Jakob Begun

Dr Jakob Begun is a Senior Research Fellow in the Immunity, Infection, and Inflammation Program at Mater Research University of Queensalnd, and has a basic and translational laboratory at the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane. He has a senior lecturer position in the University of Queensland School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. After completing his Bachelor of Science at Cornell University Jakob attended Cambridge University where he completed an MPhil in Biochemistry. He then moved on to Harvard Medical School where he completed his MD and PhD in genetics studying the host pathogen interaction using C. elegans as a model system. He completed his clinical training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s hospital and went on to complete general gastroenterology training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) as well as advanced training in the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

During his fellowship he performed translational research into the genetics of IBD and the role of autophagy in Crohn’s disease in the laboratory of Ramnik Xavier. Specifically he investigated the role of a novel E3 ligase in the recognition of intracellular bacteria and subsequent targeting for autophagy mediated degradation. He participated in collaborative projects focussing on deep sequencing around IBD loci and the role of IL-1 receptor blockade in restoring autophagy in the setting of models of chronic granulomatous disease. He performed primary RNAi based genetic high content screen to identify genes involved in antibacterial autophagy and characterization of novel gene products identified. His research activity was supported by a Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America research fellowship. He continues to maintain active collaborations with researchers at MGH and Harvard University and has formed new collaborations with researchers at the University of Queensland and across Australia through his participation in the Australia and New Zealand IBD consortium.

Dr Begun first joined Mater Research University of Queensland in February 2014, and at the same time received a clinical staff appointment in Gastroenterology at the Mater Hospital Brisbane and Queen Elizabeth II Hospital. His clinical activities are focussed on the treatment and mangement of patients with IBD. He is the clinical lead for Gastroenterology in the Mater Young Adult Health Centre Brisbane as well as the chair of the research comittee there. In January 2015 he was awarded the University of Queensland Reginald Ferguson Fellowship in Gastroenterology to support his research activity. He is a member of the Gastroenterology Society of Austrlaia and in 2015 was elected to the Australian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Association Steering Committee.