Overview
Background
Professor Brandon Wainwright AM is Co-Director of the Children’s Brain Cancer Centre and leads a laboratory within the UQ Diamantina Institute focused on understanding the genetic pathways behind medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour that occurs predominantly in children. He is Chair of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Robinson Research Institute and Chair of the Board of the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute (SAIGENCI), and serves on the boards the Australian Genome Research Facility as well as several national and international scientific review committees, including the MRFF Brain Tumour Roadmap Committee.
Professor Wainwright completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at The University of Adelaide, after which he secured a postdoctoral fellowship with St Mary's Hospital at Imperial College London. During his six years at Imperial he worked on the first human genome project and also became a Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellow. He returned to Australia in 1990 to join UQ's Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology (now IMB) and led the Institute for Molecular Biology until 2019.
Professor Wainwright is a geneticist, renowned for discovering the genetic pathway that causes most human cancer. He is skilled in molecular genetics, where he is using genetic approaches to dig through DNA and find the genes that cause disease. He commenced using these skills to locate the cystic fibrosis gene, but it was when isolating a gene responsible for a rare form of brain cancer called Medulloblastoma, that he discovered the role of the ‘Hedgehog Pathway' in common human cancer.
Availability
- Professor Brandon Wainwright is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Research interests
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Cancer and cell signalling
Skin cancer is a major public health issue in Australia, with the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer costing our community more than $264 million each year. Moreover, brain tumours remain the most common cause of cancer-related death in children and of these, medulloblastoma is the most commonly diagnosed. Our laboratory has made great progress in understanding the genetic pathways behind the most common form of skin cancer in Australia, Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), and medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour that occurs predominantly in children. Having mapped and isolated the Naevoid Basel Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (NBCCS) gene called Patched, which is the driver for a medical condition where affected individuals have a predisposition for developing BCC and medulloblastoma, we were able to identify the Patched gene as a controller of a molecular signalling pathway called the Hedgehog pathway. The Hedgehog pathway is a set of genetic mutations that contribute to the development of a wide range of tumour types, including lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancer. By examining this pathway and how it interacts with other genetic pathways, our scientists have gained a better understanding of the normal development of the skin and cerebellum, a part of the brain that controls motor functions. By manipulating the strength of the Hedgehog pathway we believe stem cell populations can be expanded or can be induced to become cancerous. Our lab has identified the core genetic components that lead to the development of medulloblastoma. This work will enable the therapeutic targeting of every medulloblastoma, not just a subset, leading to more powerful clinical trials and ultimately more effective treatment options.
Works
Search Professor Brandon Wainwright’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Conference Publication
Mouse Functional Genomics to Predict Novel Drug Targets for All Subgroups of Medulloblastoma
Genovesi, Laura, Ji, Pengxiang, Davis, Melissa, Ching Ging Ng, Remke, Marc, Taylor, Michael, Cho, Yoon-Jae, Jenkins, Nancy, Copeland, Neil and Wainwright, Brandon (2014). Mouse Functional Genomics to Predict Novel Drug Targets for All Subgroups of Medulloblastoma. 16th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO), Singapore, Singapore, 28 June - 02 July 2014. Cary, NC United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/nou074
2014
Journal Article
Neogenin1 is a Sonic Hedgehog target in medulloblastoma and is necessary for cell cycle progression
Milla, Luis A., Arros, Andrea, Espinoza, Natalie, Remke. Marc, Kool, Marcel, Taylor, Michael D., Pfister, Stefan M., Wainwright, Brandon J. and Palma, Verónica (2014). Neogenin1 is a Sonic Hedgehog target in medulloblastoma and is necessary for cell cycle progression. International Journal of Cancer, 134 (1), 21-31. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28330
2013
Conference Publication
Medulloblastoma Down Under 2013: a report from the third annual meeting of the International Medulloblastoma Working Group
