Dr Matthew Munro, BSc (Hon), PhD

Dr Munro, has a background in the concept of drug repurposing – using existing, cheap, accessible medications for a new purpose – is an intriguing field of research, and its application in cancer research is of great interest. 

Matt joined the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute as a lab technician in 2016, and then as a PhD student between 2017 and 2020 before returning as a Research Fellow in 2021. 

Matt’s research focuses on two areas. One is investigating the potential of repurposed drugs for meningioma treatment. The other is investigating the effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors on colon cancer organoids.

Matt’s research interests include drug repurposing, brain cancer invasion, and colon cancer. He primarily uses cell culture and organoid models (lab-grown mini-organs), proteomics (studying protein structure and function, and how they work and interact with other proteins), and histology (looking at tissue and cell structure) for his research.

He is currently investigating whether off-patent drugs could be repurposed to reduce the invasion of meningioma, the most common brain tumour, into the brain.

Matt graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology in 2013 and a BSc (Hons) in Cell and Molecular Science in 2014, both from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Matt’s PhD was completed at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute through Victoria University, investigating the effects of antihypertensive medications on colon cancer.

Matt enjoys running, playing cricket and football, tramping, art, reading, going to gigs, and playing the guitar.