RESEARCHER PROFILE
Professor Kristofer Thurecht, Deputy Director of Research & Senior
Group leader, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology,
University of Queensland, Australia
Finding better ways of treating cancer, aside from finding a cure, aim to provide a better quality of life for those who suffer from it.
Professor Thurecht’s work focuses on nanomedicine and spans across the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and the Centre for Advanced Imaging, at the University of Queensland in Australia.
Professor Thurecht undertook his PhD at the University of Queensland and decided he wanted to go to the University of Nottingham in the UK, where his mentors pushed him into the new field of nanomedicine. On returning to Australia he brought his ideas on nanomedicine back to the University of Queensland, where he works today.
His research focuses on understanding how nanomedicines behave in biological environments using high-end imaging infrastructure, with a focus on radiopharmaceutical research to establish next generation drugs for diseases like cancer.
Nanomedicine research, particularly in the field of cancer treatment, has the potential to revolutionise traditional medicine and improve the quality of life for those suffering from the disease. Radiopharmaceuticals and molecular imaging are revolutionising cancer treatment by providing targeted therapies and precise drug delivery, showing potential for groundbreaking advancements in the field.
Radiopharmaceuticals utilise radiation as a potent therapy for treating diseases, particularly cancer. As Professor Thurecht states, the development of radiopharmaceutical for cancer treatment is a promising and innovative field in nanomedicine.
Outside of research Professor Thurecht enjoys fishing and boating with family on weekends.
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Visceral pain and the gut-brain axis
Professor Stuart Brierley is Director of the Visceral Pain Research Group, Director of the Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, and Theme co-Leader of Lifelong Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
Prof Brierley is an international expert on the ‘gut-brain axis’ and chronic visceral pain mechanisms. Current investigations are on a individual cell type called the enterochromaffin cell, and it helps signal pain and anxiety from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain.
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Outcomes of Corneal Allergenic Intrastromal Ring Segment (CAIRS) Surgery
Dr David Gunn is an ophthalmologist specialising in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery at the Queensland Eye Institute and Focus Vision in Brisbane, Queensland. His journey into ophthalmology began during medical school, inspired by a mentor. His current research examines outcomes for patients undergoing Corneal Allergenic Intrastromal Ring Segment (CAIRS) surgery.
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Food and fasting periods as medicine to prevent disease
Professor Leonie Heilbronn is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), where she leads the Obesity and Metabolism laboratory. Her research is at the interface between basic and clinical science. She is internationally recognised for her work in nutritional modulation in humans and has made major contributions to our current understanding of mechanisms underlying conditions such as insulin resistance, particularly inflammation and lipid metabolism. She has also contributed significantly to current concepts of caloric restriction (CR), intermittent fasting (IF) and time restricted eating (TRE) in humans. She has published more than 110 peer reviewed papers in scientific journals and is an Associate Editor of Obesity, and Obesity Research and Clinical Practice.
