DrDaniel Hesselson
Adjunct Associate Professor
Faculty of Medicine and Health
Orcid identifier0000-0002-8675-9426 (opens in a new tab)
- Adjunct Associate ProfessorFaculty of Medicine and Health
RESEARCH INTERESTs
Our lab is interested in how machine learning and AI can be combined with experimental biology to create proteins and cellular systems with new and useful functions. We work at the interface of protein engineering, directed evolution, genetics, cell biology, regenerative biology, and synthetic biology, with a particular interest in building better tools and therapies for human disease. Current projects span AI-guided protein design, mammalian directed evolution, cell-state control, and translational applications in areas such as regenerative medicine, diabetes, and cancer.
FUNDED RESEARCH
- GRANTData-driven directed evolution of regenerative treatments in human heart muscle.NSW Health1 Jul 2026People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D,
- Graham RM,
- Yang JYH,
- Cole AJ,
- Jackson C
- GRANTMechanisms blocking the repair of mammalian hearts after injury: using AI assisted directed evolution of novel biologics to empower regenerationNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)1 Apr 2025People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D
- GRANTTreating chemoresistant ovarian cancer: Blocking follistatin signalling to enhance the effects of chemotherapy and prevent recurrence of chemoresistant diseaseCancer Australia1 May 2024People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D,
- Cole AJ
- GRANTNational Health and Medical Research Council15 Dec 2023People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D
- GRANTEnhancing heart repair to treat cardiomyopathiesNSW Health1 Jul 2023People funded by this grant:
- Graus M,
- Hesselson D,
- Cole AJ
- GRANTResearch officer in high throughput drug discovery using phenotypic zebrafish modelsMultiple Donors to The Lambert Initiative1 Jan 2023People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D,
- Oehlers S,
- Cairns E,
- Nakagawa S,
- McGregor I
- GRANTUsing venoms to map critical and evolutionary conserved vulnerabilitiesAustralian Research Council (ARC)15 Mar 2022 - 14 Mar 2025People funded by this grant:
- GRANTAustralian Research Council1 Jan 2020 - 29 Jun 2023People funded by this grant:
- Nakagawa S,
- Lagisz M,
- Noble D,
- Hesselson D,
- Mendl M
- GRANTNational Health and Medical Research Council1 Jan 2017 - 31 Dec 2020People funded by this grant:
- Grey S,
- Hesselson D,
- Gurzov E
- GRANTNational Health and Medical Research Council1 Jan 2014 - 31 Dec 2016People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D
- GRANTA loss-of-function approach for acinar to beta-cell transdifferentiation.Breakthrough T1D1 Jul 2010 - 28 Feb 2013People funded by this grant:
- Hesselson D
