Professor Brandon Wainwright
Professor

Brandon Wainwright

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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

Biological Sciences Clinical sciences Oncology and carcinogenesis

Research interests

  • 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.

Search Professor Brandon Wainwright’s works on UQ eSpace

168 works between 1985 and 2024
All (168) Journal Article (148) Conference Publication (20)

141 - 160 of 168 works

1996

Journal Article

New pharmaceutical approaches to the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Gene therapy for cystic fibrosis is advancing rapidly but drug therapy is quickly catching up (pages 467-469)

Delaney, Stephen J. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (1996). New pharmaceutical approaches to the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Gene therapy for cystic fibrosis is advancing rapidly but drug therapy is quickly catching up (pages 467-469). Nature Medicine, 2 (4), 392-393. doi: 10.1038/nm0496-392

New pharmaceutical approaches to the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Gene therapy for cystic fibrosis is advancing rapidly but drug therapy is quickly catching up (pages 467-469)

1995

Journal Article

Methylation and P16 - Suppressing the Suppressor

Little, M and Wainwright, B (1995). Methylation and P16 - Suppressing the Suppressor. Nature Medicine, 1 (7), 633-634. doi: 10.1038/nm0795-633

Methylation and P16 - Suppressing the Suppressor

1995

Journal Article

Murine Wnt-11 and Wnt-12 have temporally and spatially restricted expression patterns during embryonic development

Christiansen, Jeffrey H., Dennis, Carina L., Wicking, Carol A., Monkley, Susan J., Wilkinson, David G. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (1995). Murine Wnt-11 and Wnt-12 have temporally and spatially restricted expression patterns during embryonic development. Mechanisms of Development, 51 (2-3), 341-350. doi: 10.1016/0925-4773(95)00383-5

Murine Wnt-11 and Wnt-12 have temporally and spatially restricted expression patterns during embryonic development

1995

Journal Article

Dna-Binding Capacity of the Wt1 Protein Is Abolished by Denys-Drash Syndrome Wt1 Point Mutations

Little, M, Holmes, G, Bickmore, W, Vanheyningen, V, Hastie, N and Wainwright, B (1995). Dna-Binding Capacity of the Wt1 Protein Is Abolished by Denys-Drash Syndrome Wt1 Point Mutations. Human Molecular Genetics, 4 (3), 351-358. doi: 10.1093/hmg/4.3.351

Dna-Binding Capacity of the Wt1 Protein Is Abolished by Denys-Drash Syndrome Wt1 Point Mutations

1995

Journal Article

Detection of c-fms protooncogene in early mouse embryos by whole mount in situ hybridization indicates roles for macrophages in tissue remodelling

Hume, D. A., Monkley, S. J. and Wainwright, B. J. (1995). Detection of c-fms protooncogene in early mouse embryos by whole mount in situ hybridization indicates roles for macrophages in tissue remodelling. British Journal of Haematology, 90 (4), 939-942. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1995.tb05220.x

Detection of c-fms protooncogene in early mouse embryos by whole mount in situ hybridization indicates roles for macrophages in tissue remodelling

1995

Journal Article

Fine deletion mapping on the long arm of chromosome 9 in sporadic and familial basal cell carcinomas

M.shanley, Susan, Dawkins, Hugh, J.wainwright, Brandon, Wicking, Carol, Heenan, Peter, Eldon, Michael, Searle, Jeffrey and Chenevlx-trench, Georgia (1995). Fine deletion mapping on the long arm of chromosome 9 in sporadic and familial basal cell carcinomas. Human Molecular Genetics, 4 (1), 129-133. doi: 10.1093/hmg/4.1.129

Fine deletion mapping on the long arm of chromosome 9 in sporadic and familial basal cell carcinomas

1995

Journal Article

The human growth-arrest-specific gene gas 1 maps outside the candidate region of the gene for nevoid basal-cell carcinoma syndrome

Wicking, C., Breen, M., Negus, K., Berkman, J., Evdokiou, A., Cowled, P., Chenevix-Trench, G. and Wainwright, B. (1995). The human growth-arrest-specific gene gas 1 maps outside the candidate region of the gene for nevoid basal-cell carcinoma syndrome. Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics, 68 (1-2), 119-121. doi: 10.1159/000133904

The human growth-arrest-specific gene gas 1 maps outside the candidate region of the gene for nevoid basal-cell carcinoma syndrome

1994

Journal Article

Alternative splicing of the first nucleotide binding fold of CFTR in mouse testes is associated with specific stages of spermatogenesis

