Shane Hickey

Research Interests

Antimicrobial Resistance Cancer Therapy Chemical Sciences Drug discovery

Dr Shane Hickey

Lecturer

School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

College of Health

Available For Media Comment.

Dr Hickey is a teaching-research academic who leads the Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules research group. His research lies at the interface of chemistry and biology and is particuarly interested in the lipid metabolic pathway and how its dysregulation is associated with several disease states. His research program is comprised of three main areas:
1) Develop new chemistry methodologies to synthesise biologically useful molecules with new functional group modifications.
2) Prepare novel organic and inorganic molecules suitable for live cellular imaging to better understand mechanisms which underpin disease and;
3) Design and synthesise new compounds that demonstrate anticancer, antimicrobial and antiviral therapeutic potential.
To support his research program, Dr Hickey has partnered with collaborators from academia and industry, both nationally and internationally, that has resulted securing grant funding, publications, student supervisions and end-stage industry outcomes.

Date Position Institution name
2025 - ongoing Lecturer in Chemistry University of South Australia
2024 - 2025 Funding Specialist Whitney Consulting
2023 - 2024 Senior Chemist Biosensis Pty. Ltd.
2021 - 2025 Research Fellow University of South Australia
2015 - 2020 Research Associate University of South Australia

Language Competency
English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

Date Institution name Country Title
2017 - 2018 University of Adelaide Australia Master of Teaching
2012 - 2015 Deakin University Australia Doctor of Philosophy
2008 - 2011 Deakin University Australia Bachelor of Forensic Science (Honours)

