The Melbourne scientist admits to such an obsession with the long-running television show, her school friends called her Agent Scully, after Gillian Anderson’s character.

“It was very embarrassing,” she said, as she prepared to leave her Melbourne laboratory to speak in the Eurobodalla on Friday.

The show spurred a dream to be a forensic investigator but many Australian women can now be grateful Dr Alsop is using science to tackle a killer of a different kind – ovarian cancer.

Last year, Dr Alsop’s work paid dividends for Australian women diagnosed with the cancer.

Her PhD research into the BrCa (breast cancer) genetic mutations, made famous by actor and carrier Angelina Jolie, last year had far-reaching consequences.

Thanks to her work and that of colleagues, Professor David Bowtell and Associate Professor Gillian Mitchell, newly diagnosed women are now automatically referred for genetic testing.

 “On the back of that work, new guidelines came out last year,” Dr Alsop said this week, 

“It is fantastic, because a lot more women will now have the opportunity to have genetic testing,” she said.

“In the past, genetic testing had only really been available for people (with) a family history of cancer.”

That left many vulner-able women out of the loop, as the researchers discovered.

“We found about 40 per cent of women who carry these mutations who have ovarian cancer actually do not have a strong family history,” Dr Alsop said.

“These would be women who would be missing out on genetic testing.

“If we base the genetic testing on a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, we will pick them up and pick up more of these families and help them manage their cancer risk.”

Their treatment will also be better targeted.

“Women whose ovarian cancer has developed because of this predisposition and because of the mutation in these genes, respond differently to treatment,” Dr Alsop said.

Carriers respond better to platinum-based drugs.

“It is better for the woman and her oncologist to know this,” Dr Alsop said.

“They are known to be more sensitive to platinum.

“For women with these mutations, there is a lot of evidence that they should be treated with this and should stay on platinum-based treatment, even when they relapse.”

However, BrCa carriers or not, all women with ovarian cancer are likely to benefit from “new and exciting” research.

“We are moving into molecular targeted therapy,” Dr Alsop said.

“Traditional chemotherapy is like a blanket that attacks lots of different cells, including your normal cells. 

“Molecular-targeted therapy means identifying (something) specific in that person’s tumour and attacking that weakness or turning it to your advantage.

“We need to start treating ovarian cancer based on the things that are going on in that person’s cancer, not just because it is ovarian cancer.”

Dr Alsop, a researcher at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, will speak at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on Friday.

The event is to launch next year’s Run for Teal campaign. It starts at 6.30pm and tickets are $45, which includes a two-course meal.

For details phone Sylvia Penberthy on 4471 2082.