Presentation: Training and Competing on the Edge

Professor Mark Hutchinson, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP)

Mark is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and a Professor within the Adelaide Medical School at the University of Adelaide. Mark is also President-elect to Science and Technology Australia, the peak body in Australia that represents 88,000 scientists.

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.