Owen Ung

Refer to my Google Scholar profile

My recent clinical research interests involve improving pathways of care for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Through my clinical and research advocacy as Director of the CBCI we have introduced clinical innovation within a research framework, not existing in many institutions worldwide and some so novel as to be exclusive. RBWH introduced the One Step Nucleic Acid (OSNA) technique for the intraoperative evaluation of sentinel nodes. This work has been published by our team. The technique considerably improves accuracy of node assessment from 50% to nearly 99%. RBWH was the first hospital in Australia to establish an OSNA service, to the significant benefit of women diagnosed and undergoing treatment for breast cancer. We were also the first site in Queensland to establish ROLLIS a radioactive seed placement technique for localizing and removing screen detected breast cancer in place of the widely established and accepted hookwire technique which has been the standard of care for many years. It is now recognised that the advantages of seed technology surpasses hookwires and will gradually lead to its widespread adoption. Also, the first intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) service in Queensland, one of only 3 in Australia has been commenced at our STARs hospital and is likewise being evaluated within a research framework. The combination of these 3 novel procedures has enormous potential for quality-of-life improvement by shortening the pathway of care. The public health research we will be embarking upon will be unique, entirely novel, and will hopefully, significantly influence practice and the lives of our patients undergoing breast cancer treatment.

In 2021 the CBCI successfully obtained MNHHS funding to establish the breast reconstruction program within the Herston Biofabrication Institute. A longstanding research collaboration with QUTs Prof Dietmar Hutmacher and support from sponsors Bella Seno based in Leipzig, Germany facilitated the commencement of the first in-human trials using 3D printed biofabricated absorbable PCL scaffolds for breast reconstruction. This clinical translational research is gaining international interest. Each participant will have 2 years of follow up and we have successfully conducted 13 procedures aiming for 15 – 20 to complete this world-first Phase 1 study. My TEDxBrisbane presentation drew over 20,000 views in the week when it posted on You Tube TEDx Global https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTOKlnfbUXU&t=391s

We hope to report an interim analysis soon and are preparing to launch an international multicentre trial with RBWH the reference site and myself as CIA. This innovation will be the springboard for a number of funding applications for investigator-led trials and importantly impact outcomes for women worldwide. UQ will be the administrator and sponsor for the first of these should our recent MRFF grant application be successful. I anticipate significant student growth in this area of research.

I have had multiple co-supervisor roles and am currently actively seeking and evaluating HDRs for both my Institutes.