Dr Laura Raiti announced as inaugural Children’s Cancer CoLab and Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision Fellow

26 October 2026

Children’s Cancer CoLab and Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision are delighted to announce Dr Laura Raiti as the inaugural recipient of their jointly funded Clinician-Researcher Fellowship.

Dr Raiti will commence her two-year fellowship in February 2027 at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, undertaking research to improve diagnosis, treatment and long-term outcomes for children and young people affected by inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes, including those at increased risk of developing cancer.

Dr Raiti is currently a Cancer Genetics Fellow and Garron Family Cancer Centre Research Fellow at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. Having previously completed her paediatric oncology fellowship training at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, she will return to Australia through this fellowship, bringing valuable international experience in childhood cancer, genetics and inherited conditions that increase cancer risk.

United by a shared commitment to advancing research and improving patient outcomes, Children’s Cancer CoLab and Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision have collaborated to address a critical shortage of clinician-researchers working at the intersection of Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes and paediatric oncology. This fellowship aims to nurture the next generation of clinician-researchers, strengthen research capacity and foster collaboration across these fields, and advance research that addresses the complex health needs of children and young people affected by bone marrow failure and childhood cancer.

Dr Raiti’s research project, Optimising treatment of bone marrow failure in children through genomic discovery and analysis of long-term outcomes, aims to improve genetic diagnosis and treatment decisions for children and young people affected by inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes.

Some inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes are associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. Understanding the underlying genetic diagnosis is therefore important not only for managing bone marrow failure, but also for informing cancer surveillance, treatment decisions and long-term care. Despite advances in genetic testing, many families remain without a clear diagnosis, making treatment decisions and future planning challenging.

Using genomic data from the IBMDx study (Diagnosis, Discovery and Novel Phenotype Characterisation Using Multimodal Genomics in Patients with Inherited Bone Marrow Failure and Related Disorders) and long-term clinical data from the Aplastic Anaemia and other Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes Registry, Dr Raiti will investigate previously undiagnosed cases, identify potential new genetic causes of bone marrow failure and examine long-term treatment outcomes. This will include investigating cancer risk, treatment-related complications and long-term health outcomes, with the aim of informing future treatment and surveillance strategies.

Dr Laura Raiti shared:

“My research aims to provide more children and families with a clear genetic diagnosis for their underlying inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome, improve our understanding of treatment outcomes, and identify new genetic causes of bone marrow failure. Ultimately, this will help clinicians make more informed treatment and management decisions and help to improve long-term outcomes for patients and families.”

The fellowship reflects a shared commitment by Children’s Cancer CoLab and Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision to strengthen research expertise and support clinicians who combine patient care with scientific discovery.

Dr Raiti added:

“This fellowship provides a unique opportunity to develop as a clinician-scientist at the intersection of paediatric oncology, cancer genetics, and Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes. The protected research time, mentorship, and collaborative support will allow me to build expertise in genomic discovery and outcomes research while continuing to care for patients clinically. This research fellowship will help me translate research findings into better diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment strategies, ultimately improving care and outcomes for children and families affected by inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes.”

Children’s Cancer CoLab and Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision congratulate Dr Raiti on this achievement and look forward to supporting her research at this important intersection between Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes and childhood cancer.

CEO of Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, Amy Coote, said:

“We are so proud to partner with Children’s Cancer CoLab, united by our shared commitment to advance research that will create a brighter future for children and families affected by these rare and life-threatening conditions. Dr Raiti’s research will explore important challenges in diagnosing and treating inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes, including understanding long-term outcomes and cancer risks. By supporting talented researchers like Dr Raiti, we are investing in the discoveries of tomorrow, bringing us closer to more answers, better treatments and improved care for children and families who need it most.”

Children’s Cancer CoLab CEO, Dr Udani Reets, said:

“For CoLab, this fellowship is about supporting clinician-researchers to work across paediatric oncology, cancer genetics and bone marrow failure – fields that come together for children with inherited conditions that can also increase cancer risk. Protected research time, alongside continued clinical care, will enable Dr Raiti to build expertise in this much-needed area. We’re delighted the fellowship will support her return to Melbourne to continue this important work.”

Learn more about Dr Raiti’s project here: