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Director, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute & Professor of Medical Biology, and an honorary principal fellow in the Department of Zoology at the University of Melbourne, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

Prof. Douglas Hilton is the 6th Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Head of its division of Molecular Medicine and head of the Department of Medical Biology in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Prof Hilton's research aims to understand which of the 25,000 genes are important in the production and function of blood cells and how this information can be used to better prevent, diagnose and treat blood cell diseases such as leukaemia, arthritis and asthma.

He has been awarded numerous prizes for his research into how blood cells communicate and has led major collaborations with industry to translate his discoveries from the bench to the bedside.

Experience

  • 2009–present
    Director, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
  • 2006–present
    Head of Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
  • 2004–present
    Professor of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne
  • 2006–present
    Chief Scientific Officer, MuriGen Therapeutics

Education

  • 1990 
    The University of Melbourne, PhD/Cancer and Haematology
  • 1986 
    The University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Publications

  • 2011
    ERG depencence distinguishes developmental control of HSC maintenance ...., Genes and Development
  • 2010
    Crystal structure of the entire ectodomain of GP130: ...., Journal of Biological Chemistry
  • 2010
    Regulation of hematopoietic stem cells by their mature progeny, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
  • 2010
    Opposing roles of polycomb repressive complexes in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, Blood

Grants and Contracts

  • 2011
    Target Discovery Program
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    CSL
  • 2011
    Stem Cells Australia
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    ARC
  • 2011
    Differentiation of Granulocytes and Macrophages
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    National Institutes of Health, USA

Research Areas

  • Haematology (110202)
  • Regenerative Medicine (Incl. Stem Cells And Tissue Engineering) (100404)
  • Molecular Medicine (030405)
  • Genetically Modified Animals (100104)
  • Animal Cell And Molecular Biology (060802)
  • Biochemistry And Cell Biology (0601)

Honours

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Fellow of the ATSE, The Age Melbourne Magazine "Top 100 People" (2009), COSMOS Bright Spark Award "Australia's Top 10 Scientific Minds Under 45" (2006), GSK Australia Award for Research Excellence (2003)