Dr Megan Chircop
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Lecturer
Children's Medical Research Institute |
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Themes | Biographical details | Research interests | Teaching areas | Grants | PhD & Masters' project opportunities | Keywords
Biographical details
I am a molecular and cellular biologist with research interests focusing on the molecular mechanisms of mitosis and cancer. I obtained my BSc Honours degree in molecular biology/biochemistry at Macquarie University in 1999. I have a PhD in cancer research at the University of Sydney in 2002. My first post-doc position was at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) in Brisbane where I worked for 3 years. I then moved to the Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney in 2006 as an NH&MRC Peter Doherty Fellow. Since 2008, I am an NHMRC CDA Fellow and currently lead a research team in the Cell Signaling Unit at the CMRI consisting of 12 members, whereby I co-ordinate and lead the project directions. I am a leading scientist in my discipline and show scientific leadership.
Research interests
The major focus of my laboratory is to precisely define the mechanisms regulating mitotic cell division. Understanding the molecular regulation of mitosis will allow us to gain insight into cancer biology mechanisms.
Despite the identification of many mitotic proteins, the molecular mechanisms driving mitotic progression and how these proteins cooperatively function to complete mitosis in mammalian cells is not fully understood. Cell division errors increase the oncogenic potential of a cell. Thus understanding this basic biological process underpins our understanding of cancer biology mechanisms, which can lead to the identification of druggable targets to treat this disease. My discoveries to date in this field have enabled me to develop a well respected national and international reputation in this field. This provides me with a strong foundation that I aim to continue developing in the future. My research will continue to expand in two areas:
1) Basic research: molecular mechanisms of mitosis
2) Translational biology: drug discovery of new anti-mitotic compounds for cancer treatment.
Teaching areas
For my career stage, I have contributed substantially to teaching, training and mentoring young scientists. In the past 5 years at the CMRI I have rapidly expanded my team to 12 members (3 RAs + 5 PhDs + 4 postdocs) and am actively involved in training and mentoring them all. During the past 7 years I have supervised 8 students (6 PhD and 2 Honours). Both honours students completed with first class, 1 progressed to a PhD and the other has established a very successful career in the Govenor General's Office of Australia. All of my PhD students have received prestigious awards including external scholarships such as the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). Of the PhD students, I am currently principle supervisor to five, one submitted his thesis in Dec 2010. He has secured a post-doc position in a prestigious international lab at the Beatson's Institute in Scotland. I anticipate that my postgraduate supervisor commitment will continue at 3-4 students per year. I have also mentored 4 post-docs in the past 3 years to aid in advancing their scientific careers. One of these post-docs is an NHMRC Peter Doherty Fellow and has recieved NHMRC project grant and Ramaciotti grant funding for her own projects. Since 2009, I have been an active member of the CMRI PhD review committee that assesses the annual progress of research students within CMRI.
Current national competitive grants*
2012
The role of clathrin in the spindle assembly checkpoint and as an anti-cancer target
Chircop M, Robinson P, McCluskey A, Sakoff J
NHMRC Project Grants ($629,685 over 3 years)
* Grants administered through the University of Sydney
PhD and Masters' project opportunities
Signaling mechanisms required to complete the final stage of mitosis, cytokinesis, in mammalian cells.
Investigating the role of the centrosome in DNA repair