Dr Ashleigh Geiger
Grant-Funded Research Associate
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science
College of Health
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Development and Epigenetics Laboratory (PI: Dr Adrienne Sullivan) at the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) and the Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics. My PhD work was undertaken in the Genome Editing Laboratory at SAHMRI, under the supervision of Professor Paul Thomas, Dr Fatwa Adikusuma, and Dr Laurence Wilson (CSIRO, NSW).
Postdoctoral research: understanding the biology of mammary gland development, and its relationship to disease
I am excited to have joined the Development and Epigenetics Laboratory, situated across the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) and the Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics (ACE), the University of Adelaide. In this role, I am working on developing and optimising in vitro methods for studying human mammary gland development, to better understand the developmental program and elucidate the closely linked mechanisms underlying breast cancer biology and aetiology.
I am also continuing my work in optimising advanced genome editing techniques, and applying these technologies to engineer human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells to facilitate the generation of biologically relevant models of development and disease progression.
L to R: Dr Ashleigh Geiger, Dr Kate Dredge, Dr Adrienne Sullivan, Zita Ziukelis, Anna Nixon
PhD research: The development of novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing therapies for autosomal dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa (adRP)
One of the most common inherited eye dystrophies, adRP is clinically and genetically heterogeneous, with causative mutations found in dozens of genes. adRP causes progressive degeneration of photoreceptors (light-sensing cells of the retina), eventually leading to blindness, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Using cutting-edge gene editing technology, I have developed a suite of CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutic strategies for the most common adRP gene variants, and validated my approach in pre-clinical models to enhance the translational potential of these strategies.
For this research, I was grateful to be supported by both a RTP Stipend and a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform postgraduate top-up scholarship.
L to R: Dr Stefka Tasheva, Dr Joshua Chey, Dr Ashleigh Geiger, Suraiya Onnesha, Lachlan Staker, Jesse Kennedy, Caleb Lushington, Prof Paul Thomas, Dr Louise Robertson, Jayshen Arudkumar, Melissa White, Dr Gelshan Godahewa, Dr Luke Gierus.
Inset: Ryan Lee, Dr Fatwa Adikusuma, Sandra Piltz, Michaela Scherer
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Postdoctoral Researcher | University of Adelaide |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Award | Promega Early Career Researcher Award | Adelaide Protein Group | Australia | - |
| 2024 | Award | Poster Prize at the 2024 Biomolecular Horizons conference | Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | Australia | - |
| 2024 | Award | Best Presentation by a Higher Degree by Research Emerging Researcher at the 2024 Emerging Researcher Symposium | Clinical and Health Sciences, UniSA | Australia | - |
| 2023 | Award | University of Adelaide Three Minute Thesis (3MT) - University runner up | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2023 | Award | 3MT Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences: People's Choice award | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2023 | Award | 3MT Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences: faculty final winner | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2022 | Award | Keith Dixon prize for the most outstanding poster (developmental biology) at the 2022 COMBIO Conference | Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology | Australia | - |
| 2022 | Award | Runner Up - most outstanding student presentation | Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology | Australia | - |
| 2022 | Award | BMG Prize for the most outstanding oral presentation by a student | Adelaide Protein Group | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Award | Most Outstanding Student Poster, 9th Annual Adelaide Meeting | Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Scholarship | Research Training Program Stipend | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Scholarship | Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform postgraduate top-up scholarship | CSIRO | Australia | - |
| 2019 | Award | Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2019 | Award | Sir Ronald Fisher Prize for Genetics III | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2019 | Scholarship | Adelaide Summer Research Scholarship | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2018 | Award | School of Biological Sciences Level II Biochemistry Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2018 | Award | School of Biological Sciences Level II Microbiology and Immunology Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2018 | Award | Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2017 | Award | Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2025 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine) |
| 2016 - 2019 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Science (Advanced) |
| 2015 - 2015 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Music (Honours, 1st class) |
| 2008 - 2009 | University of Melbourne | Australia | Bachelor of Music |
| 2006 - 2007 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Music student |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Geiger, A., Thomas, P., & Adikusuma, F. (2025). 2023326046, AGENT FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING A DOMINANTLY-INHERITED DISEASE. Australia. |
| 2024 | Geiger, A., Thomas, P., Adikusuma, F., & Staker, L. (2024). 2024902054, AGENT FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING A GENETIC DISEASE. Australia. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). Metadata for NGS analysis. DOI |
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). Initial gRNA testing in WT cells. DOI |
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). gRNA testing in NR2E3 cell model. DOI |
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). mRHO/hRHO-P23H-RFPt sorted photoreceptors (AAV treated). DOI |
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). PCOC in vitro testing. DOI |
