Research impact.

 

Prize-Winning Mentorship (Prof. Des Richardson)

Number of Staff/Students under the mentorship:

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Achievements

  1. 15 of 18 University of Sydney students (83%) have received the prestigious Peter Bancroft Prize for an Outstanding PhD Thesis without Corrections.

  2. University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision and awarded a Citation by the Office of Learning & Teaching from the Australian Government.

  3. The Mutagenesis and Experimental Pathology Society of Australasia (MEPSA) “Old Farts” Award by Trainees as the Most Supportive Academic Award.

  4. International Society for Redox Biology & Medicine (SfRBM) Mentoring Excellence Award for Trainee Mentorship Award.

  5. Many outstanding PhD-students/postdocs have been “stars” receiving multiple prizes/medals (published 6-24 publications during their PhD) and gone on to 23-prestigious National/International Fellowships ($400,000- 2 600,000 each) e.g., NHMRC-Peter Doherty/NHMRC CJ-Martin/NHMRC-RD Wright/Cancer Institute NSWFellowships/NHF-John Shaw Fellowship (for top-ranked NHF-Fellow)/MDA USA Early Career Grant/Friedreich’s Ataxia Research-Alliance USA Fellowship).

Honours and Awards

 

2021 GRIDD Excellence Awards

  • Prof. Des Richardson is the recipient of the 2021 GRIDD Senior Research and Leadership for demonstration of excellence in leadership and mentorship.

Queensland Academy of Arts and Science Fellowship 2022

  • Prof. Des Richardson has been successfully elected as a Fellow (FQA) of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Fellow Membership grade is awarded in recognition of a candidate’s eminence in the arts or sciences or both and/or their significant contributions to the arts and/or sciences as a practitioner.

Royal Society of New South Wales Fellow 2022

  • The election of Prof. Des Richardson as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales recognises significant achievements in the areas of cancer research and signifying distinguished reputation as a leader in the scientific community.

Royal Society of Biology Fellow 2022

  • Prof. Des Richardson has been successfully elected as a Fellow the Royal Society of Biology (RSB). Fellows of the RSB have achieved distinction in the fields of biological research, teaching or the application of biology. Fellowship is the most prestigious grade of RSB membership.

Royal Australasian College of Pathologists - Distinguished Fellowship award and medal 2023

  • Professor Des Richardson has recently been awarded the Distinguished Fellow Award and Medal from the Royal Australasian College of Pathologists, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and administration. The award is a testament to Professor Richardson's status as an eminent world-leading, multidisciplinary, experimental pathologist, who has dedicated his life's work to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying multiple disease processes.

Griffith Science Pro Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Awards 2021

  • Prof. Des Richardson as a member of the GRIDD Research Commitee was awarded the the highly commended Health & Safety Initiative/Leadership Team Award from the Office of the Griffith PVC (Sciences).

Royal Australian Chemical Institute Fellow 2021

  • Prof. Des Richardson has been successfully elected as a Fellow (FRACI CChem) of the Royal Australian Chemical Instiute Inc. The Fellow Membership grade is awarded in recognition of a Member who is in a position of eminence within the chemistry profession.

2022 GRIDD Excellence in Teamwork Award.

  • Prof. Des Richardson was part of the team that received the GRIDD Excellence in Teamwork Award for their work on the Parkinson's Research Network. This team, which also included Dr. Linlin Ma, Assoc. Prof. Yunjiang Feng, Prof. Ron Quinn, Prof. George Mellick, and Prof. Richardson, has made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Fellow 2022

  • Prof. Des Richardson has been elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (FASPET), the selection as a FASPET is an honor bestowed to most distinguished members. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance pharmacology, through their scientific achievements, mentorship, and service to the Society.

Otto Krayer Award 2022 - American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)

Prof. Des Richardson is the recipient of the prestigious Otto Krayer Award 2022. This award is given to recognize an individual whose character and career contributions to pharmacology are in accord with those exemplified by Otto Krayer.

 

The Otto Krayer Award in Pharmacology is given biennially in even years to commemorate the enduring legacy of Otto Krayer's personal qualities: his ethical behavior, his commitment to teaching, his high standards of scientific scholarship, publication and editorship, his promotion of interdisciplinary research to reveal the actions of drugs or other chemicals, and his guidance and support of younger scientists.

Successful Grants and Funding (2022)

Thrasher Research Fund USA, Early Career Award

Project title: Overcoming the "Triad-of-Death" by Developing Frontier Anti-Cancer Drugs for Childhood Neuroblastoma. $26,750 USD (~$37,500 AUD)

Awarded to: Dr. Mahendiran Dharmasivam and Prof. Des Richardson (Mentor)

Griffith University Research Infrastructure Program (GURIP) 2022

Funding for: The Olympus FV3000RS NIR Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope for the New, Open Access, Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Facility, Nathan. $429,000 AUD.

Awarded to: Prof. Des Richardson, Prof. Rebecca Ford, Prof. Igor Litvinyuk, Assoc. Prof. Muhammad Shiddicky, Prof Vicky Avery.

