STEM CELL THERAPIES FOR ENTERIC NEUROPATHIES
Dr Lincon Stamp,
Senior Research Fellow & Group Leader,
Department of Anatomy and Physiology,
School of Biomedical Sciences,
The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | October 2025
Dr Stamp is a Group Leader in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Dr Stamp’s PhD research (with Prof Martin Pera, Monash University) focused on the derivation of hepatopancreatic progenitors from human embryonic stem cells. He then joined the lab of Dr Don Newgreen at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute where he began working on development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), before joining Prof Heather Young’s lab at the University of Melbourne, where he focused on developing a stem cell therapy to treat gut motility disorders such as the paediatric enteric neuropathy Hirschprung disease.
His lab, which he runs together with Dr Marlene Hao, is now focused on the development, plasticity, and cell and gene therapies for the digestive system, with a particular focus on the enteric nervous system.
Dr Stamp has a strong national and international network of collaborators, including key clinical and consumer connections, and has published high impact studies in top tier journals including Gastroenterology, JCI and Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
He has had success at securing significant government (ARC, MRFF), philanthropic (NSCFA, REACH Foundation) and industry (Takeda Pharmaceuticals) funding, has strong ties within the Australian and international stem cell communities, and is the currently the President of the Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR).
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8925-7894
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Inner ear organoids for the study of human hearing and balance
Dr Jackie Ogier is an auditory neuroscientist, with a research focus on the molecular biology of hair cells, the specialised sensory receptors in the ear that detect sound and balance. She is a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of A/Prof Bryony Nayagam, supported by a prestigious Passe and Williams foundation fellowship.
Dr Ogier’s experience broadly spans the genetics of hearing loss, disease modelling, micro dissection, primary cell culture, stem cell culture, organoids, and proteomics. Overall, she aims to generate knowledge of hearing and vestibular sensory biology.
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Next Generation Condom Contraception, Dr David Shepherd
Dr David Shepherd is a Lead Production Engineer and Materials Specialist at Eudaemon Technologies. His journey began at the University of Wollongong, where he pursued advanced studies and eventually obtained a PhD under the guidance of a distinguished professor. His research initially focused on actuating materials and artificial muscles, particularly centred around hydrogel materials. These early explorations have seamlessly evolved into his current focus on utilising hydrogels in the realm of sexual reproductive health, with a specific emphasis on developing innovative hydrogel condoms.
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Novel therapy for pancreatic cancers, targeting molecular foundation
Dr Michael Lee is an experienced medical oncologist, sub-specialising in gastrointestinal cancers and neuroendocrine tumours at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
He plays a key role in molecular tumour boards at VCCC Alliance (Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre) and MPCCC (Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium), ensuring the accurate and effective use of precision medicine in cancer care across the state.
