Dr Callum Dark is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Cheng Laboratory, which is part of the Organogenesis and Cancer Program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He completed his PhD in 2020, at Monash University under the supervision of Associate ProfessorRob Bryson-Richardson, using zebrafish as an animal model to investigate the genetic background of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Later in 2020, he started his postdoctoral with Louise Cheng at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. His research now involves investigating the underlying mechanisms of cancer cachexia, a disease that is found in approximately 80% of late-stage cancer patients. Cachexia is characterised by extreme loss of skeletal muscle and fat tissue, and this leads to decreased clinical and survival outcomes for those who are affected. Using the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model for cachexia, Callum is particularly interested in how the tumour signals for the muscle to break down, and what interventions could be used to prevent muscle wasting. He utilises combinations of Drosophila genetics and confocal imaging to examine muscle phenotypes in tumour-bearing animals, with the aim of identifying what pathways are important for muscle breakdown. He also has a great passion for consumer engagement and thoroughly enjoys working alongside consumers to better understand how their experiences can shape his research. His expertise includes developmental genetics, human genetic disease, Drosophila research, zebrafish research, disease modelling, imaging, and behavioural analysis.