Gottardo, Nicholas G., Hansford, Jordan R., McGlade, Jacqueline P., Alvaro, Frank, Ashley, David M., Bailey, Simon, Baker, David L., Bourdeaut, Franck, Cho, Yoon‑Jae, Clay, Moira, Clifford, Steven C., Cohn, Richard J., Cole, Catherine H., Dallas, Peter B., Downie, Peter, Doz, François, Ellison, David W., Endersby, Raelene, Fisher, Paul G., Hassall, Timothy, Heath, John A., Hii, Hilary L., Jones, David T. W., Junckerstorff, Reimar, Kellie, Stewart, Kool, Marcel, Kotecha, Rishi S., Lichter, Peter, Laughton, Stephen J. ... Gajjar, Amar (2013). Medulloblastoma Down Under 2013: a report from the third annual meeting of the International Medulloblastoma Working Group. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/s00401-013-1213-7
2013
Journal Article
Sleeping Beauty mutagenesis in a mouse medulloblastoma model defines networks that discriminate between human molecular subgroups
Genovesi, Laura A., Ng, Ching Ging, Davis, Melissa J., Remke, Marc, Taylor, Michael D., Adams, David J., Rust, Alistair G., Ward, Jerrold M., Ban, Kenneth H., Jenkins, Nancy A., Copeland, Neal G. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (2013). Sleeping Beauty mutagenesis in a mouse medulloblastoma model defines networks that discriminate between human molecular subgroups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110 (46), E4325-E4334. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1318639110
2013
Journal Article
Direct effects of Bmi1 on p53 protein stability inactivates oncoprotein stress responses in embryonal cancer precursor cells at tumor initiation
Calao, M., Sekyere, E. O., Cui, H. J., Cheung, B. B., Thomas, W. D., Keating, J., Chen, J. B., Raif, A., Jankowski, K., Davies, N. P., Bekkum, M. V., Chen, B., Tan, O., Ellis, T., Norris, M. D., Haber, M., Kim. E. S., Shohet, J. M., Trahair, T. N., Lui, T., Wainwright, B. J., Ding, H. F. and Marshall, G. M. (2013). Direct effects of Bmi1 on p53 protein stability inactivates oncoprotein stress responses in embryonal cancer precursor cells at tumor initiation. Oncogene, 32 (31), 3616-3626. doi: 10.1038/onc.2012.368
2013
Journal Article
Patched1 is required in neural crest cells for the prevention of orofacial clefts
Metzis, Vicki, Courtney, Andrew D., Kerr, Markus C., Ferguson, Charles, Rondón Galeano, Maria C., Parton, Robert G., Wainwright, Brandon J. and Wicking, Carol (2013). Patched1 is required in neural crest cells for the prevention of orofacial clefts. Human Molecular Genetics, Advance Access (24) ddt353, 1-10. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddt353
2013
Journal Article
Proliferation of Murine Midbrain Neural Stem Cells Depends upon an Endogenous Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) Source
Martinez, Constanza, Hugo Cornejo, Victor, Lois, Pablo, Ellis, Tammy, Solis, Natalia P., Wainwright, Brandon J. and Palma, Veronica (2013). Proliferation of Murine Midbrain Neural Stem Cells Depends upon an Endogenous Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) Source. PLoS One, 8 (6) e65818, e65818.1-e65818.10. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065818
2013
Journal Article
Murine basal cell carcinoma leads to tumor mediated alterations in endocrine lgf1 signaling
Villani, Rehan M., Waters, Michael J. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (2013). Murine basal cell carcinoma leads to tumor mediated alterations in endocrine lgf1 signaling. Endocrine - Related Cancer, 20 (3), 273-281. doi: 10.1530/ERC-12-0307
2012
Journal Article
Kif7 regulates Gli2 through Sufu-dependent and -independent functions during skin development and tumorigenesis
Li, Zhu Juan, Nieuwenhuis, Erica, Nien, Weilun, Zhang, Xiaoyun, Zhang, Jennifer, Puviindran, Vijitha, Wainwright, Brandon J., Kim, Peter C. W. and Hui, Chi-chung (2012). Kif7 regulates Gli2 through Sufu-dependent and -independent functions during skin development and tumorigenesis. Development, 139 (22), 4152-4161. doi: 10.1242/dev.081190
2012
Journal Article
Hedgehog pathway inhibitor saridegib (IPI-926) increases lifespan in a mouse medulloblastoma model
Lee, Michelle J., Hatton, Beryl A., Villavicencio, Elisabeth H., Khanna, Paritosh C., Friedman, Seth D., Ditzler, Sally, Pullar, Barbara, Robison, Keith, White, Kerry F., Tunkey, Chris, LeBlanc, Michael, Randolph-Habecker, Julie, Knoblaugh, Sue E., Hansen, Stacey, Richards, Andrew, Wainwright, Brandon J., McGovern, Karen and Olson, James M. (2012). Hedgehog pathway inhibitor saridegib (IPI-926) increases lifespan in a mouse medulloblastoma model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109 (20), 7859-7864. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1114718109
2012
Journal Article
Mutations in mouse Ift144 model the craniofacial, limb and rib defects in skeletal ciliopathies
Ashe, Alyson, Butterfield, Natalie C., Town, Liam, Courtney, Andrew D., Cooper, Ashley N., Ferguson, Charles, Barry, Rachael, Olsson, Fredrik, Liem, Karel F., Parton, Robert G., Wainwright, Brandon J., Anderson, Kathryn V., Whitelaw, Emma and Wicking, Carol (2012). Mutations in mouse Ift144 model the craniofacial, limb and rib defects in skeletal ciliopathies. Human Molecular Genetics, 21 (8) ddr613, 1808-1823. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddr613
2012
Conference Publication