Year Citation
2026 Chakiris, J. P., Sumby, C. J., Brooks, D. A., Ashton, T. D., & Hickey, S. M. (2026). Two different products from the reaction between 2-formylphenylboronic acid and benzhydrazide: benzoyl hydrazone versus dimer. Acta crystallographica. Section C, Structural chemistry, 82(4), 55-59.
DOI
2025 Hindes, M. T., McElligott, A. M., Best, O. G., Ward, M. P., Selemidis, S., Miles, M. A., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2025). Metabolic reprogramming, malignant transformation and metastasis: Lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and prostate cancer. Cancer Letters, 611(217441), 217441-1-217441-18.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC11
2025 Nitschke, S. O., Awad, M., Elliott, A. G., Lowe, G., Leigh, C., Neubauer, K., . . . Plush, S. E. (2025). Eradication of MRSA biofilms using amphiphilic cationic coumarin derivatives. Rsc Advances, 15(31), 25510-25513.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2025 Lam, G., Martini, C., Sorvina, A., Hickey, S., Hindes, M., Waugh, D., . . . Logan, J. (2025). Implications of Altered Endosomal-Lysosomal Biogenesis in Melanoma Pathogenesis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(20, article no. 10113), 1-15.
DOI
2025 Li, K. L., Hickey, S. M., Albrecht, H., Logan, J. M., Lazniewska, J., Moore, C. R., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2025). Targeting Prostate Cancer Cells Using Anti-Sortilin and Anti-Syndecan-1 Antibody Drug Conjugates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(22), 11145-1-11145-25.
DOI
2024 Logan, J. M., Martini, C., Sorvina, A., Johnson, I. R. D., Brooks, R. D., Caruso, M. C., . . . Ung, B. S. -Y. (2024). Reinterpretation of prostate cancer pathology by Appl1, Sortilin and Syndecan-1 biomarkers. Scientific data, 11(1), 852-1-852-10.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2024 Schwehr, B. J., Hartnell, D., Ellison, G., Hindes, M. T., Milford, B., Dallerba, E., . . . Hackett, M. J. (2024). Fluorescent probes for neuroscience: imaging ex vivo brain tissue sections. Analyst, 149(18), 4536-4552.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2024 Nturubika, B. D., Guardia, C. M., Gershlick, D. C., Logan, J. M., Martini, C., Heatlie, J. K., . . . Johnson, I. R. D. (2024). Altered expression of vesicular trafficking machinery in prostate cancer affects lysosomal dynamics and provides insight into the underlying biology and disease progression. British Journal of Cancer, 131(8), 1263-1278.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2024 Tang, J., Lam, G. T., Brooks, R. D., Miles, M., Useckaite, Z., Johnson, I. R., . . . Logan, J. M. (2024). Exploring the role of sporadic BRAF and KRAS mutations during colorectal cancer pathogenesis: A spotlight on the contribution of the endosome-lysosome system. Cancer Letters, 585(216639), 216639-1-216639-9.
DOI Scopus9 WoS12 Europe PMC12
2024 Bader, C. A., Simpson, P. V., Dallerba, E., Stagni, S., Johnson, I. R. D., Hickey, S. M., . . . Plush, S. E. (2024). Synthesis and cellular uptake of neutral rhenium(i) morpholine complexes. Dalton Transactions, 53(7), 3407-3413.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2023 Martini, C., Logan, J. M., Sorvina, A., Gordon, C., Beck, A. R., S-Y Ung, B., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2023). Aberrant protein expression of Appl1, Sortilin and Syndecan-1 during the biological progression of prostate cancer. Pathology, 55(1), 40-51.
DOI Scopus21 WoS20 Europe PMC21
2023 Hickey, S. M., Johnson, I. R. D., Dallerba, E., Hackett, M. J., Massi, M., Lazniewska, J., . . . Ashton, T. D. (2023). A fluorescent and solvatochromic 1,8-naphthalimide probe for detection of lipid droplet trafficking and biogenesis. Dyes and Pigments, 217(111382), 111382-1-111382-6.
DOI Scopus12 WoS12
2023 Logan, J. M., Hopkins, A. M., Martini, C., Sorvina, A., Tewari, P., Prabhakaran, S., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2023). Prediction of Prostate Cancer Biochemical and Clinical Recurrence Is Improved by IHC-Assisted Grading Using Appl1, Sortilin and Syndecan-1.. Cancers, 15(12), 1-12.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC10
2023 Sorvina, A., Martini, C., Prabhakaran, S., Logan, J. M., Ung, B. S. Y., Moore, C., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2023). Appl1, Sortilin and Syndecan-1 immunohistochemistry on intraductal carcinoma of the prostate provides evidence of retrograde spread. Pathology, 55(6), 792-799.
DOI Scopus12 WoS12 Europe PMC11
2023 Lam, G. T., Sorvina, A., Martini, C., Prabhakaran, S., Ung, B. S. Y., Lazniewska, J., . . . Logan, J. M. (2023). Altered endosomal-lysosomal biogenesis in melanoma. Neoplasia, 43(100924), 1-10.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC3
2023 Lazniewska, J., Li, K. L., Johnson, I. R. D., Sorvina, A., Logan, J. M., Martini, C., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2023). Dynamic interplay between sortilin and syndecan-1 contributes to prostate cancer progression. Scientific reports, 13(1, article no. 13489), 1-18.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14 Europe PMC13
