Gerald Atkins

Professor Gerald Atkins

Professor

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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


Professor Gerald Atkins, PhD, FIOR
Professor of Orthopaedic Research, Scientific Director of COTR, Head, Biomedical Orthopaedic Research Group

Professor Gerald Atkins' research focuses on human musculoskeletal biology, metabolism and disease, in particular those related to orthopaedics and trauma. He has previously held NHMRC RD Wright and Senior Research Fellow fellowships. He was a founding Scientific Director of the Centre for Orthopaedic and Trauma Research (COTR) and oversaw the integration of COTR research groups into the new Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building, a central pillar in Adelaide's new Health and Medical Research Precinct. As Head of the Biomedical Orthopaedic Research Group within COTR, he runs an integrated research programme into human bone biology, underpinning translational research into musculoskeletal disease. He has an ongoing interest in bone tumour biology, including osteosarcoma and Giant Cell Tumour of bone. His group has a particular interest in the pathobiology of musculoskeletal infections, such as periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), fracture-related infection and diabetic foot infection, as well as aseptic loosening of implants and fracture repair. He has published more than 200 papers related to bone pathophysiology, which collectively have been cited more than 12,000 times (Google Scholar H-index 60). His research has attracted more than $14-million in competitive research funding. Prof. Atkins has served on the committee of the Australian New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) as representative to the International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies (ICORS) and is a previous Councillor and Honorary Secretary to the Australian New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society (ANZBMS).

I am a Professor of Orthopaedic Research within the Centre for Orthopaedic and Trauma Research (COTR). My immediate team is the Biomedical Orthopaedic Research Group based in the Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences (AHMS) building. I have conducted original research into the cell biology of bone remodelling and pathobiology of its associated diseases and disorders since 1998. My group has a strong focus on human translational research into orthopaedic disorders, working closely with academic orthopaedic and trauma surgeons and other clinicians at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and other metropolitan hospitals. We also work closely with other scientists in a host of other disciplines including human movement, microbiology, dementia research, medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology. Our current projects concern osteomyelitis (bone infection) and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), novel biology and treatment of bone cancers, mechanisms of fracture repair and the role of osteocytes (the major bone cell type) in health and disease. We use a combination of state-of-the-art molecular tools, cell biology, tissue culture, microbiology, imaging, study of patient-derived tissues and clinical cohort studies in our research.

Current projects are available in most areas of interest for 3rd Year undergraduate, Honours, Masters, M.Phil. and PhD, including for both science and medicine graduates.

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Principal Supervisor Utility of nucleic acid sequencing for improving diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Kimberley Huynh
    2022 Principal Supervisor Understanding the Role of Gut Microbiome in Prosthetic Joint Infections. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time APrf Boopalan Ramasamy
    2022 Co-Supervisor Risk factors for re-infection in two-staged total hip replacement revision Master of Philosophy (Surgery) Master Part Time Mr Ameya Bhanushali
    2022 Principal Supervisor Pathologic bone matrix destruction: help or hindrance for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic osteomyelitis and osteosarcoma? Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Qi Sun
    2022 Principal Supervisor The Host Osteocyte Response to Bacterial Infection in Osteomyelitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mohammad Amjad Hossain
    2021 Principal Supervisor Healing of Human Tibial Plateau Fractures Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr David Stuart Kitchen
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Mechanisms of Persistence, Reactivation and Eradication of Staphylococci in Orthopaedic Infections Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Anja Ruth Zelmer
    2019 - 2022 Co-Supervisor In Silico, Ex Vivo, and In Vivo approaches for Modelling Tibial Plateau Fractures Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Kieran James Bennett
    2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Engineering Novel Nano-Structured 3D-Printed Titanium Implants for Optimized Osseointegration, Antibacterial Protection and Localized Drug Delivery Applications Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Shaheer Guirguis Maher Makar
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Investigating the biomechanics and genetics of acetabular peri-prosthetic osteolysis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Thomas Michael Grace
    2016 - 2019 Principal Supervisor The Role of the Osteocyte in Periprosthetic Osteolysis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Renee Ormsby
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor A Novel Investigation into the Role of Neurotrophic Factors in the Osteocyte and Bone Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Catherine Stapledon
    2012 - 2020 Principal Supervisor The Role of Vitamin D Autocrine Activity and Signalling in Osteoclast Formation and Activity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Daniel Christopher Reinke
    2011 - 2012 Principal Supervisor The Effect of Bone Anabolic Stimuli on Human Osteoblast to Osteocyte Transition Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Ms Katie Welldon
    2010 - 2014 Principal Supervisor The regulation of the sclerostin gene and the catabolic effects of sclerostin protein on bone Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Asiri Wijenayaka
    2009 - 2015 Co-Supervisor The Interaction between Vitamin D and Extracellular Calcium on Osteogenic Differentiation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Dongqing Yang
    2009 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Ex Vivo Bone Culture: A Novel Method for Investigating Mechanical Loading Response and Osteocytes in Situ In Trabecular Bone Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Kamarul Ariffin Khalid
    2006 - 2012 Principal Supervisor The Underlying Molecular Regulators and their Effects on Mineralisation in the Trabecular Bone Microenvironment and Osteoblast of Primary Hip Osteoarthritis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Duminda Danajaya Kumarasinghe
    2000 - 2003 Co-Supervisor Molecular Mechanisms of Apo2L/TRAIL Induced Apoptosis In Normal and Malignant Cells Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Stelios Bouralexis
  • Position: Professor
  • Phone: 83137214
  • Email: gerald.atkins@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, floor 7
  • Org Unit: Surgical Specialities

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