Professor Brian Gabrielli is a Professorial Research Fellow and is the Head of the Smiling for Smiddy Cell Cycle Research Group at Mater Research. Brian leads the Melanoma Research Group with a team of six researchers. He is the author of over 110 scientific publications, with his research currently focused on targeting defective mechanisms of cell cycle regulation. He has been awarded more than $10 million in competitive funding through his career.

Brian’s lab has several themes for their research. They are investigating a mechanism involved in repair of ultraviolet radiation induced damage that is defective in a high proportion of melanomas, trying to find the molecular basis of the defect, and how they can selectively destroy melanomas with this defect. The lab is also investigating a second defect that is common in melanomas and other cancers, especially lung cancer, and is working to develop drugs that they have found target this defect for clinical use. Their third focus is a project developing drugs they have identified as selectively targeting cervical cancers for clinical application.

Brian has a strong commitment and track-record in teaching and education, principally in the postgraduate research setting and in high school science education and during his tenure as the Chair of The Diamantina Institute Education Committee was responsible for establishing the SPARQed School Science outreach program, an innovative program that is supported by the Queensland Government. He is currently Chair of the Mater Student Research Committee.

Brian is heavily involved in national and international peer review, has served on the Editorial Boards for Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and Frontiers in Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs. Brian has been on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) review panels for Oncology (2001 –2004), Cancer Biology (2006-2007, 2010, 2011, 2014-2016) and Early Career Research (2012-2013) grants, the NZ Health Research Council grants panels, and has also assessed grants from Cancer Research UK, MRC (UK), National Medical Research Council (Singapore) and many other international funding agencies.

Brian has served on many research committees, including the Chair of the Translational Research Institute (TRI) Caucus and the PA Hospital Research Committee and still serves on the TRI Microscopy Committee

“We are on the front of wave that is likely to change how we understand and treat disease. In cancer, we are seeing basic discoveries being turned in new therapies in previously unheard of timeframes. Being part of this exciting progress, contributing new ideas, discoveries and hopefully treatments, makes the hard slog of everyday research worthwhile, and certainly makes it easy for me to get into work each morning.”