2023 Lam, G. T., Martini, C., Brooks, T., Prabhakaran, S., Hopkins, A. M., Ung, B. S. -Y., . . . Logan, J. M. (2023). Insights into Melanoma Clinical Practice: A Perspective for Future Research. Cancers, 15(18), 4631-1-4631-9.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2023 Martini, C., Logan, J. M., Sorvina, A., Prabhakaran, S., Ung, B. S. Y., Johnson, I. R. D., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2023). Distinct patterns of biomarker expression for atypical intraductal proliferations in prostate cancer. Virchows Archiv, 485(4), 723-728.
DOI Scopus5 WoS6 Europe PMC4
2023 Martini, C., Logan, J. M., Sorvina, A., Prabhakaran, S., Ung, B. S. Y., Johnson, I. R. D., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2023). Publisher Correction to: Distinct patterns of biomarker expression for atypical intraductal proliferations in prostate cancer (Virchows Archiv, (2023), 10.1007/s00428-023-03643-1). Virchows Archiv, 487(1), 245.
DOI
2023 Miles, M. A., Liong, S., Liong, F., Coward Smith, M., Trollope, G. S., Oseghale, O., . . . Selemidis, S. (2023). TLR7 promotes chronic airway disease in RSV-infected mice. Frontiers In Immunology, 14, 1-21.
DOI Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC6
2023 Baghapour, S., Nehema, J., Zhang, W. Q., Warren-Smith, S. C., Hickey, S. M., Plush, S. E., & Afshar Vahid, S. (2023). Surface Functionalised Optical Fibre for Detection of Hydrogen Sulphide. Biosensors, 13(11), 949-1-949-16.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC1
2022 Lam, G. T., Prabhakaran, S., Sorvina, A., Martini, C., Ung, B. S. Y., Karageorgos, L., . . . Logan, J. M. (2022). Pitfalls in cutaneous melanoma diagnosis and the need for new reliable markers. Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy, 27(1), 49-60.
DOI Scopus15 WoS15 Europe PMC12
2022 Hickey, S. M., Ung, B., Bader, C., Brooks, R., Lazniewska, J., Johnson, I. R. D., . . . Brooks, D. A. (2022). Fluorescence microscopy-an outline of hardware, biological handling, and fluorophore considerations. Cells, 11(35), 1-32.
DOI Scopus98 WoS77 Europe PMC54
2022 Johnson, I. R. D., Rudebeck, E. E., Sweetman, M. J., Sorvina, A., Ashton, T. D., Pfeffer, F. M., . . . Hickey, S. M. (2022). A 3,4-dimethoxy-1,8-naphthalimide for lipid droplet imaging in live and fixed cells. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 365(131921), 131921-1-131921-7.
DOI Scopus12 WoS10
2022 Alshabrawy, A. K., Cui, Y., Sylvester, C., Yang, D., Petito, E. S., Barratt, K. R., . . . Anderson, P. H. (2022). Therapeutic Potential of a Novel Vitamin D3 Oxime Analogue, VD1-6, with CYP24A1 Enzyme Inhibitory Activity and Negligible Vitamin D Receptor Binding. Biomolecules, 12(7), 1-14.
DOI Scopus8 WoS9 Europe PMC8
2022 Lazniewska, J., Bader, C., Hickey, S. M., Selemidis, S., OLeary, J., Simpson, P. V., . . . Brooks, D. (2022). Rhenium(I) conjugates as tools for tracking cholesterol in cells. Metallomics, 14(8, article no. mfac040), 1-15.
DOI Scopus4 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2022 Boer, G. E., Hickey, S. M., Elliott, A. G., & Pfeffer, F. M. (2022). Synthesis of 2-[2-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-(acyl)guanidino]ethylamine salts for convergent introduction of acyl guanidines. New Journal of Chemistry, 46(17), 8131-8137.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2022 Revesz, I. A., Hickey, S. M., & Sweetman, M. J. (2022). Metal ion sensing with graphene quantum dots: detection of harmful contaminants and biorelevant species. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 10(23), 4346-4362.
DOI Scopus38 WoS35 Europe PMC15
2022 Boer, G. E., Hickey, S. M., Elliott, A. G., & Pfeffer, F. M. (2022). Norbornane-based antibacterial agents: Benzyl and benzoyl substituted guanidines. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports, 6(100089), 12 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2021 Day, C. M., Sweetman, M. J., Hickey, S. M., Song, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, N., . . . Garg, S. (2021). Concept design, development and preliminary physical and chemical characterization of tamoxifen-guided-mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Molecules, 26(1, article no. 219), 1-15.
DOI Scopus13 WoS10 Europe PMC5
2021 Alshabrawy, A. K., Bergamin, A., Sharma, D. K., Hickey, S. M., Brooks, D. A., O'Loughlin, P., . . . Anderson, P. H. (2021). LC-MS/MS analysis of vitamin D₃ metabolites in human serum using a salting-out based liquid-liquid extraction and DAPTAD derivatization. Journal of Chromatography B: Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 1173(122654), 122654-1-122654-9.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14 Europe PMC9
