Eureka prize winners! Congratulations to the incredible team at the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging & Diagnosis (ACEMID) on being awarded the 2024 Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.

Prof. Soyer is at the forefront of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation’s (ACRF) innovative melanoma research initiative, the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis (ACEMID). Their mission? To create “a world without melanoma.” This ambitious aim is crucial, as Australia sees over 18,000 new melanoma cases each year.

“ Imagine walking in and having your entire body scanned in mere seconds—this technology enables us to identify potential melanomas significantly earlier. ”

Professor H. Peter Soyer

“In science, collaboration is key to success!” Prof. Soyer emphasises.

The ACRF ACEMID project, spearheaded by The University of Queensland in partnership with Monash University and The University of Sydney, unites a wide range of stakeholders, including 15 hospital and health service sites, active patient advocacy groups including the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN), imaging data experts, and clinicians, all from across urban and rural regions.

“We have an extensive team of professionals,” Prof. Soyer notes, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of their work. This collaborative effort recently earned the team the 2024 Eureka Prize for ‘Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research,’ sponsored by the Aspire Scholarship.

The aim of ACRF ACEMID is to revolutionise early melanoma detection and enhance diagnostic pathways, particularly in underserved regional areas. Early identification of new moles and monitoring changes in existing ones is important for timely melanoma detection, providing reassurance to both patients and their healthcare providers. The data gathered from these total body images are analysed alongside clinical, pathology, proteomics, and genetic information.

Currently, the team is conducting Australia’s largest cohort study on melanoma, involving 15,000 participants across 15 sites along the eastern coastline. “Our group is certainly at the forefront of global interdisciplinary melanoma research,” Prof. Soyer says.

This research aims to determine how 3D total-body imaging can enhance the speed and accuracy of melanoma diagnosis, ultimately informing the development of a national, targeted melanoma screening program to ensure equitable access to early detection.

A New Approach for Dermatology

“ We aim to create a paradigm shift in melanoma and skin cancer diagnosis—not just for these conditions, but for dermatology as a whole, as the imaging quality is outstanding ”

Prof. Soyer

Several factors highlight the transformative potential of this method, particularly for rural communities:

• 15 3D total body imaging machines are already operational across metropolitan and regional areas.
• Trained skin-imaging technicians could conduct 3D images, alleviating the burden on the current medical workforce.
• Independent clinics could perform these scans, reducing demand on hospital imaging departments.
• AI technology could assist in managing imaging results, enabling expert diagnoses regardless of location.

“This technology could also be expanded for chronic conditions, like tumours or rashes, and this is basically the vision of ‘where to next’,” Prof. Soyer says.

For more insights on this amazing research, see below:

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