Other Sucessful Grants and Funding

(1) Avery, V., Richardson, D.R., St. John, J., von Itzstein, M. and Sheldon, F. Griffith University Research Infrastructure Program Investment Scheme (GURIIS) 2022. Replacement of automated liquid handlers to support in vitro high throughput and high-content drug discovery and translational research. $348,610

 

(2) De Bruyn, M., Tonissen, K., Brownlie, J., Richardson, D.R. and Lambert, D.  Griffith University DNA Sequencing Facility (GUDSF) Upgrade Griffith University Research Infrastructure Program Investment Scheme (GURIIS) 2022. $240,347

 

(3) Carroll, A., Pitt, K., Leusch, F. Grant, G., Rudrawar, S (Richardson, D.R. stated supporter). Quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometer for biomedical and environmental analysis. Griffith University Research Infrastructure Program Investment Scheme (GURIIS) 2022. $499,919

 

(4) Poulsen, S-A., Richardson, D.R., Caroll, T., Davis, R. and Feng, Y. Replacement of automated flash purification system: Required equipment for compound purification in drug discovery chemistry research. Griffith University Research Infrastructure Program Investment Scheme (GURIIS) 2022. $52,878

Invited Talks, Plenary and Distinguished Speaker Presentations (2021)

(1) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Overcoming the Triad of Death in Cancer by Developing Frontier, Anti-Cancer Drugs for the Treatment of Deadly Childhood Neuroblastoma. Tour de Cure – Soiree for a Cure. Hilton Hotel, Brisbane. February 6th, 2021.  +++ Lay audience. This fund raising night for my research program raised $300,000, of which $150,000 funded my Tour de Cure Senior Research Grant.

(2) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Development of Novel Anti-Cancer Drugs that Target the” Triad of Death” in Cancer. Moreton Bay Regional Prostate Cancer Support Group, Brisbane, Queensland. February 9th, 2021. +++ Lay audience.*

(3) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Targeting cellular signalling to inhibit tumour cell metastasis and growth: The iron and NDRG1 connection. Invited and Sponsored Symposium: “Role of Redox-Active Metals for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer in the Era of Precision Medicine” 20th Biennial Meeting for the Society of Free Radical Research International (SFRRI 2021), Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. 16th  March 2021.*

(4) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Innovative anti-cancer agents that inhibit metastasis, resistance and primary tumour growth. Department of Chemistry, Central University of Karnataka, Kadaganchi, Aland Road, Kalaburagi-585 311, Karnataka, India. May  14th, 2021. Distinguished Lecture Series.*

(5) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Targeting metastasis in cancer through the metastasis suppressor, NDRG1, using innovative therapeutics. 7th International Meeting of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies (NanoOstrava-21), Ostrava, Czech Republic, in May 17-20, 2021. Plenary Speaker*

(6) Richardson, D.R. (2021) An innovative therapeutic approach to inhibit bi-directional oncogenic cross-talk between pancreatic cancer cells and the surrounding stroma. Queensland Institute for Medical Research Berghofer, Brisbane, Queensland. June 15th, 2021.

(7) Richardson, D.R. Tricking transporters to overcome resistance in cancer: Targeting P-glycoprotein (2021) University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland. 28th June, 2021

(8) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Targeting the lysosome: The development of anti-cancer agents with marked and selective anti-tumour activity. Adcentrx Therapeutics LLC, San Diego, USA. 30/7/2021

(9) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Targeting breast cancer therapy from a unique perspective: Novel agents that up-regulate the potent metastasis suppressor, NDRG1. Brisbane Cancer Conference, South Bank, 25th November, 2021.

(10) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Designing transition metal-binding ligands for the treatment of cancer. Queensland Annual Chemistry Symposium (QACS), Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Event, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland. 26th November.

(11) Yanatori, I., Dhekne, H.S., Toyokuni, S., Kishi, F. and Richardson, D.R. (2021) CD63 is Regulated by Iron via the IRE-IRP System and is Important for Ferritin Secretion by Extracellular Vesicles. AusIron 2021 Meeting, Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Brisbane, 30th November, 2021.

(12) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Tricking hepcidin and α2-macroglobulin with small molecular weight peptides to treat the anaemia of chronic disease. University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Dec. 6th., 2021.

(13) Richardson, D.R. (2021) Novel anti-cancer drugs that inhibit Sonic Hedgehog signalling to break the oncogenic cycle between pancreatic cancer cells and pancreatic stellate cells. School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University – Gold Coast Campus, December 10th, 2021.

(14) Richardson, D.R. (2022) Designing anti-tumor drugs to overcome desmoplasia in pancreatic cancer by inhibition of Sonic Hedgehog signaling. 12th Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Conference, Faculty of Pharmacy, 1st February, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Opening Lecture

(15) Richardson, D.R. (2022) Tickling tumor cell iron to result in surprising pharmacology:  Development of  innovative anti-cancer agents that overcome P-glycoprotein resistance and metastasis. The Otto Krayer Award Lecture, American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA. April 5th.

(16) Richardson, D.R. (2022) The iron-regulated metastasis suppressor and treatment of primary tumour growth, metastasis and desmoplasia in pancreatic cancer. The Lady Davis Institute of Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. April 6th.*

(17) Richardson, D.R. (2022) Ferritin is secreted from cells via extracellular vesicles mediated through the iron regulated expression of the tetraspanin, CD63. The Lady Davis Institute of Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. April 7th.*

(18) Richardson, D.R. (2022) Targeting Sonic Hedgehog signaling to inhibit bidirectional oncogenic signaling critical for desmoplasia in pancreatic cancer. BIOCEV, Prague, Czech Republic, Europe, April 11th

(19) Richardson, D.R. (2022) Breaking the cycle: Pharmacological targeting of bidirectional Sonic Hedgehog oncogenic signaling between cell types to treat pancreatic cancer. Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. April. Invited Biomedical Research News Lecture to Faculty and Students.  April 12th.

(20) Richardson, D.R. (2022) CD63 is regulated by iron via the IRE-IRP System and is important for ferritin secretion by extracellular vesicles. Department of Pathophysiology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. April 13th.