2021 Lazniewska, J., Agostino, M., Hickey, S. M., Parkinson Lawrence, E., Stagni, S., Massi, M., . . . Plush, S. E. (2021). Spectroscopic and molecular docking study of the interaction between neutral Re(I) tetrazolate complexes and bovine serum albumin. Chemistry: A European Journal, Online(44), 1-22.
DOI Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC8
2021 Gillam, T. A., Caporale, C., Brooks, R. D., Bader, C. A., Sorvina, A., Werrett, M. V., . . . Plush, S. E. (2021). Neutral Re(I) complex platform for live intracellular imaging. Inorganic Chemistry, 60(14), 10173-10185.
DOI Scopus15 WoS15 Europe PMC9
2020 Day, C. M., Hickey, S. M., Song, Y., Plush, S. E., & Garg, S. (2020). Novel tamoxifen nanoformulations for improving breast cancer treatment: Old wine in new bottles. Molecules, 25(5), 27 pages.
DOI Scopus69 WoS57 Europe PMC41
2020 Hickey, S., Nitschke, S., Sweetman, M. J., Sumby, C. J., Brooks, D. A., Plush, S. E., & Ashton, T. D. (2020). Cross-coupling of amide and amide derivatives to umbelliferone nonaflates: synthesis of coumarin derivatives and fluorescent materials. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 85(12), 7986-7999.
DOI Scopus14 WoS15 Europe PMC5
2019 Sweetman, M. J., Hickey, S. M., Brooks, D. A., Hayball, J. D., & Plush, S. E. (2019). A Practical Guide to Prepare and Synthetically Modify Graphene Quantum Dots. Advanced Functional Materials, 29(14), 18 pages.
DOI Scopus103 WoS100
2018 Hickey, S. M., Ashton, T. D., Boer, G., Bader, C. A., Thomas, M., Elliott, A. G., . . . Pfeffer, F. M. (2018). Norbornane-based cationic antimicrobial peptidomimetics targeting the bacterial membrane. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 160, 9-22.
DOI Scopus26 WoS26 Europe PMC19
2017 Jenie, S., Hickey, S., Du, Z., Sebben, D., Brooks, D., Voelcker, N., & Plush, S. (2017). A europium-based 'off-on' colourimetric detector of singlet oxygen. Inorganica Chimica Acta, 462, 236-240.
DOI Scopus12 WoS12
2016 Bader, C., Shandala, T., Carter, E., Ivask, A., Guinan, T., Hickey, S., . . . Brooks, D. (2016). A molecular probe for the detection of polar lipids in live cells. PLoS ONE, 11(8), e0161557-1-e0161557-24.
DOI Scopus35 WoS33 Europe PMC19
2015 Hickey, S. M., Ashton, T. D., Khosa, S. K., Robson, R. N., White, J. M., Li, J., . . . Pfeffer, F. M. (2015). Synthesis and evaluation of cationic norbornanes as peptidomimetic antibacterial agents. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 13(22), 6225-6241.
DOI Scopus18 WoS19 Europe PMC14
2015 Hickey, S. M., Tripcony, S. K., Li, R., Williams, R. J., & Pfeffer, F. M. (2015). Organogelators based on the norbornane scaffold. Supramolecular Chemistry, 27(5-6), 425-435.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2015 Hickey, S. M., White, J. M., Pfeffer, F. M., & Ashton, T. D. (2015). Synthesis of 2-(Benzylthio)-4-(trifluoromethyl)thiazole-5-carboxylates using S -Benzylisothiouronium Halides as thiol equivalents. Synlett, 26(12), 1759-1763.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2015 Hickey, S. M., Ashton, T. D., & Pfeffer, F. M. (2015). Facile synthesis of guanidine functionalised building blocks. Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 4(4), 320-326.
DOI Scopus11 WoS11
2015 Hickey, S. M., Ashton, T. D., White, J. M., Li, J., Nation, R. L., Yu, H. Y., . . . Pfeffer, F. M. (2015). Synthesis of norbornane bisether antibiotics via silver-mediated alkylation. RSC Advances, 5(36), 28582-28596.
DOI Scopus16 WoS18 Europe PMC10
2012 Hickey, S. M., Ashton, T. D., Khosa, S. K., & Pfeffer, F. M. (2012). An optimised synthesis of 2-[2,3-Bis(tert -butoxycarbonyl)guanidino] ethylamine. Synlett, 23(12), 1779-1782.
DOI Scopus11 WoS11
2012 Altimari, J. M., Delaney, J. P., Servinis, L., Squire, J. S., Thornton, M. T., Khosa, S. K., . . . Henderson, L. C. (2012). Rapid formation of diphenylmethyl ethers and thioethers using microwave irradiation and protic ionic liquids. Tetrahedron Letters, 53(16), 2035-2039.
DOI Scopus23 WoS21
  • Non-canonical PI3K targeting – novel therapies to exploit the lipid dependency of CLL, Leukemia Foundation, 2024-2026
  • Inhibition of the steroid-binding cytochrome P450 enzymes from Mycobacteria of Tuberculosis and Buruli ulcer, Adelaide Drug Discovery Incubator, 2024
  • A therapeutic solution for respiratory RNA viruses that corrects the patient’s TLR7-dependent inflammatory response, NHMRC Ideas Grant (2019352), 2023-2026
  • Correlative imaging of brain lipids, ARC Discovery Project (DP220103091), 2022-2025
  • Diagnosis and prognosis of cancer using blood and tissue tests, Envision Sciences Research Grant, 2024
  • DECR1 inhibition; a novel prostate cancer therapeutic target, Royal Society of Chemistry Project Grant, 2022
  • Development Program: Biomarkers and therapeutics for prostate and other cancers, Envision Sciences Transnational Research Grant, 2021
  • Companion diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer, Envision Sciences Transnational Research Grant, 2019-2020
  • A two-pronged theranostic ROS-reduction system, China-Australia Centre for Health Science Research, 2019-2020

