Mark Hutchinson

Professor Mark Hutchinson

Director - Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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


Mark Hutchinson is an ARC Future fellow and Professor within the Adelaide Medical School, the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics. Mark is also President of Science and Technology Australia, the peak body in Australia that represents 110,000 scientists.

The team he leads is world-leading, developing innovative technologies that allow for the early diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases, including pain. Professor Hutchinson’s research explores the “other brain” or the other 90% of cells in the brain and spinal cord. These immune-like cells are termed glia. Mark’s research has implicated the brain immune-like cells in the action of drugs of dependence and the negative side effects of pain treatments. He has pioneered research which has led to the discovery of novel drug activity at innate immune receptors. His work has enabled the translation of compounds at the lab bench to clinical agents used at the bedside.

In his role as Director of the CNBP he is responsible for the research program of the ARC Centre of Excellence with $50M of funding headquartered at The University of Adelaide, with nodes at Macquarie University and UNSW, Sydney, the RMIT, Melbourne and Griffith University Qld. The CNBP is partnered with universities and companies in Europe, the US and China, as well as other Australian institutions. Prof Hutchinson’s work with the CNBP is to "Discover new approaches to measure nano-scale dynamic phenomena in living systems” and allow the first minimally invasive realtime visualisations of the “other brain”.

Mark serves as a founding member of the Operating in Contaminated Environments Advisory Council for the DSTG CBRN STaRShot, is a founding member of the executive of the Animal Welfare Collaborative (TAWC), is the Chair of the Australian Pain Solutions Research Alliance, the co-chair of the Safeguarding Australia through Biotechnology Response and Engagement (SABRE) Alliance, a Ministerial appointment to the Australian Research Council CEO Advisory Council, and one of three eminent academics reviewing the ARC Federal Legislation.

Mark’s research has implicated the brain immune-like cells in the action of drugs of dependence and the negative side effects of pain treatments.

Mark has published over 240 papers in journals and refereed conference proceedings.

The CNBP is an ARC Centre of Excellence with $50M of funding committed for 7 years, headquartered at The University of Adelaide, with nodes at Macquarie University, Sydney; the RMIT, Melbourne; and Griffith University, the Gold Coast. We are partnered with universities and companies in Europe, the US and China, as well as other  Australian institutions.  

The CNBP has a mission to "Discover new approaches to measure nano-scale dynamic phenomena in living systems".  

I have several openings for research projects within my team for PhD students

Project 1
Title: Cell-based biomarker of persistent pain in livestock
Description: This project will translate a human biomarker of pain into the livestock setting to predict the chronic pain of animal husbandry practices.
Project available for: HDR and/or Honours
Location: Roseworthy and North Tce
Research Project start date: Semester 1 2023
Special requirements: surgical skills, cell culture experience and some bioinformatics

Project 2
Title: Transcriptome biomarker of persistent pain in livestock
Description: This project will translate a human biomarker of pain into the livestock setting to predict the chronic pain of animal husbandry practices.
Project available for: HDR and/or Honours
Location: Roseworthy and North Tce
Research Project start date: Semester 1 2023
Special requirements: surgical skills, bioinformatics and molecular techniques.

Project 3
Title: Modeling persistent pain in livestock
Description: This project will translate a human model of neuroimmune pain into the livestock setting to better predict the consequences of chronic pain in livestock and allow the development of novel pain therapies.
Project available for: HDR and/or Honours
Location: Roseworthy and North Tce
Research Project start date: Semester 1 2023
Special requirements: surgical skills, animal handling experience and molecular techniques.

Project 4
Title: Drug discovery for novel treatments of persistent pain in livestock
Description: This project will translate neuroimmune pain targeted treatments into the livestock setting to better treat chronic pain in livestock and allow the development of deployable pain therapies.
Project available for: HDR and/or Honours
Location: Roseworthy and North Tce
Research Project start date: Semester 1 2023
Special requirements: surgical skills, animal handling experience and molecular pharmacology techniques.

My research program has been funded by the following grant schemes

  • DSTG, Centre for Advanced Defence Research and Enterprise – OCE
  • DSTG, Defence Science Technology Group - SynBioGen programs 
  • DSTG, Human Integrated Sensor System Program - Meat and Livestock Australia
  • ARC Future Fellowship (FT180100565; Sole CI)
  • ARC discovery grant that includes an ARF (DP110100297; Sole CI)
  • NHMRC CJ Martin Postdoctoral Fellowship (Sole CI)
  • NHMRC project grant (APP1026178; CIB).
  • ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics ($38M, CE140100003)
  • NIH R01 grants as a PI (R01 DA034185; R01 DA025978; R01 DA23132; R01 DE017782)
  • USA Department of Defence CDMRP grant ($614K)
  • National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia ($112K)
  • USA Fibromyalgia Association pilot grant ($55K)
  • ~$3M contract research on neuroimmune targeted therapies for pharmaceutical companies such as Phebra, Bionomics, Avigen, Covidien, Implicit Biosciences, NovImmune, Merck and J&J.

 

I regularly teach into continuing medical education courses for Medical Colleges, Faculties and Societies.

I also teach into several University of Adelaide undergraduate courses as an invited specialist lecturer

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

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 Co-Supervisor Oxidative stress activated prodrugs Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Ravindu Ranasinghe
    2022 Principal Supervisor The Human Integrated Sensor System (HISS) Challenge Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Michail Laoumtzis
    2021 Principal Supervisor Exploring the neurobiological bases of affective states Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Jane Cerina Morphett
    2021 Principal Supervisor Regulation of the neuro-immune system Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Benjamin Daniel Barry
    2021 Co-Supervisor Effectiveness of Exercise to Improve Patient-Reported and Central Pain Modulation Outcomes in Chronic Neck Pain Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Kexun Kenneth Chen
    2021 Principal Supervisor Quantification of the lifetime experience of pain in livestock and its implications on productivity and animal husbandry practices, including applications to human health and wellbeing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Charlotte Helen Johnston
    2021 Co-Supervisor Assessing the effects of glycosylation on mu- and delta- opioid receptor function and heteromerization. Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Miss Kariel Renee Siemens
    2021 Co-Supervisor The physiological impacts of virtual fencing on sheep and cattle in South Australia. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Megan Beth Willis
    2020 Principal Supervisor Immunophenotyping of Spinal Cord Injured Patients – Advancing Diagnostics and Prognostics. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr James Edward Swift
    2019 Principal Supervisor Investigating the effects of human mesenchymal stem cells and conditioned media (secretome) for the treatment of pain and neuropathic pain. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Chrysostomos Constantine Maoudis
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Peripheral-to-Central Neuroimmune Communication and the Sun: Implications for Addiction and Neurodegenerative Disease Pathology Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Ms Krystal Lee Iacopetta
    2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Assessing Pain and Treatment Responsiveness in a Patient Cohort and Mouse Model of Inflammatory Arthritis Using Neurobiophotonics Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Florence Jade Lees
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor The Role of Nitroxyl in the Development of Neuropathic Pain Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Vicky Staikopoulos
    2015 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Advanced Preclinical Assessment of Hyper-Nociception Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Azim Arman
    2015 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Investigation of a Functional Relationship Between Toll-Like Receptor 4 and Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily V Member 1 in Relation to a Novel Neuroimmune Pain Model Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Samuel Greig Evans
    2014 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Experimental Models of Alcohol Induced Inflammation-associated Depressive-like Behaviour Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Joshua Luke Holmes
    2014 - 2019 Principal Supervisor From the Bottom Up: Chemotherapy-Induced Gut Toxicity, Glial Reactivity and Cognitive Impairment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Juliana Esma Bajic
    2014 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Exploring the Bidirectional Interface between Stress and Innate Immunity: A Focus on Glucocorticoid and TLR4-MyD88 Signalling Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jiajun Liu
    2014 - 2019 Co-Supervisor An optical fibre point temperature sensor for investigation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') induced hyperthermia in the rat brain Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Stefan Tyrone Musolino
    2014 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Exploring the Role of Spinal Glia and Toll-Like Receptor 4 in the Development of Endometriosis and Neuroimmune-Associated Pain Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Kelsi Nicole Dodds
    2014 - 2018 Co-Supervisor Investigating the role of Toll-like receptor 4 in myocardial ischaemic-preconditioning and ischaemic-reperfusion injury Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Sam Man Lee
    2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signalling in Inflammation Pathways to Term and Preterm Delivery Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Hanan Hamimi Binti Wahid
    2013 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Exploring the Pharmacology of (+)-Naltrexone on Alcohol Reward and Anxiety Behaviours Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Jonathan Henry Jacobsen
    2011 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Neuroimmunopharmacology of Opioids Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jacob Henry Lloyd Thomas
    2010 - 2014 Co-Supervisor Pharmacogenetics of Ketamine Metabolism and Immunopharmacology of Ketamine Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yibai Li
    2010 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Codeine, heightened pain sensitivity and medication overuse headache: A neuroimmune hypothesis and novel treatment strategy. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Jacinta Lee Johnson
    2010 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Sex Differences in Allodynia: A complex Interaction Between 17beta-Oestradiol and the Innate Immune System Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Lauren Louise Nicotra
    2010 - 2015 Co-Supervisor The thermal grill as a tool to investigate analgesic clinical pharmacology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Nicole Martha Sumracki
    2009 - 2011 Co-Supervisor CNS Immune Signalling and Drug Addiction: Role of Interleukin-1 Beta Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Liang Liu
    2009 - 2014 Co-Supervisor Potential peripheral biomarkers for chronic pain Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yuen Kwok
    2008 - 2011 Co-Supervisor The Neuroimmunopharmacology of Alcohol Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yue Wu
    2007 - 2011 Co-Supervisor Two methods of biomarker discovery: applications in neuropathic pain and pharmacotherapy Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Peter Grace
  • Board Memberships

    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2013 - ongoing Board Member Science Technology Australia - Australia
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2012 - ongoing Member Australian Pain Society Australia
    2007 - ongoing Member International Association for the Study of Pain United States
    2007 - ongoing Member Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society United States
    2002 - ongoing Member Society for Neuroscience United States
    1999 - ongoing Representative Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology Australia
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2015 - ongoing Associate Editor Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - -
  • Position: Director - Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics
  • Phone: 83130322
  • Email: mark.hutchinson@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 82240685
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Helen Mayo South, floor Fifth Floor
  • Org Unit: Medical Sciences

Connect With Me
External Profiles

Other Links