Overview
Background
Maher Gandhi received his medical degree in the UK in 1989, and then trained as a haematologist, including a Fellowship in malignant haematology at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto. He was awarded a PhD in immunology at Cambridge University under Patrick Sissons. He moved to Brisbane and from 2003-2024 worked as a Senior Staff Specialist (Pre-Eminent Status) in the Haematology / Oncology Department of the Princess Alexandra Hospital. He leads his own laboratory group and has established an international reputation studying the tumour immune microenvironment in lymphoma and its manipulation, with continuous NHMRC/MRFF funding since 2005. He was Chair of Laboratory Sciences for the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group between 2010-2016, won the prestigious Australian Society of Medical Research Clinical Research Award in 2010 and in 2012 took up the inaugural John McCaffrey Cancer Council of Queensland / Office of Health and Medical Research Clinical Research Fellowship. Between 2011-2014 he was privileged to serve as Chair of the Metro South Human Research Ethics Committee. In 2013 he was appointed Professor of Experimental Haematology, University of Queensland, based at the Translational Research Institute, in 2014 became the inaugural Leukaemia Foundation Chair of Blood Cancer Research at the University of Queensland Frazer Institute, and was appointed Cancer Program Head in 2016. In 2018 he became Executive Director and Director of Clinical Research at Mater Research. He also continues to head the Blood Cancer Research Group, which is based in Mater Research. In 2025 to current, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Translational Research Institute and its manufacturing branch TM@TRI, to serve Queenslanders by transforming health through collaborative research.
Availability
- Professor Maher Gandhi is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine Surgery, University of Aberdeen
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge
Research interests
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Lymphoma
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Immunotherapy
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Biomarkers
Research impacts
The research of the Blood Cancer Research Laboratory aims to understand the basis of lymphoma; to devise new treatments which are less toxic and more effective; to establish new biomarkers which will help determine the most effective treatment strategies and to monitor response and relapse and understand the development of lymphomas. The group has a strong emphasis on patient material, which it obtains from international and national clinical collaborators. Lymphomas studied includeEBV-associated lymphomas, Hodgkin Lymphoma, PTLD, Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma, Follicular Lymphoma and amyloidosis. We utilise a broad range of approaches including genomics, transcriptomics and functional immunoassays, and are conducting a number of MRFF funded cellular therapy studies sponsored by the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group.
The Mater Foundation, the Leukaemia Foundation, the Mark Coghlan EBV Lymphoma Project and the Brisbane Girls Grammar School Kirsten Jack Memorial Fund are thanked for their kind support.
Works
Search Professor Maher Gandhi’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Intratumoral T‐cell receptor repertoire is predictive of interim PET scan results in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma treated with rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/prednisolone/vincristine (R‐CHOP) chemoimmunotherapy
Shanavas, Mohamed, Law, Soi‐Cheng, Hertzberg, Mark, Hicks, Rodney J., Seymour, John F., Li, Zhixiu, Merida de Long, Lilia, Nath, Karthik, Sabdia, Muhammed B., Gunawardana, Jay, Gandhi, Maher K. and Keane, Colm (2021). Intratumoral T‐cell receptor repertoire is predictive of interim PET scan results in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma treated with rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/prednisolone/vincristine (R‐CHOP) chemoimmunotherapy. Clinical and Translational Immunology, 10 (11) e1351, e1351. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1351
2021
Journal Article
Characterisation of immune checkpoints in Richter syndrome identifies LAG3 as a potential therapeutic target
Gould, Clare, Lickiss, Jennifer, Kankanige, Yamuna, Yerneni, Satwica, Lade, Stephen, Gandhi, Maher K., Chin, Collin, Yannakou, Costas K., Villa, Diego, Slack, Graham W., Markham, John F., Tam, Constantine S., Nelson, Niles, Seymour, John F., Dickinson, Michael, Neeson, Paul J., Westerman, David and Blombery, Piers (2021). Characterisation of immune checkpoints in Richter syndrome identifies LAG3 as a potential therapeutic target. British Journal of Haematology, 195 (1) bjh.17789, 113-118. doi: 10.1111/bjh.17789
2021
Journal Article
Intratumoral T cells have a differential impact on FDG-PET parameters in follicular lymphoma
Nath, Karthik, Law, Soi-Cheng, Sabdia, Muhammed B., Gunawardana, Jay, de Long, Lilia M., Sester, David, Shanavas, Mohamed, Tsang, Hennes, Tobin, Joshua W. D., Halliday, Sarah-Jane, Hernandez, Annette, Cross, Donna, Bird, Robert J., Jain, Sanjiv, Keane, Colm, Talaulikar, Dipti, Trotman, Judith, Law, Phillip and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Intratumoral T cells have a differential impact on FDG-PET parameters in follicular lymphoma. Blood Advances, 5 (12), 2644-2649. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020004051
2021
Journal Article
Successful treatment of Epstein–Barr virus–associated primary central nervous system lymphoma due to post‐transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder, with ibrutinib and third‐party Epstein–Barr virus–specific T cells
Law, Soi C., Hoang, Thanh, O'Rourke, Kacey, Tobin, Joshua W. D., Gunawardana, Jay, Loo‐Oey, Dorothy, Bednarska, Karolina, Merida de Long, Lilia, Sabdia, Muhammed B., Hapgood, Greg, Blyth, Emily, Clancy, Leighton, Hennig, Stefanie, Keane, Colm and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Successful treatment of Epstein–Barr virus–associated primary central nervous system lymphoma due to post‐transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder, with ibrutinib and third‐party Epstein–Barr virus–specific T cells. American Journal of Transplantation, 21 (10) ajt.16628, 3465-3471. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16628
2021
Journal Article
Discordant solutions to discordant problems
Tobin, Joshua W. D. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Discordant solutions to discordant problems. Blood, 137 (21), 2857-2858. doi: 10.1182/blood.2021011362
2021
Journal Article
EBV-associated primary CNS lymphoma occurring after immunosuppression is a distinct immunobiological entity
Gandhi, Maher K., Hoang, Thanh, Law, Soi C., Brosda, Sandra, O'Rourke, Kacey, Tobin, Joshua W. D., Vari, Frank, Murigneux, Valentine, Fink, J. Lynn, Gunawardana, Jay, Gould, Clare M., Oey, Harald, Bednarska, Karolina, Delecluse, Susanne, Trappe, Ralf Ulrich, de Long, Lilia Merida, Sabdia, Muhammed Bilal, Bhagat, Govind, Hapgood, Greg, Blyth, Emily, Clancy, Leighton E., Wight, Joel, Hawkes, Eliza A., Rimsza, Lisa M., Maguire, Alanna, Bojarczuk, Kamil, Chapuy, Bjoern and Keane, Colm (2021). EBV-associated primary CNS lymphoma occurring after immunosuppression is a distinct immunobiological entity. Blood, 137 (11), 1468-1477. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020008520
2021
Journal Article
Ibrutinib for central nervous system lymphoma: the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance/MD Anderson Cancer Center experience
Lewis, Katharine L., Chin, Collin K., Manos, Kate, Casey, John, Hamad, Nada, Crawford, Julie, Ho, Shir-Jing, Issa, Samar, Grigg, Andrew, Wood, Peter, Gandhi, Maher K., Do, Bryan, Nastoupil, Loretta, Hawkes, Eliza A. and Cheah, Chan Y. (2021). Ibrutinib for central nervous system lymphoma: the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance/MD Anderson Cancer Center experience. British Journal of Haematology, 192 (6) bjh.16946, 1049-1053. doi: 10.1111/bjh.16946