Delaney, Stephen J., Koopman, Peter, Lovelock, Paul K. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (1994). Alternative splicing of the first nucleotide binding fold of CFTR in mouse testes is associated with specific stages of spermatogenesis. Genomics, 20 (3), 517-518. doi: 10.1006/geno.1994.1214

Alternative splicing of the first nucleotide binding fold of CFTR in mouse testes is associated with specific stages of spermatogenesis

1994

Journal Article

Simple repeat polymorphism at the D9S151 locus

Berkman, Jenny, Armour, John A.L., Chenevix-trench, Georgia, Wicking, Carol and Wainwright, Brandon (1994). Simple repeat polymorphism at the D9S151 locus. Human Molecular Genetics, 3 (1), 211-211. doi: 10.1093/hmg/3.1.211

Simple repeat polymorphism at the D9S151 locus

1994

Journal Article

Familial melanoma and p16 — A hung jury

Wainwright B. (1994). Familial melanoma and p16 — A hung jury. Nature Genetics, 8 (1), 3-5. doi: 10.1038/ng0994-3

Familial melanoma and p16 — A hung jury

1994

Journal Article

Fine genetic mapping of the gene for nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome

Wicking C., Berkman J., Wainwright B. and Chenevix-Trench G. (1994). Fine genetic mapping of the gene for nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Genomics, 22 (3), 505-511. doi: 10.1006/geno.1994.1423

Fine genetic mapping of the gene for nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome

1994

Journal Article

Isolation and genetic mapping of two novel members of the murine Wnt gene family, Wnt11 and Wnt12, and the mapping of Wnt5a and Wnt7a

Adamson M.C., Dennis C., Delaney S., Christiansen J., Monkley S., Kozak C.A. and Wainwright B. (1994). Isolation and genetic mapping of two novel members of the murine Wnt gene family, Wnt11 and Wnt12, and the mapping of Wnt5a and Wnt7a. Genomics, 24 (1), 9-13. doi: 10.1006/geno.1994.1575

Isolation and genetic mapping of two novel members of the murine Wnt gene family, Wnt11 and Wnt12, and the mapping of Wnt5a and Wnt7a

1993

Journal Article

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator splice variants are not conserved and fail to produce chloride channels

Delaney, Stephen J., Rich, Devra P., Thomson, Scott A., Hargrave, Murray R., Lovelock, Paul K., Welsh, Michael J. and Wainwright, Brandon J. (1993). Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator splice variants are not conserved and fail to produce chloride channels. Nature Genetics, 4 (4), 426-430. doi: 10.1038/ng0893-426

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator splice variants are not conserved and fail to produce chloride channels

1993

Journal Article

The isolation of disease genes by positional cloning

Wainwright, B. J. (1993). The isolation of disease genes by positional cloning. Medical Journal of Australia, 159 (3), 170-174. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1993.tb137781.x

The isolation of disease genes by positional cloning

1992

Journal Article

Localization of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr) to mouse chromosome 6

Siegel, D., Irving, N. G., Friedman, J. M. and Wainwright, B. J. (1992). Localization of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr) to mouse chromosome 6. Cytogenetic and Genome Research, 61 (3), 184-185. doi: 10.1159/000133404

Localization of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr) to mouse chromosome 6

1991

Journal Article

'Touchdown' PCR to circumvent spurious priming during gene amplification

Don R.H., Cox P.T., Wainwright B.J., Baker K. and Mattick J.S. (1991). 'Touchdown' PCR to circumvent spurious priming during gene amplification. Nucleic Acids Research, 19 (14), 4008. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.14.4008

'Touchdown' PCR to circumvent spurious priming during gene amplification

1991

Journal Article

The molecular pathology of cystic fibrosis

Wainwright, B. (1991). The molecular pathology of cystic fibrosis. Current Biology, 1 (2), 80-82. doi: 10.1016/0960-9822(91)90283-3

The molecular pathology of cystic fibrosis

1990

Journal Article

A NEW POLYMORPHIC LOCUS, D7S411, ISOLATED BY CLONING FROM PREPARATIVE PULSE-FIELD GELS IS CLOSE TO THE MUTATION CAUSING CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

