Nowadays, despite successful pre-clinical testing in animal models, 80 to 90% of novel drugs still fail in the clinic. Cancer in particular is a complex disease with strong interactions with its microenvironment. Hence, it is critical to replicate and study the human microenvironment, in order to find effective cures. In my early career research work, I am addressing this issue by using bioengineering to develop advanced human 3D models. I focus on prostate cancer disseminated to the bones, an incurable stage of the disease. By using a ‘humanised’ platform, we are able to assess more accurately the effects of current and novel therapies. We are further using our platform with prostate tumour tissues from patients directly, in order to study the predisposition of specific patients to relapse with advanced disease at a later stage. Our pre-clinical setting is unique to Australia, providing unprecedented opportunities for personalised medicine for Queensland men.