2021
Journal Article
Targeted treatment of follicular lymphoma
Nath, Karthik and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Targeted treatment of follicular lymphoma. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 11 (2) 152, 1-22. doi: 10.3390/jpm11020152
2021
Book Chapter
Host genetic mutations and expression analyses in PTLD
Lees, Charlotte and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Host genetic mutations and expression analyses in PTLD. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders. (pp. 39-50) edited by Vikas R. Dharnidharka, Michael Green, Steven A. Webber and Ralf Ulrich Trappe. Cham, Switzerland: Springer . doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-65403-0_4
2021
Journal Article
A cost-effectiveness analysis of front-line treatment strategies in early-stage follicular lymphoma
Tobin, Joshua W. D., Crothers, Anna, Ma, Ti Eric, Mollee, Peter, Gandhi, Maher K., Scuffham, Paul and Hapgood, Greg (2021). A cost-effectiveness analysis of front-line treatment strategies in early-stage follicular lymphoma. Leukemia and Lymphoma, 62 (14), 1-9. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2021.1957866
2021
Journal Article
Tumor microenvironment of follicular lymphoma
Nath, Karthik, Tsang, Hennes and Gandhi, Maher K. (2021). Tumor microenvironment of follicular lymphoma. Annals of Lymphoma, 5, 1-19. doi: 10.21037/aol-20-55
2020
Journal Article
Increased lipid metabolism impairs NK cell function and mediates adaptation to the lymphoma environment
Kobayashi, Takumi, Lam, Pui Yeng, Jiang, Hui, Bednarska, Karolina, Gloury, Renee Elyse, Murigneux, Valentine, Tay, Joshua, Jacquelot, Nicolas, Li, Rui, Tuong, Zewen Kelvin, Leggatt, Graham, Gandhi, Maher K., Hill, Michelle M, Belz, Gabrielle T., Ngo, Shyuan, Kallies, Axel and Mattarollo, Stephen R. (2020). Increased lipid metabolism impairs NK cell function and mediates adaptation to the lymphoma environment. Blood, 136 (26), 3004-3017. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020005602
2020
Conference Publication
Neoantigens are typically associated with intact HLA class I presentation in early-stage follicular lymphoma
Tsang, Hennes, Patch, Ann-Marie, Keane, Colm, Law, Soi C., Gunawardana, Jay, Blombery, Piers, Thompson, Ella R., Sabdia, Muhammed B., De Long, Lilia Merida, Belle, Clemence J., Nath, Karthik, Tobin, Joshua W.D., Kazakoff, Stephen H., Seymour, John F., MacManus, Michael and Gandhi, Maher K. (2020). Neoantigens are typically associated with intact HLA class I presentation in early-stage follicular lymphoma. 62nd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, Online, 5-8 December 2020. Washington, DC United States: American Society of Hematology. doi: 10.1182/blood-2020-135954
2020
Journal Article
DA-EPOCH-R in Burkitt Lymphoma: Is it enough for high-risk disease?
Hertzberg, Mark, Joske, David J. L. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2020). DA-EPOCH-R in Burkitt Lymphoma: Is it enough for high-risk disease?. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38 (31), 3722-3723. doi: 10.1200/jco.20.01850
2020
Journal Article
Genetic aberrations of NLRC5 are associated with downregulated MHC‐I antigen presentation and impaired T‐cell immunity in follicular lymphoma
Gunawardana, Jay, Lee, Justina N., Bednarska, Karolina, Murigneux, Valentine, Long, Lilia Merida, Sabdia, Muhammed B., Birch, Simone, Tobin, Joshua W. D. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2020). Genetic aberrations of NLRC5 are associated with downregulated MHC‐I antigen presentation and impaired T‐cell immunity in follicular lymphoma. eJHaem, 1 (2) jha2.116, 517-526. doi: 10.1002/jha2.116
2020
Journal Article
Risk‐adapted therapy in follicular lymphoma: is it time to FLEX ?
