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Professor Gabrielli completed his undergraduate education at James Cook University in Townsville and PhD at La Trobe University in Melbourne. After two postdoctoral positions in the USA in the emerging field of cell cycle regulation, he was recruited to establish his own independent research at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, and then recruited to the Diamantina Institute in 2002, and Mater Research Institute in 2016. He is head of the Smiling for Smiddy Cell Cycle Group.

Research Interests

Mechanisms that regulate cell division, particularly progression into mitosis. These mechanisms are often mutated in cancers and are likely to be major contributors to cancer development. Identifying the genetic mutations that disrupt normal progression and particularly mechanisms, known as checkpoints, provides diagnostic and prognostic opportunities. It also provides potential new targets for chemotherapeutics as drugs targeting defective checkpoints have tumour selective cytotoxic potential.

Research Projects

• Identifying the molecular basis for defective checkpoints in melanoma.
• Targeting defective cell cycle responses to ultraviolet radiation, replication stress and TopoII inhibitors in melanoma, and investigating whether the same defects in other cancer types respond to similar targeting.
• Investigating means of identify very early changes in moles that drive progression to melanoma
• Targeting Aurora kinases in HPV-driven cancers

The molecular evolution of cytochrome P450 Enzymes: biological catalysts of unprecedented versatility.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs, P450s) especially those responsible for drug metabolism in humans, are the unifying theme of the research in our lab. These fascinating enzymes are catalysts of exceptional versatility, and functional diversity. In humans they are principally responsible for the clearance of a practically unlimited variety of chemicals from the body, but are also critical in many important physiological processes. In other organisms (plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, almost everything!) they carry out an unprecedented range of functions, such as defense, chemical communication, neural development and even pigmentation. P450s are involved in the biosynthesis of an unequalled range of potent, biologically active natural products in microbes, plants and animals, including many antibiotics, plant and animal hormones, signalling molecules, toxins, flavours and fragrances. We are studying how P450s have evolved to deal with novel substrates by reconstructing ancestral precursors and evolutionary pathways, to answer such questions as how did the koala evolve to live on eucalyptus leaves, a toxic diet for most mammals.

The capabilities of P450s are only just coming to be fully recognized and structural studies on P450s should yield critical insights into how enzyme structure determines function. For example, recently we discovered that P450s are present within cells in the Fe(II) form, a finding that has led to a radical revision of the dogma concerning the P450 catalytic cycle, and has implications for the control of uncoupling of P450 activity in cells. Importantly, the biotechnological potential of P450s remains yet to be exploited. All of the specific research themes detailed below take advantage of our recognized expertise in the expression of recombinant human cytochrome P450 enzymes in bacteria. Our group is interested in finding out how P450s work and how they can be made to work better.

Artificial evolution of P450s for drug development and bioremediation: a way of exploring the sequence space and catalytic potential of P450s. The demonstrated catalytic diversity of P450 enzymes makes them the ideal starting material for engineering sophisticated chemical reagents to catalyse difficult chemical transformations. We are using artificial (or directed) evolution to engineer enzymes that are more efficient, robust and specialized than naturally occurring enzymes with the aim of selecting for properties that are commercially useful in the areas of drug discovery and development and bioremediation of pollutants in the environment. The approach we are using also allows us to explore the essential sequence and structural features that underpin all ~12000 known P450s so as to determine how they work.

Synthetic biology of enzymes for clean, green, solar-powered chemistry in drug development, bioremediation and biosensors. We have identified ancestral enzymes that are extremely thermostable compared to their modern counterparts, making them potentially very useful in industry, since they can withstand long incubations at elevated temperatures. They can be used as ‘off the shelf’ reagents to catalyse useful chemistry, such as in in drug discovery and development, fine chemicals synthesis, and cleaning up the environment. Working with drug companies, we are exploring how they can be best deployed in chemical processes and what structural features make them efficient, robust and specialized. We are also immobilizing P450s in virus-like-particles as ‘designer’ reagents that can be recovered from reactions and reused. To make such processes cheaper and more sustainable, we are using photosynthesis to power P450 reactions for clean, green biocatalysis in microalgae.

Biosketch:

After graduating from UQ with first class Honours in Biochemistry, Elizabeth took up a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Overseas Scholarship to pursue doctoral work at Oxford University then undertook postdoctoral work at the Center in Molecular Toxicology and Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine with Prof. F.P. Guengerich. She returned to UQ in 1993 to take up a position in Pharmacology and joined the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences in 2009 as a Professor of Biochemistry.

Wendy Goodwin is a registered veterinarian in Queensland and has worked for the University of Queensland as a clinical anesthetist since 2010. She received her veterinary degree from the University of Queensland in 2004 and in 2013 was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy by the University of Queensland for her research thesis ‘Studies of Alfaxalone in Horses’. In 2008 she was awarded Membership of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Equine Medicine and in 2013 was awarded Membership in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Critical Care. In 2016 Wendy sucessfully became a Fellowship of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Critical Care.

