Role at ANSTO
Leena Hogan is a radiochemist whose work focuses on ANSTO’s bespoke radioisotope production capability for use in medical, environmental and agricultural research. The role has required the development of equipment and protocols for the irradiation, decanning, digestion, and separation of radioactive metal isotopes. In December 2018 the radioisotope development team successfully produced Australia’s first batch of scandium-47, a beta emitting radioisotope capable of being used in therapeutic applications for the treatment of cancer. The project is now focussed on the scaling up of scandium-47 production for use in pre-clinical and clinical research.
Prior to her work in radioisotope development, Leena’s research focussed on the development of new ligands for gallium-68 radiopharmaceuticals. Leena has developed radiopharmaceuticals with promising biological properties that will be further assessed at the world-leading cancer research hospital Memorial Sloan Kettering https://www.ansto.gov.au/news/innovative-cancer-research.
Leena also has experience in commercial research and development having spent several years working on the optimisation and testing of Ceramisphere’s patented sol-gel technology.
Expertise
Chemistry, radiochemistry, metal separations, complexation chemistry, synthetic chemistry, project management.
Qualifications & Achievements
- 2018 Dr Joan R. Clark Research Scholarship, University of Sydney https://www.ansto.gov.au/news/innovative-cancer-research
- 2016 RJW Le Fevre Research Travelling Scholarship - International Symposium on Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Dresden, Germany
- 2015 Individual Award ANSTO – Commercial Acumen. Fully funded travel to Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, San Diego, California, 2016
- 2014 Invited Speaker, Medicinal Chemistry/Drug Discovery Symposium, UNSW
- 2011 First Place, Student Poster Presentation RACI Inorganic Chemistry Conference, Perth
- 2006 First Class Honours in Medicinal Chemistry (UoW)
- 2006 Dean’s Merit List (UoW)
- 2005 Peter Beckmann Prize (Best Academic Record in Third Year Chemistry, UoW)Parkin Prize lecture for Science Communication (2011)
Committees, Affiliations & memberships
- ANSTO representative for the Australian Academy of Science Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Forum
- Member, Women in Nuclear
- Member, The Royal Australian Chemistry Institute
- Member, South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association