ProfessorAnthony Don

My research team investigates how genetic risk and ageing interact to cause Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. More specifically, we investigate how and why altered brain lipid metabolism with ageing leads to neurodegeneration, which causes dementia. The brain is the most lipid rich organ in the body with the exception of fat tissue and much of our brain physiology is dictated by lipid metabolism and lipid-derived signalling molecules.

We are also at the leading edge in developing a new family of drugs that block accumulation of metabolically-adverse ceramides (a family of lipids associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes) for the treatment of obesity, liver steatosis, and type 2 diabetes.

A third area of interest for our team is the development of remyelinating therapeutics for demyelinating conditions including multiple sclerosis and dementia. In this area, we are leading in the development of new approaches to monitor new myelin synthesis in model systems, a critically-important plank in the development of therapeutics that promote and restore myelin.

Tertiary Education:

BSc (Hons I) in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, UNSW Sydney, 1998.

PhD, UNSW Sydney, 2004.

Career History:

Current: Professor in Medical Biochemistry, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney.

Associate Professor and group leader in brain lipid metabolism, University of Sydney, 2016-2023.

Senior Research Fellow and group leader in brain lipid metabolism, UNSW Sydney, 2013-2015.

Research Fellow in lipid biochemistry, UNSW Sydney, 2008-2012.

NHMRC CJ Martin overseas postdoctoral fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, USA, 2004-2007.

Significant Awards:

2024  NHMRC Marshall and Warren Award for the highest ranked NHMRC Ideas Grant

2015  Student's choice best lecturer award, Cancer Sciences, UNSW Sydney

2009  Cancer Institute NSW early career fellowship

2004  NHMRC CJ Martin postdoctoral fellowship