Director Announced for Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics

Friday, 20 March 2015

Following an extensive international recruitment search, Professor Mark Hutchinson has today been announced as the Director of the Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), an Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence.

As CNBP Director, Hutchinson leads a $38m funded research centre that is driving the development of new light related technologies and tools that can measure molecules and cellular processes in what is a highly complex and dynamic environment – the living body.

Hutchinson, a Professor within the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide had previously been acting as interim CNBP Director since September 2014.

“I’m extremely excited and proud to be leading a team of such outstanding researchers,” said Professor Hutchinson. “The technologies and tools being developed by the Centre operate at the nano scale and are literally providing us with ‘windows into the body’. Understanding the processes in the human body at the molecular level will advance our scientific knowledge immensely and will have enormous clinical impact.”

A collaborative research venture, the CNBP is led by the University of Adelaide with key nodes at Macquarie University and RMIT University, and other industry and academic partners located around the world. The cellular and subcellular research being undertaken by the CNBP will have important clinical health outcomes, particularly in the areas of cardiovascular disease, chronic pain and reproduction.

Professor Aidan Byrne, CEO of the Australian Research Council said, “Professor Hutchinson is well-respected in the medical sciences field and will make a great contribution to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics. He will lead his team well and ensure the research programme of the Centre forges ahead and makes important discoveries to the benefit of Australians.”

Since returning to Australia in 2009 from postdoctoral positions in the USA, Professor Hutchinson has led the Neuroimmunopharmacology laboratory within the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. He also leads the Biological Sensing and Medical Diagnostics theme within the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing at the University of Adelaide, and is a current board member of Science Technology Australia.

The appointment takes immediate effect.

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