Hedgehog pathway regulation of basal cell carcinoma and epidermal differentiation
Adolphe, C., Villani, R., Niewenhuis, E., Li, S., Kaur, P., Hui, C. and Wainwright, B. (2012). Hedgehog pathway regulation of basal cell carcinoma and epidermal differentiation. Conjoint 3rd Australasian Wound & Tissue Repair Society and 9th Australasian Society for Dermatology Research Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 22-24 May 2012. Hoboken, NJ, United States: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-475X.2012.00835.x
2011
Journal Article
Hedgehog/Notch-induced premature gliogenesis represents a new disease mechanism for Hirschsprung disease in mice and humans
Ngan, Elly Sau-Wai, Garcia-Barcelo, Maria-Merce, Yip, Benjamin Hon-Kei, Poon, Hiu-Cheng, Lau, Sin-Ting, Kwok, Carmen Ka-Man, Sat, Eric, Sham, Mai-Har, Wong, Kenneth Kak-Yuen, Wainwright, Brandon J., Cherny, Stacey S, Hui, Chi-Chung, Sham, Pak Chung, Lui, Vincent Chi-Hang and Tam, Paul Kwong-Ham (2011). Hedgehog/Notch-induced premature gliogenesis represents a new disease mechanism for Hirschsprung disease in mice and humans. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 121 (9), 3467-3478. doi: 10.1172/JCI43737
2011
Journal Article
Tumor shrinkage by cyclopamine tartrate through inhibiting hedgehog signaling
Fan, Qipeng, Gu, Dongsheng, He, Miao, Liu, Hailan, Sheng. Tao, Xie, Guorui, Li, Ching-xin, Zhang, Xaoili, Wainwright, Brandon J., Garrossian, Arash, Garrossian, Massoud, Gardner, Dale and Xie, Jingwu (2011). Tumor shrinkage by cyclopamine tartrate through inhibiting hedgehog signaling. Chinese Journal of Cancer, 30 (7), 472-481. doi: 10.5732/cjc.011.10157
2011
Journal Article
Sonic hedgehog and notch signaling can cooperate to regulate neurogenic divisions of neocortical progenitors
Dave, Richa K., Ellis, Tammy, Toumpas, Melissa C., Robson, Jonathan P., Julian, Elaine, Adolphe, Christelle, Bartlett, Perry F., Cooper, Helen M., Reynolds, Brent A. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (2011). Sonic hedgehog and notch signaling can cooperate to regulate neurogenic divisions of neocortical progenitors. PLoS One, 6 (2) e14680, e14680-1-e14680-13. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014680
2011
Journal Article
Ptch1-mediated dosage-dependent action of Shh signaling regulates neural progenitor development at late gestational stages
Shikata, Yayoi, Okada, Toshiaki, Hashimoto, Mitsuhiro, Ellis, Tammy L., Matsumaru, Daisuke, Shiroishi, Toshihiko, Ogawa, Masaharu, Wainwright, Brandon J. and Motoyama, Jun (2011). Ptch1-mediated dosage-dependent action of Shh signaling regulates neural progenitor development at late gestational stages. Developmental Biology, 349 (2), 147-159. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.10.014
2011
Conference Publication
Patched1 is essential for nasal pit invagination in mouse
Metzis, Vicki, Courtney, Andrew, Ferguson, Charles, Cooper, Ashley, Wainwright, Brandon and Wicking, Carol (2011). Patched1 is essential for nasal pit invagination in mouse. Society for Developmental Biology 70th Annual Meeting, Chicago IL, United States, 21-25 July 2011. Maryland Heights MO, United States: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.05.164
2010
Journal Article
An antibody against the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) depletes the resident subset of monocytes and tissue and tumor-associated macrophages but does not inhibit inflammation
MacDonald, Kelli P. A., Palmer, James S., Cronau, Stephen, Seppanen, Elke Jane, Olver, Stuart, Raffelt, Neil C., Kuns, Rachel, Pettit, Allison R., Clouston, Andrew, Wainwright, Brandon J., Branstetter, Dan, Smith, Jeffrey, Paxton, Raymond J., Cerretti, Douglas Pat, Bonham, Lynn, Hill, Geoffrey R. and Hume, David A. (2010). An antibody against the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) depletes the resident subset of monocytes and tissue and tumor-associated macrophages but does not inhibit inflammation. Blood, 116 (19), 3955-3963. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-02-266296
2010
Journal Article
RBP-J is not required for granule neuron progenitor development and medulloblastoma initiated by Hedgehog pathway activation in the external germinal layer
Julian, Elaine, Hallahan, Andrew R. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (2010). RBP-J is not required for granule neuron progenitor development and medulloblastoma initiated by Hedgehog pathway activation in the external germinal layer. Neural Development, 5 (1) 27, 27. doi: 10.1186/1749-8104-5-27
2010
Journal Article
Patched1 inhibits epidermal progenitor cell expansion and basal cell carcinoma formation by limiting Igfbp2 activity
Villani, Rehan M., Adolphe, Christelle, Palmer, James, Waters, Michael J. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (2010). Patched1 inhibits epidermal progenitor cell expansion and basal cell carcinoma formation by limiting Igfbp2 activity. Cancer Prevention Research, 3 (10), 1222-1234. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-10-0082
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Brandon Wainwright is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
New treatments for children with medulloblastoma.
