Professor Brendan Jenkins

Head - Cancer and Immune Signalling Laboratory
Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow

Brendan is Head of the Cancer and Immune Signalling Laboratory in the Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, and currently holds a prestigious NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship. His research laboratory has a strong focus on cancer (stomach, lung, pancreatic) and immune-related diseases (emphysema/COPD, arthritis, peritonitis).

Prof Brendan Jenkins is a current NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and prior to this he was holder of an NHMRC RD Wright Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, a Monash University Fellowship, and most recently a prestigious Sylvia and Charles Viertel Senior Medical Research Fellowship.

Over the last 15 years he has been at the forefront of research to examine the roles cytokines play in human disease, in particular cancer of the stomach (gastric cancer) which is the second most lethal cancer world-wide, and chronic inflammation. Since being recruited to the Hudson Institute, he further expanded his research to also include cancers of the lung (most common and lethal cancer in the world) and pancreas (worst survival rates worldwide), as well as the debilitating lung disease emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Collectively, his research programs incorporate long standing collaborations with basic scientific researchers, industry and clinicians both nationwide and overseas (UK, Japan, Singapore, Europe). Amongst his scientific achievements are publications in the highest ranking science and medical research journals including Cancer Cell, Nature, Nature Medicine, Immunity, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Cancer Research, Oncogene, and Journal of Immunology.

In recognition of his group's research achievements, he has received numerous national and international awards, including the Australian Institute for Policy and Science Tall Poppy Award. He is a holder of multiple project grants within Australia (NHMRC, Cancer Council) and overseas (Association for International Cancer Research), and is a regular invited speaker at local and international scientific meetings.