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). AAV in vitro test. DOI |
| - | Geiger, A. (n.d.). gRNA testing in RHO cell model. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Chey, Y., Gierus, L., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J., Geiger, A., Staker, L., . . . Adikusuma, F. (2024). Enhancing gRNA Transcript levels by Reducing the Scaffold Poly-T Tract for Optimal SpCas9- and SaCas9-mediated Gene Editing. DOI |
2025: SAiGENCI Professor Abdi Cancer Research Funding Initiative | Project: Developing genome-engineered human mammary gland organoids as a model for understanding breast cancer ($20,000)
2023: School of Biomedicine HDR Travel Support Award | Purpose: To attend and present at the International Congress of Genetics and Genomics ($1,021)
2025
Lecturer: Biomedical Science II
2024
Lecturer: Biomedical Science II
2023
Lecturer: Biomedical Science IIB
Practical demonstrator: Biochemistry IIIA (Molecular and Structural Biology)
2022
Tutor: Genetics IIA (Foundation of Genetics)
Tutor: Genetics IIB (Function and Diversity of Genomes)
Tutor and workshop demonstrator: Biomedical Science IIA
Guest lecturer and workshop demonstrator: Biomedical Science IIB
Practical demonstrator: MBS Practical C
2021
Tutor: Genetics IIB (Function and Diversity of Genomes)
Guest lecturer: Biomedical Science IIB
Practical demonstrator: MBS Practicals A, B, and C
Practical demonstrator: Biochemistry IIIA (Molecular and Structural Biology)
Supervisor: Summer Research Scholarship student
Supervisor: Principles and Practice of Research (Advanced) III placement student
2020
Supervisor: Summer Research Scholarship student
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Developing an in vitro Luminal Cell Model to interrogate GATA3 Mutations in Estrogen-receptor positive Breast Cancer | SAiGECNI, The University of Adelaide | Bachelor of Health and Medical Science (Honours) | Honours | Full Time | Anna Nixon |
| 2025 - 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Optimising a cell-line model and Co-Immunoprecipitation methods to probe the interaction between mutant GATA3 and androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer | SAiGENCI, The University of Adelaide | Bachelor of Health and Medical Science (Honours) | Honours | Full Time | Zita Ziukelis |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Member | Epigenetics Consortium of SA | EpiCSA | Australia |
| 2025 - ongoing | Member | Research symposium organising committee | ANZSCDB SA | Australia |
| 2023 - ongoing | Treasurer | Adelaide Protein Group | ASBMB | Australia |
| 2022 - 2024 | President | Women in STEM Alumni Network | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2022 | Chair | Student Body Committee | Australasian Neuroscience Society | Australia |
| 2020 - 2022 | Secretary | Women in STEM Alumni Network | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2020 - 2020 | Member | Student Body Committee SA representative | Australasian Neuroscience Society | Australia |
| Date | Title | Engagement Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2024 | Speaker at Future Science Talks: Comedy Edition | Public Community Engagement | Adelaide Fringe | - |
| 2023 - 2023 | FameLab science communication competition - national finalist | Public Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2023 - 2023 | University of Adelaide 3 Minute Thesis - University runner up, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences winner and people's choice | Public Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Invited speaker, The University of Adelaide Young Women in STEM opening event | Scientific Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Soapbox Science presenter at 'Science Alive!' | Public Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Host and MC, SAHMRI Lifelong Health public seminar: Can we really slow ageing? | Public Community Engagement | SAHMRI | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Panellist, Adelaide University Biosciences Network Academic Pursuit: Intro to Postgrad event | Scientific Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Panellist, St Peter’s Girls’ School STEM Careers event, National Science Week | Public Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2021 | Invited speaker, University of Adelaide Women in STEM Careers graduation lunch | Scientific Community Engagement | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| Date | Topic | Presented at | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2024 | Poster Presentation | Biomolecular Horizons Conference | The University of Adelaide | - |
| 2024 - 2024 | Oral presentation | Australian and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB) Adelaide meeting | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2024 - 2024 | Oral presentation | UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences Emerging Researcher Symposium | The University of Adelaide | - |
| 2023 - 2023 | Poster presentation | International Congress of Genetics and Genomics | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Poster presentation | SAHMRI Research Showcase | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Oral presentation | SAHMRI Seminar Series | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Oral presentation | Australian and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB) Adelaide meeting | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Oral presentation | Adelaide Protein Group awards day | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Poster presentation | ComBio Conference | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Poster presentation | Australasian Neuroscience Society Annual Scientific Meeting | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2021 | Poster presentation | The University of Adelaide Florey Postgraduate Conference | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2021 | Oral presentation | Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) Adelaide Scientific Meeting | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2021 | Poster presentation | Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution & Design (SEED) international conference | The University of Adelaide | United States |
| 2021 - 2021 | Poster presentation | Australian and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB) Adelaide meeting | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2021 | Oral presentation | SAHMRI Research Showcase | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
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