Dr Kim Fung

Principal Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/F/K/Kim-Fung

Biography

Dr Kim Fung is a Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO, Health and Biosecurity.
Her expertise is in the development and translation of novel and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for human health and disease with a focus on intestinal disease. Her achievements include commercialisation of a blood-based protein biomarker panel for colorectal cancer detection (ColoSTAT) and elucidating the mechanisms of action of butyrate, a metabolite derived from bacterial fermentation of resistant starch (dietary fibre) that is beneficial to intestinal health.

Dr Fung has been leading an activity to establish a biobank of patient-derived intestinal organoids (normal and disease) and to utilize these organoids in a high throughput screening platform to test for therapeutic efficacy and safety. Furthermore, she is developing a validated complex model that incorporates immune cells and gut microbes that can more accurately recapitulate the in vivo organ and disease pathology. Dr Fung was a member of the steering committee for the CSIRO Futures report “Non animal models. A strategy for maturing Australia’s medical product development capabilities”, released in 2023.

Dr Fung has also been the recipient of NHRMC grants (as CI and AI), ARC LIEF and ITTC grants, as well as funding from the BUPA Health Foundation (>$5mil in last 5yrs).

Professional Areas

Academic Qualifications

2022

Master of Education (Leadership and Learning)
University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
2021

Advanced Leadership Program
WLA in partnership with Deakin University
2005

Graduate Certificate in Business and Technology
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Achievements and Awards

2015-2015

Payne Scott Award
CSIRO

Other highlights

2019-2019

Finalist of Knowledge Commercialisatin Australia’s KCA Awards 2019 for ColoSTAT.

Grants

2022-2025

MRFF grant: Microbial based biomarkers powered by artificial intelligence for early detection of liver cancer in Australia. The Australian Liver Cancer Microbiome Consortium
2022-2024

NHMRC Ideas Grant: Improving the Diagnosis of Barrett’s Oesophagus with Dysplasia
2013-2015

BUPA Health Foundation Grant
2013-2013

SAHMRI Beat Cancer Project Research Grant
2013-2013

ARC LIEF grant, Establishment of the Protein Quantitation Centre of South Australia
2011-2013

NHMRC project grant, Molecular characterisation of early precursor lesions of a novel “serrated pathway” of colorectal cancer using gene expression and proteomics
2011-2012

NHMRC Development Grant, Validation of a multiplexed blood based screening assay for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer
2007-2007

CSIRO Collaborative Research Fund, Identification of protein markers for serrated adenomas using proteomics

Community and Corporate Citizenship

2015-present

Invited member of uBiome Academic Consortium
2014-present

Member of the NHMRC Research Translation Faculty
2010-present

Peer review of grants for NHMRC
2004-present

Peer review for different international granting agencies in Proteomic sciences
2010-2013

Member of Australian Society for Medical Research
2007-2009

Participation in CSIRO initiative “Preventative Health, SA Govt and RiAus Science Experience for Teachers”