
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
2015
Journal Article
The T Cell Receptor (TCR) Repertoire Is a Key Determinant of the Tumour Microenvironment (TME) in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
Keane, Colm, Jones, Kimberly, Gould, Clare, Hamm, David, Wood, Peter, Birch, Simone, Crooks, Pauline, Green, Michael R, Taulaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh and Gandhi, Maher K (2015). The T Cell Receptor (TCR) Repertoire Is a Key Determinant of the Tumour Microenvironment (TME) in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Blood, 126 (23). doi: 10.1182/blood.v126.23.3893.3893
2015
Journal Article
Ratios of T-cell immune effectors and checkpoint molecules as prognostic biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a population-based study
Keane, Colm, Vari, Frank, Hertzberg, Mark, Le Cao, Kim-Anh, Green, Michael R., Han, Erica, Seymour, John F., Hicks, Rodney J., Gill, Devinder, Crooks, Pauline, Gould, Clare, Jones, Kimberley, Griffiths, Lyn R., Talaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). Ratios of T-cell immune effectors and checkpoint molecules as prognostic biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a population-based study. Lancet Haematology, 2 (10), e445-e455. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(15)00150-7
2015
Journal Article
Cessation of immunosuppression during chemotherapy for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders in renal transplant patients
Taylor, Emma, Jones, Mark, Hourigan, Matthew J., Johnson, David W., Gill, Devinder S., Isbel, Nicole, Hawley, Carmel M., Marlton, Paula, Gandhi, Maher K., Campbell, Scott B. and Mollee, Peter (2015). Cessation of immunosuppression during chemotherapy for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders in renal transplant patients. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 30 (10), 1774-1779. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfv260
2015
Journal Article
Noninvasive monitoring of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by immunoglobulin high-throughput sequencing
Kurtz, David M., Green, Michael R., Bratman, Scott V., Scherer, Florian, Liu, Chih Long, Kunder, Christian A., Takahashi, Kazuhiro, Glover, Cynthia, Keane, Colm, Kihira, Shingo, Visser, Brendan, Callahan, Jason, Kong, Katherine A., Faham, Malek, Corbelli, Karen S., Miklos, David, Advani, Ranjana H., Levy, Ronald, Hicks, Rodney J., Hertzberg, Mark, Ohgami, Robert S., Gandhi, Maher K., Diehn, Maximilian and Alizadeh, Ash A. (2015). Noninvasive monitoring of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by immunoglobulin high-throughput sequencing. Blood, 125 (24), 3679-3687. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-03-635169
2015
Journal Article
HLA class I associations with EBV+ post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder
Jones, Kimberley, Wockner, Leesa, Thornton, Alycia, Gottlieb, David, Ritchie, David S, Seymour, John F, Kumarasinghe, Gayathri and Gandhi, Maher K (2015). HLA class I associations with EBV+ post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Transplant Immunology, 32 (2), 126-130. doi: 10.1016/j.trim.2015.02.005
2015
Book Chapter
Serum CD163 and TARC as circulating biomarkers in Hodgkin Lymphoma
Jones, Kimberley, Seymour, Louise and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). Serum CD163 and TARC as circulating biomarkers in Hodgkin Lymphoma. Biomarkers in cancer. (pp. 955-978) edited by Victor R. Preedy and Vinood B. Patel. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-7681-4_5
2015
Conference Publication
The T Cell Receptor (TCR) Repertoire Is a Key Determinant of the Tumour Microenvironment (TME) in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
Keane, Colm, Jones, Kimberly, Gould, Clare, Hamm, David, Wood, Peter, Birch, Simone, Crooks, Pauline, Green, Michael R., Taulaulikar, Dipti, Jain, Sanjiv, Tobin, Josh and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). The T Cell Receptor (TCR) Repertoire Is a Key Determinant of the Tumour Microenvironment (TME) in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). 55th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American-Society-of-Hematology, New Orleans, LA, United States, 7-10 December 2013. WASHINGTON: AMER SOC HEMATOLOGY.