Tobin, Joshua W. D. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2020). Risk‐adapted therapy in follicular lymphoma: is it time to FLEX ?. American Journal of Hematology, 95 (12) ajh.26016, 1454-1456. doi: 10.1002/ajh.26016
2020
Journal Article
Cathepsin S alterations induce a tumor-promoting immune microenvironment in follicular lymphoma
Bararia, Deepak, Hildebrand, Johannes A., Stolz, Sebastian, Haebe, Sarah, Alig, Stefan, Trevisani, Christopher P., Osorio-Barrios, Francisco, Bartoschek, Michael D., Mentz, Michael, Pastore, Alessandro, Gaitzsch, Erik, Heide, Michael, Jurinovic, Vindi, Rautter, Katharina, Gunawardana, Jay, Sabdia, Muhammed B., Szczepanowski, Monika, Richter, Julia, Klapper, Wolfram, Louissaint, Abner, Ludwig, Christina, Bultmann, Sebastian, Leonhardt, Heinrich, Eustermann, Sebastian, Hopfner, Karl-Peter, Hiddemann, Wolfgang, von Bergwelt-Baildon, Michael, Steidl, Christian, Kridel, Robert ... Weigert, Oliver (2020). Cathepsin S alterations induce a tumor-promoting immune microenvironment in follicular lymphoma. Cell Reports, 31 (5) 107522, 107522. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107522
2020
Journal Article
LAG3: a novel immune checkpoint expressed by multiple lymphocyte subsets in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Keane, Colm, Law, Soi C., Gould, Clare, Birch, Simone, Sabdia, Muhammed B., Merida de Long, Lilia, Thillaiyampalam, Gayathri, Abro, Emad, Tobin, Joshua W., Tan, Xiaohong, Xu-Monette, Zijun Y., Young, Ken H., Gifford, Grace, Gabreilli, Sara, Stevenson, William S., Gill, Anthony, Talaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Hernandez, Annette, Halliday, Sarah-Jane, Bird, Robert, Cross, Donna, Hertzberg, Mark and Gandhi, Maher K. (2020). LAG3: a novel immune checkpoint expressed by multiple lymphocyte subsets in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood Advances, 4 (7), 1367-1377. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2019001390
2020
Journal Article
Reply to M. Sorigue
Tobin, Joshua W.D., Keane, Colm, Gunawardana, Jay and Gandhi, Maher K. (2020). Reply to M. Sorigue. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38 (6), 648-649. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.02935
2020
Journal Article
Targeting an adenosine-mediated “don’t eat me signal” augments anti-lymphoma immunity by anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody
Nakamura, Kyohei, Casey, Mika, Oey, Harald, Vari, Frank, Stagg, John, Gandhi, Maher K. and Smyth, Mark J. (2020). Targeting an adenosine-mediated “don’t eat me signal” augments anti-lymphoma immunity by anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. Leukemia, 34 (10), 2708-2721. doi: 10.1038/s41375-020-0811-3
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Maher Gandhi is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Impact of genetics upon the tumour microenvironment in Follicular Lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joshua Tobin, Dr Soi Law, Associate Professor Colm Keane
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Doctor Philosophy
Impact of genetics upon the tumour microenvironment in Follicular Lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joshua Tobin, Dr Soi Law, Associate Professor Colm Keane
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Doctor Philosophy
Personalised therapy for lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Kristen Radford
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Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic Reprogramming of Malignant B-cells Impairs Immune-Fitness of Intratumoral T-Cells in Follicular Lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joshua Tobin, Dr Soi Law
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Doctor Philosophy
Personalised therapy for lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Kristen Radford
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigations in the development of cord blood derived, GMP grade cellular immunotherapies
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Kristen Radford
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Master Philosophy
Developing Companion Biomarkers Application in Follicular Lymphoma
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Adam Ewing, Dr Joshua Tobin
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Doctor Philosophy
Development of novel vaccines for cancer immunotherapy
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kelvin Tuong, Honorary Professor Kristen Radford
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
A Comprehensive Study of Intratumoural T-cells in Follicular Lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Soi Law, Associate Professor Colm Keane
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Clinical and Prognostic Tools to Improve Frontline Management Strategies in Follicular Lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Colm Keane
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
The impact of deficient antigen presentation on the tumour microenvironment of diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Colm Keane
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
A LABORATORY STUDY OF PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMA
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Colm Keane
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2016
Master Philosophy
Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors in Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Principal Advisor
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Novel strategies for monitoring, treating and preventing Epstein Barr virus-associated Lymphomas
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising miRNA - gene network associated with natural killer cell activation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Soi Law
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Deciphering the structure and function of class I cytokine receptors: GHR and GP130
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Andrew Brooks
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
IRE1-mediated splicing of xbp1 in Natural Killer cells
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Maher Gandhi directly for media enquiries about:
- Biomarkers
- Immunotherapy
- Lymphoma
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