Professor Derek Hart
|
Professor of Transplantation and Immunotherapy
C64 - ANZAC Research Institute |
|
On this page
Themes | Biographical details | Research interests | Teaching areas | Grants | Honours project opportunities | Keywords
Biographical details
Professor Hart's track record involves major scientific and clinical contributions. Professor Hart is a Rhodes Scholar and RCPA Distinguished Fellow. He directed the Christchurch Clinical Haematology Unit and South Island Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and left it with a significant clinical and research reputation and a substantial positive impact on New Zealand medicine (eg. CME Treatment Guidelines and UK MRC trial participation). He completed 11 years as the inaugural Mater Medical Research Institute (MMRI) Director in Brisbane and establoshed it as an internationally recognised medical research institute, with a strong translational program (notably Phase 1 cell therapy studies). He initiated the Queensland Translational Research Institute with Professor Ian Frazer. His group is known for its pioneering human dendritic cell (DC) research. This includes being the first to clone several CD antigens and his Group chairs the DC Section of the WHO Committee. The Group's molecular pipeline includes an important immune regulator gene and novel gene deleted mice models. New preclinical humanized mouse models are being used to define other translational applications eg. New antibody DC targeted vaccines (with UK Cancer Research and WEHI), a diagnostic trial (with FHCRC, Seattle) and a new anti therapeutic antibody to acute myeloid leukemia. Professor Hart has published 234 peer reviewed articles (89 in high impact or major specialty journals (eg. 19 in Blood) with an H Factor of 44 and total citations of 8032. Funding activities include; CI on substantial Australian (NHMRC Projects, Program, CRC-BT and other) and US/European grants, US grants for DC immunotherapy (CIA, DOD, CIE, NIH), CIA initiated grants from Pfizer, Miltenyi and Gambro and research philanthropy. Patents: licensed by BD, the CRC-BT and NewCo. He serves on the NHMRC Fellowship Committee and Ramaciotti Foundation Scientific Advisory Board and Institute of Glycomics Advisory Board as well as recently being added to the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) Ethics Committee. Professor Hart has attended countless national and international conferences where he has been both keynote and invited speaker. Furthermore, he has successfully held his own symposium at the ANZAC Research Institute, the world renowned DC Down Under.
Research interests
The Dendritic Cell Biology and Therapeutics Group at the ANZAC Research Institute is a newly established research program focused on understanding dendritic cell biology to enable the development of new ways to treat haematological diseases. The group is a translational research group with projects suitable for PhD candidates interested in basic biology or more clinically focused work. Our main areas of focus are:
1.DC Antigen Discovery and Antibody Engineering
2.Dendritic Cell Biology Fundamental and Applied
3.Immunostimulation/Cancer Vaccination
4.Immunosuppression/Anti-inflammatory
Teaching areas
Professor Hart specialises in postgraduate student supervision and works with his senior scientific colleagues in the DCBT Group to provide a strong team based supervison of bench research. DCBTG has a strong translational program and provides an ideal environment for advanced clinical trainees. Postgraduate students also gain exposure to intellectual property commercialisation processes.
Current national competitive grants*
2012
Senior Principal Research Fellowship
Hart D
NHMRC Career Awards: Research Fellowships ($869,860 over 5 years)
2010
The Translation of Dendritic Cell Biology into Clinical Practice
Hart D, Bradstock K
National Health and Medical Research Council Program Grant ($3,360,000 over 5 years)
2009
RNA loading of tumor associated antigens and the activation of blood dendritic cells fr oprostate cancer immunotherapy
Hart D
Cancer Council Australia Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme ($109,066 over 5 years)
* Grants administered through the University of Sydney
Honours project opportunities
Examining the role of the novel C-type lectin receptor DCL-1 (CD302) in innate and adaptive immune responses.
Targeting novel dendritic cell molecules to induce therapeutic anti-cancer T cell responses.
Developing new dendritic cell specific immunosuppressive strategies for clinical application in transplantation.