Fatwa Adikusuma

Dr Fatwa Adikusuma

Externally-Funded Research Fellow (B)

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Dr Adikusuma is a research scientist in the Genome Editing Laboratory led by Prof Paul Thomas at the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). He completed his PhD at the University of Adelaide under Prof Thomas supervision. He is an ARC DECRA fellow (2023-2025) and was previously a fellow of CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform (2018-2021). Dr Adikusuma's research focuses on developing CRISPR gene editing techniques and strategies to improve the efficiency of the intended gene editing outcomes. He discovered the strategies to eliminate an entire chromosome using CRISPR genome editing. Also, his landmark finding that CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage often induces large deletions (Adikusuma et al Nature 2018) cautions the biomedical community about unintended and hitherto unrecognised editing outcomes that could occur when performing germline CRISPR genome editing therapy. His research is also focused on developing highly efficient CRISPR gene editing techniques for the therapeutic of genetic diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Retinitis Pigmentosa, and Cystic Fibrosis. He received numerous awards including the Early Career Researcher Award from the Faculty of Health and Medical Science University of Adelaide (2022), and the Early Career Researcher Award from SAHMRI (twice in 2018 and 2022). He was also a finalist for the University of Adelaide ECR award.

My research is focused on developing CRISPR genome editing technology particularly for its use in mammalian cells and in mice. I explore CRISPR strategies that promote predictable and efficient DNA editing outcomes. For example, I invented the strategies to eliminate an entire chromosome using CRISPR genome editing (Adikusuma et al Molecular Therapy 2017). I also discovered an easy way to generate precise gene-edited mouse embryos using the Nuclease Prime Editor. My research also studies how we can efficiently and effectively create genomic mutations using CRISPR technology and develop the CRISPR tools (constructs) to achieve the goal. Additionally, I study the repair outcomes (mutations) generated after DNA breaks induced by CRISPR endonuclease. For example, we found that CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage often induces large deletions (Adikusuma et al Nature 2018). The main goal of my research is to create knowledge and technology on genome editing that is widely used for vast applications such as basic research and therapeutics. My research projects also focus on developing highly effective CRISPR therapy for genetic diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Retinitis Pigmentosa, and Cystic Fibrosis. We use mammalian cells and animal preclinical models to test our CRISPR techniques in order to find the perfect formula that can effectively cure genetic diseases. Ultimately, the research is expected to develop CRISPR therapies for use in humans to provide treatments for patients.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2018 - ongoing Research Fellow University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2017 - 2018 Postdoctoral Researcher University of Adelaide, Adelaide

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2023 Award ARC DECRA 2023 (Discovery Early Career Research Award) Australian Research Council (ARC) Australia -
    2022 Award SAHMRI 2022 Early Career Researcher Award South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Australia -
    2022 Award 2022 Faculty Emerging Leader Development Award University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Australia -
    2022 Award Early Career Researcher Executive Dean Award (2022) Faculty of Health and Medical Science Australia -
    2021 Award Faculty Emerging Leader Development Award Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Adelaide Australia -
    2018 Award Early Career Researcher Award SAHMRI Australia -
    2018 Fellowship CSIRO SynBio Fellowship CSIRO, University of Adelaide and SAHMRI Australia -

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia PhD (awarded in Jan 2018)

  • Research Interests
    Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Gene and Molecular Therapy
  • Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Researcher Career Award (DECRA, 2023-2025): $458,238
  • CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform Fellowship (2018-2021): $489,768
  • 2022 University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health & Medical Science Emerging Leaders Development (FHMS ELD) Award ($38,974).
  • 2021 University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health & Medical Science Emerging Leaders Development (FHMS ELD) Award ($39,800).

- Advanced Research Platforms, Masters of Biotechnology

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Developing highly efficient CRISPR-therapeutic strategies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Primary Myoblast and Humanised mice models Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Mr Ryan Hao Bing Lee
    2023 Co-Supervisor Designing novel, mutant-specific Prime Editing therapeutic strategies towards treating autosomal dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Lachlan Graham Staker
    2023 Co-Supervisor Reincarnating the Retina: A Cutting-Edge Mutant Independent CRISPR Therapy for Genetic Eye Disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Jesse Georgina Kennedy
    2021 Co-Supervisor Improving Disease Therapy with the Application of Prime Editing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Caleb James Lushington
    2021 Co-Supervisor Development of novel CRISPR/Cas9 therapies for genetic eye disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Ashleigh Geiger
    2020 Co-Supervisor Developing CRISPR/Cas9-Based Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy using a Humanised Preclinical Model Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yu Chinn Joshua Chey
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