DNA REPAIR ON THE FANCONI ANAEMIA PATHWAY
Associate Professor Wayne Crismani
Laboratory Head, DNA Repair & Recombination
St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research,
Melbourne, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | August 2025
Associate Professor Wayne Crismani is an internationally recognised expert in DNA repair, with a particular focus on Fanconi anaemia (FA)—a cancer-predisposition and bone marrow failure syndrome marked by extreme sensitivity to DNA damage. Based at St Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne, he leads a research program dedicated to understanding the genetic, cellular, and reproductive consequences of FA. He is currently supported by a Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Fellowship and funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
His career spans academia and industry across Australia, Europe, and the United States. He has contributed to several advances in FA genetics, including the identification of new functions of FA genes, particularly in reproduction, development of isogenic cell models, and use of high-throughput functional and screening assays. He has also demonstrated that FA is under-diagnosed in Australia, which has major consequences for these individuals and for the public healthcare system. His research has been published in top-tier journals and underpins several patents, including technologies that have been successfully licensed.
Associate Professor Crismani also leads multidisciplinary studies investigating fertility and cancer risk in individuals with FA. These include the first systematic study of biological parenthood and assisted reproductive technologies in adults with FA, and efforts to identify early biomarkers of oral cancer in this high-risk group. His work is conducted in close collaboration with scientists, clinicians, fertility specialists, and patient advocates. He co-founded Fanconi Anaemia Support Australasia with a group of families in 2019 and continues to organise scientific and social events for the FA community.
He works with international FA registries, research consortia, and the Fanconi Cancer Foundation to ensure research findings inform real-world care. His program bridges molecular biology, reproductive health, and translational science, with the goal of improving health outcomes for people with FA and genetic conditions.
Source: Supplied
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Digital Biomarkers and AI for Optimal Diagnosis, Treatment, and Decision-Making
Associate Professor Johan Verjans is a clinician-scientist with a strong focus on cross-disciplinary translational research. In his role as Deputy Director at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML)—one of the world’s premier machine learning institutes, with over 200 researchers—and as Group Leader of Artificial Intelligence at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), he integrates his expertise in molecular medicine, clinical research, and advanced imaging with machine learning applications. This unique combination enables him to drive the translation of cutting-edge AI research into practical medical applications. He works with global teams from multinationals on AI problems.
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Dr Ryan O’Hare Doig
NEIL SACHSE CENTRE FOR SPINAL CORD RESEARCH (SAHMRI)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA -
Investigating invasive lobular carcinoma and metaplastic breast cancer sub-types
Assoc Prof McCart Reed is the scientific lead on an MRFF-funded (Medical Research Future Fund) genomics program investigating the potential for the application of Whole Genome Sequencing in the breast cancer care pathway in Australia, ‘Q-IMPROvE’. She applies genomics and spatial transcriptomics methodologies to archival clinical samples to understand the differences between tumour types and their potential for treatment. Amy is passionate about clinical research, biobanking and precision oncology. In addition to her breast cancer research portfolio, she is on the steering committee for the Brisbane Breast Bank and the Scientific Advisory Board for Breast Cancer Trials.
