Han Shen
han.shen@wimr.org.au
Biography
Dr Han Shen is a Research Scientist and Fellow in the Centre for Cancer Research at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR). He is currently co-leading the Translational Radiation Biology and Oncology Laboratory at WIMR.
Dr Shen was previously a Research Officer at the Children’s Cancer Institute (UNSW Sydney) within the Targeted Therapeutics Research Program, and prior to that a Research Officer in the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation Neuro-Oncology Laboratory at UNSW Sydney.
He received a Bachelor of Medicine from Hainan Medical University (2007) and a Master of Medical Science (Surgery – Neurosurgery subspecialty) from Capital Medical University (2010), before completing his PhD at UNSW Sydney (2014).
As a clinician-scientist, Dr Shen has published 16 peer-reviewed original research articles, including 8 as first author, in the field of adult and paediatric brain tumours. He has attracted over $1.5 million in competitive research funding as a Chief Investigator, including support from the NHMRC, Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, The Cure Starts Now DIPG collaborative, and the Mark Hughes Foundation. His current research focuses on understanding intrinsic and acquired radioresistance and developing radiosensitisation strategies in adult and paediatric high-grade gliomas.
Research interests
Adult and paediatric high-grade gliomas, radioresistance mechanisms, radiosensitisation strategies, cancer metabolism, hypoxia and metabolic drivers, translational radiation biology and oncology.
Additional information
Current grants
| The Cure Starts Now Foundation (Homerun Grant; DIPG/DMG Collaborative) | 2026 | Targeting mitochondrial metabolism as a novel therapeutic strategy for treatment of Diffuse Midline Gliomas |
| Cancer Institute NSW | 2023–2026 | Career Development Fellowship | Career Development Fellowship (TRBOG, WIMR) |
Professional Associations and Organisations
| Centre for Cancer Research, WIMR | Translational Radiation Biology and Oncology Group (TRBOG) | |
| Honorary Associate Lecturer | Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney |
Awards and recognition
| 2024 |
| 2017 |
| 2015 |
