Professor Derek Hart
|
Professor of Transplantation and Immunotherapy
C64 - ANZAC Research Institute |
|
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 has completed 11 years as the inaugural Mater Medical Research Institute (MMRI) Director in Brisbane and created an internationally recognised medical research institute, with a strong translational program (notably Phase 1 cell therapy studies). He leads the world's top human DC research program. This includes being the first to clone several CD antigens and his Group chaired 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
Dendritic Cells (DC) represent unique subsets of white blood cells responsible for initiating and directing immune responses. Professor Hart development his original description of these cells in the tissues, by defining human DC subsets, identifying DC membrane molecules and producing antibodies to them, which are now entering diagnostic and clinical trials. His research program (and its academic and commercial alliances) studies the impact of the immune system on several organ systems and disease areas (cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune (diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis) and cardiovascular disease).
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