2015
Conference Publication
Pre-treatment circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for disease burden in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
Scherer, Florian, Kurtz, David Matthew, Green, Michael Richard, Newman, Aaron M., Klass, Daniel M., Zhou, Li, Krishnan, Rashi, Liu, Chih Long, Glover, Cynthia, Ohgami, Robert S., Hicks, Rodney J., Keane, Colm, Kong, Katherine A., Faham, Malek, Hertzberg, Mark S., Gandhi, Maher K., Advani, Ranjana H., Levy, Ronald, Diehn, Maximilian and Alizadeh, Ash A. (2015). Pre-treatment circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for disease burden in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Chicago, United States, May 29-June 2, 2015. Alexandria, United States: American Society of Clinical Oncology.
2015
Conference Publication
Early Treatment Intensification with R-ICE Chemotherapy Followed By Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) Using Zevalin-BEAM for Patients with Poor Risk Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) As Identified By Interim PET/CT Scan Performed after Four
Hertzberg, Mark S., Gandhi, Maher K., Butcher, Belinda, Columbus, Ruth, Taper, John, Trotman, Judith, Gill, Devinder, Ho, Shir-Jing, Fay, Kelth, Cull, Gavin, Grigg, Andrew P., Chong, Geoff, Lewis, Ian D., Milliken, Sam, Renwick, William, Hahn, Uwe, Filshie, Robin, Watson, Anne-Marie, Kannourakis, George, Wolf, Max, Wirth, Andrew, Warburton, Pauline Therese, Larsen, Stephen Robert, Seymour, John F. and Hicks, Rodney (2015). Early Treatment Intensification with R-ICE Chemotherapy Followed By Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) Using Zevalin-BEAM for Patients with Poor Risk Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) As Identified By Interim PET/CT Scan Performed after Four. 57th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, Orlando, United States, Dec 05-08, 2015. WASHINGTON: AMER SOC HEMATOLOGY. doi: 10.1182/blood.V126.23.815.815
2015
Journal Article
Deregulated JAK/STAT signalling in lymphomagenesis, and its implications for the development of new targeted therapies
Scott, Linda M. and Gandhi, Maher K. (2015). Deregulated JAK/STAT signalling in lymphomagenesis, and its implications for the development of new targeted therapies. Blood Reviews, 29 (6), 405-415. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2015.06.002
2015
Conference Publication
Improving conventional prognosticators in diffuse large B cell lymphoma using marker ratios
Lecao K.-A., Keane C., Han E., Talaulikar D. and Gandhi M. (2015). Improving conventional prognosticators in diffuse large B cell lymphoma using marker ratios. Scientific Stream at Big Data in Health Analytics 2015, BigData 2015, Sydney; Australia, October 20, 2015-October 21, 2015. Aachen, Germany: Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen.
2014
Journal Article
A comprehensive analysis of the cellular and EBV-Specific MicroRNAome in primary CNS PTLD identifies different patterns among EBV-associated tumors
Fink, S. E. K., Gandhi, M. K., Nourse, J. P., Keane, C., Jones, K., Crooks, P., Johrens, K., Korfel, A., Schmidt, H., Neumann, S., Tiede, A., Jager, U., Duhrsen, U., Neuhaus, R., Dreyling, M., Borchert, K., Sudhoff, T., Riess, H., Anagnostopoulos, I. and Trappe, R. U. (2014). A comprehensive analysis of the cellular and EBV-Specific MicroRNAome in primary CNS PTLD identifies different patterns among EBV-associated tumors. American Journal of Transplantation, 14 (11), 2577-2587. doi: 10.1111/ajt.12858
2014
Journal Article
A multi-centre, single-arm, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of fixed dose rituximab in patients with refractory, relapsed or chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (R-ITP1000 study)
Tran, Huyen, Brighton, Tim, Grigg, Andrew, McRae, Simon, Dixon, Joanna, Thurley, Daniel, Gandhi, Maher K., Truman, Matt, Marlton, Paula and Catalano, John (2014). A multi-centre, single-arm, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of fixed dose rituximab in patients with refractory, relapsed or chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (R-ITP1000 study). British Journal of Haematology, 167 (2), 243-251. doi: 10.1111/bjh.13029
2014
Journal Article
In silico analyses reveal common cellular pathways affected by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events in the lymphomagenesis of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