Courses I teach

  • CHEM 1005 Chemistry 100 (2026)
  • CHEM 1006 Chemistry 101 (2026)
  • CHEM 2004 Medicinal and Biological Chemistry (2026)
  • CHEM 2014 Synthetic Chemistry (2026)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2026 Principal Supervisor Design, synthesis and evaluation of small molecule DECR1 inhibitors to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer - Doctorate Full Time Mr Hayden Matthew Wittwer
2025 External Supervisor Study of steroid metabolizing enzymes from actinobacteria and the genus Bacillus Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Sabiha Enam Spriha
2025 Co-Supervisor Targeting tankyrases for the treatment of cancer - Doctorate Full Time Mrs Senait Tesfaw
2025 Co-Supervisor Study of steroid metabolizing enzymes from actinobacteria and the genus Bacillus Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Sabiha Enam Spriha
2025 Co-Supervisor Discovery of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6 (CDK6) small-molecule inhibitors and degraders for cancer therapy - Doctorate Full Time Mr Mohammed Assen Seid
2023 Principal Supervisor 111316 - Defining critical changes in lipid metabolism during prostate cancer progression - Doctorate Full Time Miss Madison Tyler Hindes
2023 Co-Supervisor A SN38 antibody prodrug conjugate strategy for cancer therapy - Doctorate Full Time Miss Thi My Hanh Tran
2022 External Supervisor Synthesis of inhibitors for steroid metabolising enzymes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Eva Hayball
2022 Co-Supervisor Developing advanced oral delivery systems for antiviral drugs - Doctorate Full Time Miss Stephanie Stodulka
2022 Co-Supervisor A fibre-optic system for real-time, in-vivo measurement of the metabolic status of tissues - Doctorate Full Time Ms Jasmine Nehema
2022 Co-Supervisor Synthesis of inhibitors for steroid metabolising enzymes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Eva Hayball

Date Role Membership Country
2012 - ongoing Member Royal Australian Chemical Institute -
2012 - ongoing Member Royal Society of Chemistry -
2012 - ongoing Member American Chemical Society -

Date Engagement Type Partner Name
2023 - ongoing Collaboration Biosensis Pty. Ltd.

Date Topic Presented at Institution Country
2023 - ongoing Altered lipid metabolism in disease University of Adelaide Seminar Series University of Adelaide -
2022 - ongoing 1,8-Naphthalimide lipid droplet imaging agents RACI Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Conference Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2022 - ongoing A 3,4-Dimethoxy-1,8-naphthalimide for lipid droplet imaging in live and fixed cells RACI 2022 National Congress Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2021 - ongoing Cross-coupling of amide and amide derivatives to umbelliferone nonaflates: synthesis of new fluorescent materials 21st Tetrahedron Symposium Royal Society of Chemistry -
2018 - ongoing Norbornane-based cationic antimicrobial peptidomimetics targeting the bacterial membrane Organic 18, RACI National Conference Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2018 - ongoing Norbornane-based cationic antimicrobial peptidomimetics targeting the bacterial membrane RACI Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Conference Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2015 - ongoing Norbornane-based peptidomimetics as antibacterial agents RACI Adelaide Synthesis Symposium Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2015 - ongoing Norbornane-based peptidomimetics as antibacterial agents RACI Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2014 - ongoing Synthesis and evaluation of norbornane-based antibacterials RACI National Congress Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2014 - ongoing Synthesis and evaluation of norbornane-based cationic amphiphiles as potential antibacterials 15th Tetrahedron Symposium Royal Society of Chemistry United Kingdom
2013 - ongoing Synthesis of norbornane-peptide hybrids as potential antibiotics RACI Biomolecular Division Conference Royal Australian Chemical Institute Australia
2012 - ongoing Synthesis of norbornane-peptide hybrids as potential antibiotics 19th International Conference on Organic Synthesis International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Australia

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