novel investigations of lung cancer genomics, and immune responses
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Sunil Lakhani
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Multi-omics: Leveraging omics data integration to identify dysregulated biology in breast cancer
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Dr Katia Nones
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic and transcriptomic biomarkers of prognosis in invasive lobular breast cancer.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Professor Sunil Lakhani
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Intratumour heterogeneity in the development and progression of breast cancer
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Professor Sunil Lakhani
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Computational analysis of DNA repair pathways in breast cancer
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Kum Kum Khanna
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Identification of new prognostic biomarker for triple negative breast cancer
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jodi Saunus, Professor Sunil Lakhani
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Clinical-Pathological and Molecular Analysis to Understand Breast Cancer Progression
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Sunil Lakhani
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
A Search For Novel Cancer Susceptibility Genes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Sunil Lakhani, Professor Melissa Brown
Media
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