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
The role of the blood brain barrier in the successful treatment of brain tumours in children
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
A new therapy for paediatric brain tumours.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Joseph Yunis
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Doctor Philosophy
Complex neoantigen prediction in cancers
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Venkateswara Addala
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigation into network-defined novel targeted therapies for medulloblastoma
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laura Genovesi
Completed supervision
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting Apoptosis as A Novel Therapy for Medulloblastoma
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor John Hooper, Dr Laura Genovesi
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
The Relationship between Patched and Sox9 in Regulating Skin Stem Cells, Wound Response and Skin Tumorigenesis
Principal Advisor
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic Regulation of Development and Disorders of the Cerebellum
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laura Genovesi
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
The Role of Dicer in Cerebellar Development and Hedgehog-Mediated Medulloblastoma
Principal Advisor
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
The Role of N-myc and C-myc in Skin Development and in Hedgehog Pathway-Induced Tumorigenesis
Principal Advisor
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2011
Doctor Philosophy
The role of Patched1 during development of the mouse cerebellum and regulation of neural stem cells in medulloblastoma
Principal Advisor
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2010
Doctor Philosophy
The molecular basis of medulloblastoma: interaction of hedgehog and Notch signalling in brain development and cancer
Principal Advisor
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2010
Doctor Philosophy
Hedgehog signalling in lung development and airway regeneration
Principal Advisor
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2007
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of the Host Immune Response in Cystic Fibrosis Mice.
Principal Advisor
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2006
Doctor Philosophy
IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL DOWNSTREAM TARGETS OF SONIC, INDIAN AND DESERT HEDGEHOG
Principal Advisor
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2005
Doctor Philosophy
THE STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF THE PATCHED PROTEIN
Principal Advisor
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2003
Doctor Philosophy
EFFECTS OF SONIC, DESERT AND INDIAN HEDGEHOG SIGNALLING IN SKIN
Principal Advisor
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2003
Doctor Philosophy
DOWNSTREAM TARGETS OF PATCHED, THE GENE RESPONSIBLE FOR NEVOID BASAL CELL CARCINOMA SYNDROME
Principal Advisor
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
An exploration of unsolved central nervous system white matter disorders with next-generation sequencing
Associate Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
The role of Nuclear Factor One transcription factors in cerebellar development
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Piper
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
A computational analysis of transcription factor interactions and binding guided by epigenetics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Piper, Professor Mikael Boden
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
Novel genes regulated by the hedgehog pathway, and their contribution to limb and craniofacial development
Associate Advisor
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2006
Doctor Philosophy
THE GENETICS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Associate Advisor
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2005
Doctor Philosophy
MOLECULAR EVENTS IN HEDGEHOG SIGNALLING: REGULATION BY VESICULAR TRAFFICKING AND STEROLS
Associate Advisor
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2004
Doctor Philosophy
TRANSCRIPTIONAL ANALYSIS OF MACROPHAGE SIGNALLING IN RESPONSE TO LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Hume
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2004
Doctor Philosophy
IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL GLI3 DEPENDENT TRANSCRIPTS IN THE DEVELOPING VERTEBATE LIMB
Associate Advisor
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2004
Doctor Philosophy
THE MOLECULAR GENETICS OF MAMMALIAN SEX DETERMINATION
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Brandon Wainwright directly for media enquiries about:
- brain cancer
- brain tumour
- genetics
- genomics
- health research
- medical research
- medulloblastoma
- science policy
- scientific leadership
- skin cancer
- tumours
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