Australasian Cell Death Society Mentorship Program 2026

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The ACDS committee is thrilled to launch the 2026 Mentorship Program for early- to mid-career researchers (EMCRs). Following the success of the 2025 pilot, this program will continue to support the professional development of emerging researchers within the Australasian cell death community by pairing EMCRs with established leaders in the field. This program aims to foster meaningful, one-to-one mentorship relationships that provide tailored career guidance, strategic insight, and support for long-term progression.

The 2026 ACDS mentorship program includes:

One-to-one mentorship 

• Each Mentee will be paired with an experienced ACDS Mentor.
• Mentees are expected to meet with their Mentor at least twice during 2026 (in person or virtually).
• Additional meetings are encouraged to maximise the value of the mentoring relationship.
• Optional discussion prompts will be provided to support initial conversations.

Professional Development (PD) Workshops

• Mentees will have access to a series of ACDS “Rapid Fire” Professional Development workshops, delivered by selected Mentors.
• Topics may include publishing with impact, strategic career planning for EMCRs, managing career setbacks, taking ownership of projects and ideas. 

MENTORS

We are extremely grateful to the following inspirational leaders in the Australasian cell death community who have generously agreed to support our junior researchers:

• Prof Peter Czabotar, WEHI (BCL-2 proteins, apoptosis, necroptosis, structural biology)
• Prof Sharad Kumar, Uni SA (autophagy, caspases, extracellular vesicles)
• Prof Seth Masters, Hudson (auto-inflammatory disease, inflammasomes, NLRP3)
• Prof Andrew Murphy, Baker (ferroptosis, inflammation, haematopoiesis)
• Prof James Murphy, WEHI (MLKL, necroptosis, pseudokinases)
• Dr Kim Newton, Genentech (RIPK1/3, necroptosis, inflammatory disease)
• Prof Ivan Poon, La Trobe University (apoptotic bodies, cell clearance, efferocytosis)
• Dr Jaclyn Pearson, St Andrews (microbiology, E.coli, infection and immunity)
• Prof Tri Phan, Garvan (Intravital microscopy, macrophages, apoptosis, B cells)
• Prof Andreas Strasser, WEHI (Apoptosis, blood cancers, p53, drug development)
• A/Prof Doug Fairlie, ONJCRI (Autophagy, cancer cell death, BH3 mimetics)
• Dr Marcel Doerflinger, WEHI (Infection, cell signalling, apoptosis)
• Prof Kate Schonder (Pyroptosis, inflammasomes, drug development)
• Dr Maria Tanzer, WEHI (Infection, phagocytosis, proteomics)
• Dr Najoua Lalauoi, Peter Mac (RIPK1/3, Innate immunity, therapeutic strategies)
• Prof Si Ming, John Curtin ANU (Innate immunity, infectious agents, cancer cell biology
• A/Prof Kate Lawlor, Hudson (apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, inflammation)*newly added

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be an early- or mid-career researcher (up to 8 years post-PhD), including current PhD students.
• Be a registered member of the Australasian Cell Death Society.
• Demonstrate a genuine commitment to career development and active participation in the field.

Selection will be based on alignment with program objectives, career stage, and mentor availability.