RAMSAY, M, WAINWRIGHT, BJ, FARRALL, M, ESTIVILL, , SUTHERLAND, H, HO, MF, DAVIES, R, HALFORD, S, TATA, F, WICKING, C, LENCH, N, BAUER, , FEREC, C, FARNDON, P, KRUYER, H, STANIER, P, WILLIAMSON, R and SCAMBLER, PJ (1990). A NEW POLYMORPHIC LOCUS, D7S411, ISOLATED BY CLONING FROM PREPARATIVE PULSE-FIELD GELS IS CLOSE TO THE MUTATION CAUSING CYSTIC-FIBROSIS. Genomics, 6 (1), 39-47. doi: 10.1016/0888-7543(90)90446-2

A NEW POLYMORPHIC LOCUS, D7S411, ISOLATED BY CLONING FROM PREPARATIVE PULSE-FIELD GELS IS CLOSE TO THE MUTATION CAUSING CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

1988

Journal Article

RECOMBINATIONS BETWEEN IRP AND CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

FARRALL, M, WAINWRIGHT, BJ, FELDMAN, GL, BEAUDET, A, SRETENOVIC, Z, HALLEY, D, SIMON, M, DICKERMAN, L, DEVOTO, M, ROMEO, G, KAPLAN, JC, KITZIS, A and WILLIAMSON, R (1988). RECOMBINATIONS BETWEEN IRP AND CYSTIC-FIBROSIS. American Journal of Human Genetics, 43 (4), 471-475.

RECOMBINATIONS BETWEEN IRP AND CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

1988

Journal Article

ISOLATION OF A HUMAN-GENE WITH PROTEIN-SEQUENCE SIMILARITY TO HUMAN AND MURINE INT-1 AND THE DROSOPHILA SEGMENT POLARITY MUTANT WINGLESS

WAINWRIGHT, BJ, SCAMBLER, PJ, STANIER, P, WATSON, EK, BELL, G, WICKING, C, ESTIVILL, , COURTNEY, M, BOUE, A, PEDERSEN, PS, WILLIAMSON, R and FARRALL, M (1988). ISOLATION OF A HUMAN-GENE WITH PROTEIN-SEQUENCE SIMILARITY TO HUMAN AND MURINE INT-1 AND THE DROSOPHILA SEGMENT POLARITY MUTANT WINGLESS. Embo Journal, 7 (6), 1743-1748. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03003.x

ISOLATION OF A HUMAN-GENE WITH PROTEIN-SEQUENCE SIMILARITY TO HUMAN AND MURINE INT-1 AND THE DROSOPHILA SEGMENT POLARITY MUTANT WINGLESS