Aya-Bonilla, Carlos, Camilleri, Emily, Haupt, Larisa M., Lea, Rod, Gandhi, Maher K. and Griffiths, Lyn R. (2014). In silico analyses reveal common cellular pathways affected by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events in the lymphomagenesis of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). BMC Genomics, 15 (390) 390, 1-12. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-390
2014
Journal Article
The presence of KIR2DS5 confers protection against adult immune thrombocytopenia
Seymour, L. A., Nourse, J. P., Crooks, P., Wockner, L., Bird, R., Tran, H. and Gandhi, M. K. (2014). The presence of KIR2DS5 confers protection against adult immune thrombocytopenia. Tissue Antigens, 83 (3), 154-160. doi: 10.1111/tan.12295
2014
Journal Article
FCY-receptor IIIA polymorphism p.158F has no negative predictive impact on rituximab therapy with and without sequential chemotherapy in CD20-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder
Zimmermann, Heiner, Weiland, Theresa, Nourse, Jamie P., Gandhi, Maher K., Reinke, Petra, Neuhaus, Ruth, Karbasiyan, Mohsen, Gärtner, Barbara, Anagnostopoulos, Ioannis, Riess, Hanno, Trappe, Ralf and Oertel, Stephan (2014). FCY-receptor IIIA polymorphism p.158F has no negative predictive impact on rituximab therapy with and without sequential chemotherapy in CD20-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Journal of Immunology Research, 264723 264723, 1-6. doi: 10.1155/2014/264723
2014
Journal Article
Plasma microRNA are disease response biomarkers in classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Jones, Kimberley, Nourse, Jamie P., Keane, Colm, Bhatnagar, Atul and Gandhi, Maher K. (2014). Plasma microRNA are disease response biomarkers in classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Clinical Cancer Research, 20 (1), 253-264. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-1024
2014
Conference Publication
Noninvasive monitoring of cellular versus acellular tumor DNA from immunoglobulin genes for DLBCL
Kurtz, David Matthew, Green, Michael R., Bratman, Scott Victor, Liu, Chih-Long, Glover, Cynthia, Keane, Colm, Kong, Katie, Faham, Malek, Miklos, David Bernard, Advani, Ranjana H., Levy, Ronald, Hertzberg, Mark S., Gandhi, Maher K., Diehn, Maximilian and Alizadeh, Ash A. (2014). Noninvasive monitoring of cellular versus acellular tumor DNA from immunoglobulin genes for DLBCL. 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chicago IL United States, May 30-June 3, 2014. Alexandria VA, United States: American Society of Clinical Oncology.
2014
Conference Publication
Validation of Elevated Blood Soluble PD-L1 As an Independent Prognostic Marker in Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
Fest, Thierry, Cerhan, James R., Gandhi, Maher K., Azzaoui, Imane, Crooks, Pauline, Maurer, Matthew J., Milpied, Noel, Hertzberg, Mark S., Lamy, Thierry, Ansell, Stephen M., Slager, Susan L., Feldman, Andrew L., Roussel, Mikael, Habermann, Thomas M., Ghesquieres, Herve, Witzig, Thomas E., Link, Brian K. and Rossille, Delphine (2014). Validation of Elevated Blood Soluble PD-L1 As an Independent Prognostic Marker in Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). 56th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, San Francisco, CA United States, 06-09 December 2014. Washington, DC United States: American Society of Hematology. doi: 10.1182/blood.V124.21.2998.2998
2014
Journal Article
A new frontier in haematology - combining pharmacokinetic with pharmacodynamic factors to improve choice and dose of drug
Arpon, David Rey, Gandhi, Maher K. and Martin, Jennifer H. (2014). A new frontier in haematology - combining pharmacokinetic with pharmacodynamic factors to improve choice and dose of drug. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 78 (2), 274-281. doi: 10.1111/bcp.12318
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
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
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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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
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Doctor Philosophy
Utilising alternative cytokine receptor signalling for enhanced cell-based cancer immunotherapy.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Soi Law, Dr Joshua Tobin
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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
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
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
IRE1-mediated splicing of xbp1 in Natural Killer cells
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
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- Biomarkers
- Immunotherapy
- Lymphoma
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