A/Prof Jake Begun leads the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) research group at Mater Research and is the director of Gastroenterology at Mater Hospital Brisbane. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland School of Medicine. Jake’s translational research interests include dissecting the interplay of genetics, innate immunology and the gut microbiome to better understand the pathogenesis of IBD. His clinical research focusses on the real-world effectiveness of therapeutics, the use of ultrasound to monitor disease activity, developing novel therapeutics for treating gut inflammation, and improving mental health outcomes in IBD.
Jake’s translational research group focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of IBD, mucosal immunology and the microbiome. The lab is aiming to understand the contributions of genetic risk to alterations in the innate immune system and the interactions between the gut microbiome and the immune system that lead to pro and anti-inflammatory states. Jake is also heavily involved in clinical research and collaborating with clinicians from Mater and other hospitals to improve care for IBD patients, particularly in young adolescents and young adults who generally have a high burden of disease and associated conditions including anxiety and depression. He continues to maintain active collaborations with researchers at Harvard University and has formed new collaborations with researchers across Australia through his participation and leadership in the Australia and New Zealand IBD consortium.
Jake has authored over 70 scientific publications and has been very successful in competitive research funding, with funding success coming from Government, industry and philanthropic grants including the Viertel Clinical Research Award, a Ferring Innovation Grant and a Global Gut Health Grant. He serves on the Advisory Boards of several pharmaceutical and biotech companies including Abbvie, Janssen, Ferring, Pfizer, Takeda, BMS, Chiesi, Microba, and Suono.
“I pursued a career in medical research to advance the understanding of inflammatory diseases and improve the health of my patients. This has led me to pursue translational research projects in the lab, but also to learn from patient experiences through clinical research. In addition to my research endeavours, I maintain an active clinical practice, which is rewarding in itself, but also informs and inspires my research. I enjoy these complementary approaches to understanding and solving clinical problems and hope that my clinical practice and research activities will positively impact patients’ lives."
Professional memberships
- Gastroenterological Society of Australia Inflammatory Bowel Disease Faculty - Chair
- Australia and New Zealand IBD Consortium – Chair
- Gastroenterology Network of Intestinal Ultrasonography – Treasurer and past President
- Gastroenterological Society of Queensland – Organizing committee member
- Gastroenterological Society of Australia – Board Member
- International Bowel Ultrasound Group – Board member
- European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization