Richard Head

Prof Richard Head

School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science

College of Health

Professor Richard Head is a Pharmacologist and is currently Emeritus Professor in the Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Affiliate and Professor in the Discipline of Pharmacology, The University of Adelaide.   Previously he was the interim Director of the Future Industries Institute at the University of South Australia, the Deputy Vice Chancellor & Vice President: Research and Innovation for the University of South Australia with a substantive position as the Director of the Sansom Institute for Health Research, Division of Health Sciences also at the University of South Australia.
 
Formerly he was the Director of CSIRO’s P-Health National Flagship, Chief of CSIRO’s Division of Health Sciences and Nutrition and prior to that Chief of CSIRO’s Division of Human Nutrition.  He served as Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at West Virginia University Medical Centre, as Research Fellow with the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, USA.
 
He was the recipient of the CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement, the CSIRO Business Excellence Award, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career Development Award. He was a winner of the 2017 Johnson and Johnson Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research as a member of the Colvera Team.
 
Professor Head has published extensively in human chronic diseases research and has a unique background and skill base in pharmacology and nutrition.

Professor Head is a Member of numerous professional organisations and has extensive experience in research and research management. His current research includes approaches to understanding the protective action of dietary constituents in human health.

Year Citation
2025 Head, R. J., Buckley, J. D., & Martin, J. H. (2025). Exploiting the vulnerability of SARS-CoV-2 with a partnership of mucosal immune function and nutrition: a narrative review. Nutrition Research Reviews, online(2), 1-19.
DOI
2025 Head, R., Islam, S., & Martin, J. H. (2025). A unified explanation for drug repurposing and pharmacological pleiotropy based on classical and statistical thermodynamics. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 13(4, article no. e70158), 1-11.
DOI
2025 Head, R., Islam, S., & Martin, J. H. (2025). Approaches to repurposing reverse transcriptase antivirals in cancer. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, online(9), 1-13.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2024 Head, R. J., Popovic, M., & Martin, J. H. (2024). Has the human biological interaction with SARS-CoV2 variants entered a pliant 'Faustian bargain'?. Pharmacology Research and Perspectives, 12(4, article no. 1244), 1-2.
DOI
2024 Matthews, B., Wong Brown, M., Liu, D., Yee, C., Dickson, K. A., Schneider, J., . . . Bowden, N. A. (2024). Drug repurposing screen targeting PARP identifies cytotoxic activity of efavirenz in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Molecular Therapy Oncology, 32(4, article no. 200911), 1-15.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2023 Popovic, M., Martin, J. H., & Head, R. J. (2023). COVID infection in 4 steps: thermodynamic considerations reveal how viral mucosal diffusion, target receptor affinity and furin cleavage act in concert to drive the nature and degree of infection in human COVID-19 disease. Heliyon, 9(6, article no. e17174), 1-10.
DOI
2023 Islam, S., Rahaman, M. H., Yu, M., Noll, B., Martin, J. H., Wang, S., & Head, R. (2023). Anti-Leukaemic Activity of Rilpivirine Is Mediated by Aurora A Kinase Inhibition. Cancers, 15(4), 21 pages.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2022 Islam, S., Teo, T., Kumarasiri, M., Slater, M., Martin, J. H., Wang, S., & Head, R. (2022). Combined In Silico and In Vitro Evidence Supporting an Aurora A Kinase Inhibitory Role of the Anti-Viral Drug Rilpivirine and an Anti-Proliferative Influence on Cancer Cells. Pharmaceuticals, 15(10), 16 pages.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC6
2022 Martin, J., & Head, R. (2022). Obesity and COVID-19: renin-angiotensin as a mediator of morbidity and mortality. British Journal of Nutrition, 127(9), 1439-1440.
DOI Scopus2 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2022 Islam, S., Wang, S., Bowden, N., Martin, J., & Head, R. (2022). Repurposing existing therapeutics, its importance in oncology drug development: kinases as a potential target. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 88(1), 64-74.
DOI Scopus29 WoS28 Europe PMC23
2022 Jarrott, B., Head, R., Pringle, K. G., Lumbers, E. R., & Martin, J. H. (2022). "LONG COVID"-a hypothesis for understanding the biological basis and pharmacological treatment strategy. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 10(1, article no. e00911), 1-10.
DOI Scopus85 WoS74 Europe PMC81
2022 Martin, J. H., & Head, R. J. (2022). Critical insights to COVID-19 disease and potential treatments using a systems analysis approach that integrates physiology, pharmacology, and clinical pharmacology. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 10(1, article no. e00918), 1-3.
DOI Scopus1
2022 Head, R. J., Lumbers, E. R., Jarrott, B., Tretter, F., Smith, G., Pringle, K. G., . . . Martin, J. H. (2022). Systems analysis shows that thermodynamic physiological and pharmacological fundamentals drive COVID-19 and response to treatment. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 10(1, article no. e00922), 1-22.
DOI Scopus31 WoS27 Europe PMC16
2022 Lumbers, E. R., Head, R., Smith, G. R., Delforce, S. J., Jarrott, B., Martin, J. H., & Pringle, K. G. (2022). The interacting physiology of COVID-19 and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system: key agents for treatment. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 10(1, article no. e00917), 1-16.
DOI Scopus33 Europe PMC25
2021 Martin, J. H., Baddeley, M., & Head, R. (2021). Did our pharmacological strategy for COVID-19 fail?. Pharmacology Research and Perspectives, 9(6), 1-4.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2021 Martin, J., & Head, R. (2021). A pharmacological framework for integrating treating the host, repurposing and the damage response framework in COVID-19. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(3), 875-885.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2020 Martin, J. H., Clark, J., & Head, R. (2020). Buying time: drug repurposing to treat the host in COVID-19H. Pharmacology research & perspectives, 8(4), 1-3.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC9
2017 Head, R. J., Fay, M. F., Cosgrove, L., Fung, K. Y. C., Rundle Thiele, D., & Martin, J. H. (2017). Persistence of DNA adducts, hypermutation and acquisition of cellular resistance to alkylating agents in glioblastoma. Cancer biology and therapy, 18(12), 917-926.
DOI Scopus9 WoS12 Europe PMC8
2016 Fay, M. F., Head, R., Sminia, P., Dowson, N., Cosgrove, L., Rose, S., & Martin, J. H. (2016). Valproate in adjuvant glioblastoma treatment. Journal of clinical oncology, 34(25), 3105-3107.
DOI Scopus9 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2016 Rundle Thiele, D., Head, R., Cosgrove, L., & Martin, J. H. (2016). Repurposing some older drugs that cross the blood-brain barrier and have potential anticancer activity to provide new treatment options for glioblastoma. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 81(2), 199-209.
DOI Scopus42 WoS38 Europe PMC28
2016 Le Leu, R., Scherer, B., Mano, M., Winter, J., Lannagan, T., Head, R., . . . Clarke, J. (2016). Dietary butyrylated high-amylose starch reduces azoxymethane-induced colonic O⁶ -methylguanine adducts in rats as measured by immunohistochemistry and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Nutrition Research, 36(9), 982-988.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC9
2015 Fay, M., Head, R., & Martin, J. (2015). Where is the radiobiology and pharmacology research to improve outcomes in glioblastoma?. Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 124(1), 1-3.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2015 Hosein, A. N., Lim, Y. C., Day, B., Stringer, B., Rose, S., Head, R., . . . Martin, J. H. (2015). The effect of valproic acid in combination with irradiation and temozolomide on primary human glioblastoma cells. Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 122(2), 263-271.
DOI Scopus44 WoS40 Europe PMC35
2014 Burnham, S. C., Faux, N. G., Wilson, W., Laws, S. M., Ames, D., Bedo, J., . . . Villemagne, V. L. (2014). A blood-based predictor for neocortical Aβ burden in Alzheimer's disease: results from the AIBL study. Molecular Psychiatry, 19(4), 519-526.
DOI Scopus114 WoS104 Europe PMC96
2014 Prins, J. R., Guerin, L. R., Zhang, B., Schjenken, J. E., Barry, S. C., & Robertson, S. A. (2014). Interleukin-10 deficiency causes dysregulation of the regulatory T cell response to pregnancy in mice. Reproductive Sciences, 21(3 Suppl.), 99A.
DOI
2013 Carrillo, M. C., Rowe, C. C., Szoeke, C., Masters, C. L., Ames, D., O'Meara, T., . . . Head, R. J. (2013). Research and standardization in Alzheimer's trials: Reaching international consensus. ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA, 9(2), 160-168.
DOI Scopus22 WoS19 Europe PMC17
2013 Bennett, L., Abeywardena, M., Burnard, S., Forsyth, S., Head, R., King, K., . . . Lockett, T. (2013). Molecular size fractions of bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) exhibit differentiated regulation of colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro. Nutrition and cancer, 65(5), 746-764.
DOI Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC8
2013 Kerr, C. A., Hines, B. M., Shaw, J. M., Dunne, R., Bragg, L. M., Clarke, J., . . . Head, R. (2013). Genomic homeostasis is dysregulated in favour of apoptosis in the colonic epithelium of the azoxymethane treated rat. BMC physiology, 13(2), 1-13.
DOI Scopus10 Europe PMC9
2013 Bharadwaj, P., Head, R., Martins, R., Raussens, V., Sarroukh, R., Jegasothy, H., . . . Bennett, L. (2013). Modulation of amyloid-β 1-42 structure and toxicity by proline-rich whey peptides. Food and function, 4(1), 92-103.
DOI Scopus19 WoS18 Europe PMC16
2013 Nyskohus, L., Watson, A., Margison, G., Le Leu, R., Kim, S., Lockett, T., . . . Hu, Y. (2013). Repair and removal of azoxymethane-induced O⁶-methylguanine in rat colon by O⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and apoptosis. Mutation Research - Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 758(1-2), 80-86.
DOI Scopus21 WoS20 Europe PMC19
2013 Bennett, L., Sheean, P., Zabaras, D., & Head, R. J. (2013). Heat-stable components of wood ear mushroom, Auricularia polytricha (higher Basidiomycetes), inhibit in vitro activity of beta secretase (BACE1). International journal of medicinal mushrooms, 15(3), 233-249.
DOI Scopus38 WoS32 Europe PMC23
2013 Ng, T. P., Balasubramanyam, M., Fenech, M., Head, R., Amarra, S. M., & Loke, C. S. (2013). Research and policy to achieve healthy aging in Asia : recommendations from an expert workshop. Open longevity journal, 7(1), 1-10.
DOI
2012 Doecke, J. D., Laws, S. M., Faux, N. G., Wilson, W., Burnham, S. C., Lam, C. P., . . . Martins, R. N. (2012). Blood-based protein biomarkers for diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology, 69(10), 1318-1325.
DOI Scopus350 WoS312 Europe PMC259
2012 Fung, K. Y. C., Cosgrove, L., Lockett, T. J., Head, R. J., & Topping, D. (2012). A review of the potential mechanisms for the lowering of colorectal oncogenesis by butyrate. British journal of nutrition, 108(5), 820-833.
DOI Scopus296 WoS267 Europe PMC226
2012 Gardener, S., Gu, Y., Rainey-Smith, S., Keogh, J., Clifton, P., Mathieson, S., . . . AIBL, R. (2012). Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and Alzheimer's disease risk in an Australian population. Translational psychiatry, 2(10), 1-7.
DOI Scopus167 WoS137 Europe PMC112
2012 Patten, G. S., Abeywardena, M. Y., Head, R. J., & Bennett, L. E. (2012). Processed dietary plants demonstrate broad capacity for angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin II receptor binding inhibition in vitro. JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS, 4(4), 851-863.
DOI Scopus19 WoS16
2012 Sheean, P., Rout, M., Head, R., & Bennett, L. (2012). Modulation of in vitro activity of zymogenic and mature recombinant human β-secretase by dietary plants. FEBS Journal, 279(7), 1291-1305.
DOI Scopus12 WoS8 Europe PMC6
2012 Fung, K., Ooi, C., Lewanowitsch, T., Tan, S., Tan, H., Lim, T., . . . Head, R. (2012). Identification of potential pathways involved in induction of apoptosis by butyrate and 4-benzoylbutyrate in HT29 colorectal cancer cells. Journal of Proteome Research, 11(12), 6019-6029.
DOI Scopus18 WoS16 Europe PMC15
2011 Patten, G. S., Head, R. J., & Abeywardena, M. Y. (2011). Effects of casoxin 4 on morphine inhibition of small animal intestinal contractility and gut transit in the mouse.. Clinical and experimental gastroenterology, 4(4), 23-31.
DOI Scopus11 Europe PMC7
2011 Tan, S., Gerber, J., Cosgrove, L., Lockett, T., Clarke, J., Williams, D., & Head, R. (2011). Is the tissue persistence of O<sup>6</sup>-methyl-2′-deoxyguanosine an indicator of tumour formation in the gastrointestinal tract?. Mutation Research - Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 721(2), 119-126.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC9
2011 O'Keefe, C., & Head, R. (2011). Application of logic models in a large scientific research program. Evaluation and Program Planning, 34(3), 174-184.
DOI Scopus10 WoS7 Europe PMC5
2011 Fenech, M., El Sohemy, A., Cahill, L., Ferguson, L. R., French, T. A., Tai, E. S., . . . Head, R. (2011). Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics: viewpoints on the current status and applications in nutrition research and practice. Journal of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, 4(2), 69-89.
DOI Scopus278 WoS210 Europe PMC148
2011 Ngo, S., Williams, D., & Head, R. (2011). Rosemary and cancer prevention: Preclinical perspectives. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 51(10), 946-954.
DOI Scopus167 WoS137 Europe PMC86
2011 Fung, K., Cursaro, V., Lewanowitsch, T., Brierley, G., McColl, S., Lockett, T., . . . Cosgrove, L. (2011). A combined free-flow electrophoresis and DIGE approach to identify proteins regulated by butyrate in HT29 cells. Proteomics, 11(5), 964-971.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9 Europe PMC7
2011 Fung, K., Brierley, G., Henderson, S., Hoffmann, P., McColl, S., Lockett, T., . . . Cosgrove, L. (2011). Butyrate-induced apoptosis in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells includes induction of a cell stress response. Journal of Proteome Research, 10(4), 1860-1869.
DOI Scopus71 WoS67 Europe PMC55
2011 Augustin, M. A., Patten, G., De Luca, A., Abeywardena, M., Lockett, T., Head, R., & Sanguansri, L. (2011). Intestinal passage of microencapsulated fish oil in rats following oral administration. Food and function, 2(11), 684-696.
DOI Scopus16 WoS14 Europe PMC9
2011 Dong, J., Xu, X., Liang, Y., Head, R., & Bennett, L. (2011). Inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity by polyphenols from tea (Camellia sinensis) and links to processing method. Food and function, 2(6), 310-319.
DOI Scopus50 WoS45 Europe PMC30
2011 Augustin, M. A., Abeywardena, M. Y., Pattern, G. S., Head, R. J., Lockett, T. J., De Luca, A., & Sanguansri, L. (2011). Effects of microencapsulation on the gastrointestinal transit and tissue distribution of a bioactive mixture of fish oil, tributyrin and resveratrol. Journal of functional foods, 3(1), 25-37.
DOI Scopus69 WoS66
2010 Rowe, C. C., Ellis, K. A., Rimajova, M., Bourgeat, P., Head, R., & Villemagne, V. L. (2010). Amyloid imaging results from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of aging. Neurobiology of aging, 31(8), 1275-1283.
DOI Scopus888 WoS816 Europe PMC738
2010 Ooi, C. C., Good, N. M., Williams, D. B., Lewanowitsch, T., Cosgrove, L. J., Lockett, T. J., & Head, R. J. (2010). Structure-activity relationship of butyrate analogues on apoptosis, proliferation and histone deacetylase activity in HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 37(9), 905-911.
DOI Scopus18 WoS15 Europe PMC15
2010 Ooi, C. C., Good, N. M., Williams, D. B., Lewanowitsch, T., Cosgrove, L. J., Lockett, T. J., & Head, R. J. (2010). Efficacy of butyrate analogues in HT-29 cancer cells. Clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology, 37(4), 482-489.
DOI Scopus17 WoS15 Europe PMC14
2009 Abeywardena, M. Y., Leifert, W. R., Warnes, K. E., Varghese, J. N., & Head, R. J. (2009). Cardiovascular biology of interleukin-6. Current pharmaceutical design, 15(15), 1809-1821.
DOI Scopus100 WoS94 Europe PMC83
2009 Kerr, C., Dunne, R., Hines, B., Zucker, M., Cosgrove, L., Ruszkiewicz, A., . . . Head, R. (2009). Measuring the combinatorial expression of solute transporters and metalloproteinases transcripts in colorectal cancer. BMC Research Notes, 2(164), 1-7.
DOI Scopus8 Europe PMC7
2009 Fung, K., Lewanowitsch, T., Henderson, S., Priebe, I., Hoffmann, P., McColl, S., . . . Cosgrove, L. (2009). Proteomic analysis of butyrate effects and loss of butyrate sensitivity in HT29 colorectal cancer cells. Journal of Proteome Research, 8(3), 1220-1227.
DOI Scopus26 WoS24 Europe PMC20
2009 May, B. H., Yang, A. W. H., Zhang, A. L., Owens, M. D., Bennett, L., Head, R., . . . Xue, C. C. L. (2009). Chinese herbal medicine for mild cognitive impairment and age associated memory impairment: a review of randomised controlled trials. Biogerontology, 10(2), 109-123.
DOI Scopus31 WoS29 Europe PMC23
2009 May, B. H., Xue, C., Yang, A. W. H., Zhang, A. L., Owens, M. D., Head, R., . . . Story, D. F. (2009). Herbal medicine for dementia : a systematic review. Phytotherapy research, 23(4), 447-459.
DOI Scopus63 WoS53 Europe PMC45
2008 Pattern, G. S., Augustin, M. A., Sanguansri, L., Head, R. J., & Abeywardena, M. Y. (2008). Site specific delivery of microencapsulated fish oil to the gastrointestinal tract of the rat. Digestive diseases and sciences, 54(3), 511-521.
DOI Scopus43 WoS39 Europe PMC28

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