Wendy is passionate about veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia and has dedicated the majority of her professional career to pursuing excellence in this field. Her clinical anaesthetic experience has covered a wide range of species including horses, small animal companion animals, farm animals, avian and exotic animals and animals used in scientific research. Wendy has a strong research interest and is keen to further explore research and development opportunities in the veterinary and medical sectors. She has papers published in peer reviewed scientific journals and presented her research findings at international conferences relating to veterinary anaesthesia and pain management.

Dr. Richard Gordon leads a multi-disciplinary, industry-partnered research program in Translational Neuroscience which integrates immunology, drug development, pharmacology, metabolomics and microbial metagenomics. His group aims to understand and therapeutically target key pathological mechanisms which drive the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Their work combines target validation studies in human patients with mechanistic insights from disease models to develop and test novel therapeutic strategies that can be translated towards clinical trials.

Key research themes within this program include:

• Understanding how chronic immune and inflammasome activation contribute to neurodegeneration in the CNS
• The role of gut dysbiosis and gastrointestinal dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease pathophysiology
• Therapeutic targeting of the gut-brain axis for neuroprotection
• Drug discovery, development and repositioning for novel therapeutic targets
• Discovery and validation of clinical biomarkers for PD and ALS
• Clinical trials for disease-modifying therapeutic strategies

I am a Research Fellow and Leader in Pain Relief Innovation at AIBN, UQ. My research interests sit at the interface of drug delivery and the pain field. My overarching research goal is to improve the quality of day to day life of patients suffering from chronic pain, by applying nanotechnology to the development of novel highly effective pain-killer products for improving chronic pain management. I am looking for highly motivated postgraduate students.

I also enjoy volunteering within the academic community, most notably as Head of the SBMS ECR Committee and Treasurer for The Queensland Chinese Association of Scientists and Engineers (QCASE). I am currently serving as guest editor of Pain Research and Management.and JoVE Methods Collection.

Research Interests

My research is focusing on nano-based drug formulation and development to improve chronic pain management. I have a broad and unique background in both pharmacology and drug delivery systems, with specific expertise in the development of novel drug products and testing their analgesic efficacy and safety including pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies. To date, I have established five different techniques to produce painkiller–loaded nanoparticles and nanofibers aimed at improving pain relief for patients where currently available pain-killers either lack efficacy or produce dose-limiting side-effects. For example, there is a small and very potent peptide that has been on the market as a chemical for over 10 years but which cannot be used as a therapeutic due to its short half-life and poor oral bioavailability. In the form of my nanoparticles, that peptide has the potential to become an oral treatment for improving pain management in patients whose pain is currently poorly alleviated by clinically used pain-killers. I have significant expertise in the use of rodent pain models to assess novel analgesics, and I have received excellent training in conducting research in accordance with the stringent requirements of the Quality Management System (quality accreditations (GLP and ISO17025) from NATA). Together, my knowledge, skills and experience will facilitate the efficient translation of my research from the bench to the clinic.

The current focus of the lab is on the development of drug-products to solve one of the largest unmet medical needs in the pain field through use of sustainable materials. 1) We are developing multifunctional sutures including biodegradable pain relief sutures. 2) We are developing my innovative novel nanoparticles, which deliver innate-immune targeting peptides for the treatment of cancer and cancer-related pain. We are establishing a platform for the development of safe, effective delivery for other small molecule peptide drugs in general to pave their way to clinical trials. 3) Our research also investigates the role of C5a and C3a, estrogen, etc. in the pathogenesis of chronic pain including neuropathic pain, cancer-related pain, low back pain and OA pain.

We work in collaboration with other leading Australian and international researchers to stay at the forefront of the drug delivery systems field and the pain field. We also provide preclinical evaluation of novel compounds and formulations.

Dr Peta Harvey was appointed to the Institute of Molecular Bioscience NMR Facility in January 2009. Dr Harvey is an instrumental specialist with more than 25 years of experience in the use of NMR techniques as well as the operation, systems management, training and supervision of spectrometer usage. Having applied multinuclear NMR methods during her PhD studies in mechanistic organic chemistry, she has diversified her interests from liver dysfunction and altered drug metabolism in the cirrhotic and aged liver (Canberra Clinical School of University of Sydney) to structural studies of muscle related proteins (Australian National University). More recently whilst at IMB, her particular expertise has extended to the structural and functional characterization of peptides and small proteins with complex cross-linked topologies and the use of such bioactive peptides in drug design.