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2029
    Building mRNA Cancer Vaccines for Australia.
    MRFF - National Critical Infrastructure Initiative
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2027
    A vaccine to treat paediatric brain cancer
    The Trustee for the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2025
    Centre for Child and Adolescent Brain Cancer Research
    The Children's Hospital Foundation
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    Engineering Immune Recognition of Paediatric Brain Tumours
    Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI)
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2024
    A new combination therapy for children with brain cancer
    Soiree For a Cure
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2024
    A new and effective combination therapy for children with brain cancer (TKCP)
    The Kid's Cancer Project
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2023
    Targeting and eliminating paediatric cancers with chimeric antigen receptor engineered natural killer cells, a new hope for cancer immunotherapy
    Children's Hospital Foundation Immunotherapy Research Grants
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2024
    Identification of therapy-resistant cells driving relapse in Medulloblastoma from integrated spatial transcriptomics and tissue imaging
    NHMRC IDEAS Grants
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Developing treatments for vincristine-induced neuropathy
    The Kid's Cancer Project
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Exploiting CDK4/6 inhibition to treat medulloblastoma.
    Cancer Australia
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    Liquid biopsy (CSF) in paediatric brain cancer patients
    Brainchild Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2024
    ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility
    Australian Cancer Research Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Targeting the cell cycle regulators CDK4/6 to treat medulloblastoma
    The Kid's Cancer Project
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Cure Brain Cancer Foundation Donation
    Cure Brain Cancer Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2021
    Preparing Australia for Genomic Medicine: A proposal by the Australian Genomics Health Alliance (NHMRC Targeted Call for Research administered by Murdoch Children's Research Institute)
    Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
    Open grant
  • 2016
    4D Mass Spectrometer
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    A Synthetic lethal based approach for the treatment of medulloblastoma
    Cancer Council Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2016
    Establishment of patient-derived xenografts from paediatric brain tumours to facilitate a personalised genomic approach to treatment
    Brainchild Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Identification of genes causing medulloblastoma by transposon mutagenesis.
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    The intersection between hedgehog and notch signalling in medulloblastoma.
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2013
    The primary cilium in hedgehog signalling and disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2016
    The ACRF Cancer Biology Imaging Facility
    Australian Cancer Research Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2014
    International Cancer Genome Consortium
    NHMRC Medical Bioinformatics Genomics Proteomics Program
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2012
    Dissecting the role of hedgehog signalling in chondrogenesis and skeletal disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Kruppel-like factors in cell cycle control and cancer
    Cancer Council Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2010
    Patched gene family control of epidermal development and cancer
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Profiling the pro- and anti-inflammatory functions of histone deacetylases in macrophages
    Cancer Council Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    The Cellular Origin of Medulloblastoma
    Queensland Cancer Fund
    Open grant
  • 2006
    Advanced Cell Labelling and Imaging Facility
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    ERRgamma and skeletal muscle: Insights into lipid utilization and catabolism
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    Hedgehog signalling in limb and craniofacial development and disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    Molecular genetics of the host response defect in cystic fibrosis
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    NR1 nuclear hormone receptors, and skeletal muscle metabolism: Insights into dyslipidemia and metabolic disease.
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2011
    Dynamic Imaging Facility for Cancer Biology
    Australian Cancer Research Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2006
    The role of patched/hedgehog signalling in common human cancer
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2003
    Agilent Microarray Scanner
    NHMRC Equipment Grant
    Open grant
  • 2003
    Alternative Splicing in the Mouse Transcriptome
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2005
    Molecular genetics of cystic fibrosis
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2005
    Regulation Of Hedgehog Signalling Through Intracellular Trafficking Events
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2001 - 2003
    Conditional Knockout of the Murine Patched Gene for the Study of Skin Differentiation and Cancer
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2001 - 2003
    The Downstream Targets of Patched Hedgehog Signalling
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2001 - 2003
    The identification of the downstream targets of patched/hedgehog signalling
    Queensland Cancer Fund
    Open grant
  • 2000 - 2002
    Genes controlling the development of lung disease in cystic fibrosis mutant mice
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2000 - 2014
    State Government Funds
    Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
    Open grant
  • 1999 - 2001
    Analysis and correction of the host response defect in cystic fibrosis G551D mice
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 1999
    Avalanche microscanner
    NHMRC Equipment Grant
    Open grant
  • 1999 - 2000
    Targets of the patched/hedgehog signalling pathway in basal cell carcinoma of the skin and other solid tumours
    Queensland Cancer Fund
    Open grant
  • 1998 - 2000
    Inactivation of the Patched Tumour Suppressor Gene in the Skin of Transgenic Mice
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 1998 - 2000
    Structure-Function Analysis of the PATCHED Tumour Suppressor Gene Product
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 1998 - 1999
    The smoothened gene in skin development and tumour formation
    Queensland Cancer Fund
    Open grant
  • 1997 - 1999
    Genes controlling the development of lung disease in normal and cystic fibrosis mice
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 1997 - 1998
    Mouse models for naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and basal cell carcinoma
    Queensland Cancer Fund
    Open grant
  • 1997 - 1998
    The role of PTC, the naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome gene, in carcigenesis
    Queensland Cancer Fund
    Open grant
  • 1996 - 1998
    Correction of the ion channel defect in the airway of cystic fibrosis G551D mice
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 1996
    Suppression of tumorigenicity in medulloblastoma
    Cancer Bequest Fund
    Open grant
  • 1995 - 1997
    Actions and interactions of the four alternately spliced WT1 protein isoforms
    NHMRC Project Grant - Standard
    Open grant
  • 1995
    Identification of cis-acting elements in the murine CFTR promoter
    UQ External Support Enabling Grant
    Open grant
  • 1995
    Identification of cis-acting elements in the murine CFTR promoter.
    Australian Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust
    Open grant
  • 1995 - 1997
    The isolation of the naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome gene
    NHMRC Project Grant - Standard
    Open grant
  • 1995
    Travel to attend the North American CF Conference, October 1995 and to confer with colleagues in the USA & UK.
    Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children - Camperdown
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Brandon Wainwright is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    New treatments for children with medulloblastoma.

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    New treatments for children with medulloblastoma.

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The role of the blood brain barrier in the successful treatment of brain tumours in children

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    A new therapy for paediatric brain tumours.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Joseph Yunis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Complex neoantigen prediction in cancers

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation into network-defined novel targeted therapies for medulloblastoma

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Laura Genovesi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation into network-defined novel targeted therapies for medulloblastoma

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Laura Genovesi

Completed supervision

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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