Overview of the Research Area

The Medical Sciences discipline group at Western Sydney University contains expert researchers who are engaged in a number of different researchareas from basic discovery to translational studies. Using a cellular to systems level approach, staff study conditions such as neurodegeneration, infectious
diseases, cancer, drug discovery, medical physiology, medicinal chemistry, medical microbiology, and pain, all of which have significant effects on human wellbeing.  Strong collaborations exist with researchers in other research disciplines (Medicine, Health, Biological, Sports & Exercise
Sciences), government and industry partner organisations, and international institutions. These researchers and their teams have produced important work that has changed our understanding of, for example, how nerves can be repaired, or how metal complexes can be used to kill cancer cells.

Medical Science research is supported by state of the art research facilities. These include a NMR imaging and spectroscopy facility, a high-resolution mass spectrometry unit, a bio-imaging microscopy facility that includes confocal and raman microscopes, a genome sequencing facility, and an anatomy
facility.

Researchers

Prof Janice Aldrich-Wright

Prof Janice Aldrich-Wright
Research expertise and interests:

Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright is a Medicinal Bioinorganic Chemist, Associate Dean of Higher Degree research in the School of Science and the Academic Lead for our Science in Australia Gender Equity initiative at Western Sydney University. Undertook a BSc in applied science at University of technology, Sydney, work in the chemical industry for some years before returning to undertake a PhD at Macquarie University. Her PhD thesis was awarded the Cornforth Medal in 1993 for the best Chemistry PhD in Australia 3, and she now has a strong international research reputation in anticancer prodrug design as the focus of her research. She has been awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Postgraduate research supervision three times and has mentored 36 PhD, 22 Masters and 38 Honours students during their candidatures. She has published over 130 papers, holds three patents, is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is an important mentor to early career academics and a strong advocate for gender equity.

Professor Aldrich-Wright's ongoing research and innovative complex design at WSU has resulted in the discovery of a new class of platinum compounds that differ significantly in their mode of action from current clinically used anticancer platinum compounds. Antibacterial agents that are more effective against biofilms than currently used antibacterial agents have also been identified.
j.aldrich-wright@westernsydney.edu.au

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6943-6908

Dr Cherylea Browne

Dr Cherylea Browne
Research expertise and interests: Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, Vestibular Neuroscience, Neural Interfaces, Auditory Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Human Anatomy, concussion/mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)
c.browne@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6758-685X

Dr Liza Cubeddu

Dr Liza Cubeddu
Research expertise and interests: DNA repair and chromatin remodelling, biochemical biophysical and structural techniques.
l.cubeddu@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Manisha Dayal

Dr Manisha Dayal
Research expertise and interests: Forensic anthropology, human anatomy, anatomical variation, 3D printing technology, 3D imaging.
m.dayal@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5987-7788

Dr Roland Gamsjaeger

Dr Roland Gamsjaeger
Research expertise and interests: chromatin regulation and DNA repair processes.
R.Gamsjaeger@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1095-2569

Dr David Harman

Dr David Harman
Research expertise and interests: measurement of biomarkers by mass spectrometry
D.Harman@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Kayte Jenkin

Dr Kayte Jenkin
Research expertise and interests: Mechanisms of renal and digestive diseases, with focus on lipid signalling (cannabinoinds, LPA), and inter-organ crosstalk.
K.Jenkin@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Chris Jones

Dr Christopher Jones
Research expertise and interests:
C.Jones@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8032-7606

Dr Graham Jones

Dr Graham Jones
Research expertise and interests: Immunology, atopy, asthma and eczema.
graham.jones@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9500-6725 

Dr Sam Merlin

Dr Sam Merlin
Research expertise and interests: Research expertise and interests: Neuroanatomy; Neurophysiology; Viral-vectors; Neural circuits of visual processing and perception; Neural circuits of decision-making and habits; Neural circuit manipulations – optogenetics and chemogenetics; Neural circuits of dietary inflexibility; Binge eating; Behavioural Neuroscience; Cognition; Neurological disorders – Parkinson’s Disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD, Huntington’s Disease.
S.Merlin@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2103-4974

Dr Oliver Morton

Dr Oliver Morton
Research expertise and interests: Host pathogen interactions focusing on opportunistic fungal pathogens, diagnostics for fungal infections, and development of treatments for microbial infections.
o.morton@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1702-0545

Dr Simon Myers

Dr Simon Myers
Research expertise and interests: Sensory neuropathies.
s.myers@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Srinivas Nammi

Dr Srinivas Nammi
Research expertise and interests: Metabolic syndrome, obesity, dyslipidaemia, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease. 
s.nammi@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4735-2789

Dr Garry Neidermayer

Dr Garry Neidermayer
Research expertise and interests: 
G.Niedermayer@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Ben Perry

Dr Ben Perry
Research expertise and interests: 
B.Perry@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2834-8004 

Dr Sabine Piller

Dr Sabine Piller
Research expertise and interests: Protein arginine methylation and its impact in various diseases (cancer and neuronal disease) and in plants. Ion channels and their role in disease including viral ion channels
s.piller@westernsydney.edu.au

Dr Zoran Pletikosa

Dr Zoran Pletikosa
Research expertise and interests:
Z.Pletikosa@westernsydney.edu.au

Assoc Prof Peter Shortland

Assoc Prof Peter Shortland
Research expertise and interests: Acute and chronic pain mechanisms associated with peripheral nerve and spinal root injuries & pathways associated with somatosensory processing of thermosensation.
p.shortland@westernsydney.edu.au
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7598-9744

Dr Colin Stack

Dr Colin Stack
Research expertise and interests: Protozoan parasites that affect cattle and domestic animals. Novel treatment strategies in human microbial diseases.
c.stack@westernsydney.edu.au

Assoc Prof Genevieve Steiner

Assoc Prof Genevieve Steiner
NICM Health Research Institute
Research expertise and interests: cognitive neuroscience, psychophysiology, EEG, Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, cognition, clinical trials, medicinal cannabis, integrative medicine
G.Steiner@westernsydney.edu.au

Contact Person

For more information about the research area, please contact Peter Shortland via email p.shortland@westernsydney.edu.au or phone (02) 4620 3804.