Senior Research Fellow

Room 7048, Level 7, Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence Phone:+61 7 334-61898; Fax: +61 7 334-61999 Email: a.hewavitharana@pharmacy.uq.edu.au

Amitha obtained her B.Sc. from the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka), M.Sc. from the university of Victoria (B.C., Canada) and PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Alberta (Canada). Following that, she held brief research positions at the Massey University (New Zealand) and NZ Leather Research Institute. She then held a research scientist position at the NZ Dairy Research Institute (NZDRI, currently Fonterra Research) for 4 years before moving to Australia in 1997.

In Australia, she commenced her career as a lecturer in analytical chemistry at the University of Western Sydney, and then at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) until 2001. Following that, she held research positions in CSIRO (food science) and in QHSS (investigative chemistry) before joining the school of pharmacy in 2004.

I am an academic and consultant working in global health with a focus on health technology assessment (HTA), health systems and services research, and the use of medicines in populations. I have a particular interest in the use of data and research for evidence-informed decision making and implementation science in the context of low and middle income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. I have worked on international health projects in Indonesia and am currently working on several projects in HTA and medicines use in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa. I work with an extensive network of clinicians and health professionals to investigate the use of medicines and adverse effects in general practice, cancer, psychiatry, neurology, and internal medicine. I have honorary or visiting appointments at the University of Queensland (UQ, Brisbane, Australia), Imperial College London (UK, International Decision Support Initiative) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana). I have a BSc(Hons) and MPH from UQ and a PhD from Monash University. I have lived or worked in Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne), Canada (Toronto), Indonesia (Yogyakarta), UK (London), and Ghana (Accra, Kumasi). I worked as a consultant in HTA in Australia for many years evaluating submissions to subsidise medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). I am an experienced teacher having coordinated courses, lectured, and tutored in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. I was a Foundation Coordinator in the UQ Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice (from 2019). I am an advisor on diverse PhD and student research projects.

I am a medicinal chemist, and my research focuses on developing chemical modification strategies to enhance the drug-like properties of bioactive peptides, modulating protein-protein interactions, and designing chemical tools to explore biological mechanisms.

Dr Lee is a mid-career researcher with training in neuroscience, and additional experience in pharmacology and immunity. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2014 and continued his post-doctoral research studies in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader at UQ's School of Biomedical Sciences, where he focusses on innate immune and inflammatory pathways including the complement system and inflammasomes in motor neuron disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Dr Lee’s research has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of multiple anti-inflammatory drugs targeting innate immune-mediated neuroinflammation to reduce neuronal cell death in animal models of neurodegenerative disease. He is also interested in the links between the immune system, stress response, and energy metabolism in neurodegeneration.

Professor Lewis started working on toxins during his PhD studies at the University of Queensland, where he researched the nature and pharmacology of ciguatoxins responsible for ciguatera fish poisoning. After 10 years with the Queensland Department of Primary Industry following this line of research, he moved back to The University of Queensland to initiate research into the phamacology of conotoxins, small venom peptides produced by carnivorous cone snails. This research led to the isolation and characterisation of several new classes of conotoxins, including two (w-CVID and Xen2174) that were developed clinically. His current research focusses on the discovery, evolution and structure-function of venom peptides, especially those with potential for the treatment of difficult to manage pain.

Dr. Joan Li is a Senior Lecturer and a Research Fellow with an established national and international reputation at The University of Queensland. She holds both an MD and a PhD, blending clinical and scientific expertise, which provides her with a unique perspective on research and education. While establishing an emerging profile in medical education, she maintains engagement in discipline-related biomedical research through collaboration and supervision.

With over seven years of teaching experience, Joan has actively engaged in face-to-face teaching in biomedical science and medicine courses, contributed to curriculum design, development, and course coordination for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. She brings her strong analytical skills and critical thinking abilities, honed through her medical and biomedical research background, to her teaching practices. Driven by a genuine passion for teaching, Joan continuously strives for excellence, with specific interests in assessment, curriculum design, development and student learning experience. She has implemented innovative teaching methods, designed diverse and inclusive curricula, created new learning activities, and fostered student engagement as learning partners, with a consistent goal of improving curriculum quality and enhancing student learning outcomes.

Leveraging her medical knowledge, extensive experience in biomedical research, and growing understanding of medical education, Joan is committed to developing medical students into critical thinkers and lifelong learners with a genuine appreciation for medical practice and medical research, enabling them to better serve an ever-changing society. Drawing upon her extensive experience in developmental biology and physiology, particularly in cardiac and renal research, Joan actively supervises higher degree research students and continues to make significant contributions to discipline-related research through publications and collaborations.

Dr. Joan Li is a versatile academic professional with a rich background in biomedical research and an emerging presence in medical education research. Her dedication to teaching and learning, combined with her impressive track record in both disciplines, makes her a valuable asset to The University of Queensland and the broader academic community.