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Dr Wayne Leifert

https://people.csiro.au/L/W/Wayne-Leifert

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Contact details:

PO BOX 10041
ADELAIDE SA 5000 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Wayne Leifert is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO (Australia). He received his PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry (Dept of Physiology) from the University of Adelaide (Australia) and served on the editorial board of the Journal of Biomolecular Screening, Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, Journal of Bionanoscience and Frontiers in Nutrigenomics as well as other journals in the field of medical biochemistry. He was the first to demonstrate the acute electrophysiological mechanisms of omega3 long chain fatty acids on cardiac ionic currents. Wayne’s research has focused on developing G-protein coupled receptor biosensors (as part of an award-winning CSIRO Nanotechnology initiative; $900K and OzNano2Life; $140K), quantitative imaging microscopy techniques to measure intracellular biomarkers of ageing (via a Transformational Biology Acorn grant), nutritional deficiencies and chronic diseases including cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease. Wayne has 35 years of experience at CSIRO and has a deep understanding/experience in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry (including “omics”), physiology and statistics as evidenced by his multidisciplinary publication profile. He has a strong track record in supervising and mentoring staff and students (undergraduate and postgraduate); including 16 students (Hons, Masters & PhD students as well as 3 post-docs). His current research activities are in non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers, including saliva diagnostics and developing a translational pipeline from recent projects. He is a project leader in the Australia Dementia Network Screening and Trials (ADNeT) to identify saliva and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, working with multiple clinicians and research institutes across Australia. He collaborates extensively on other projects investigating; medical devices (cold plasma technology with an ARC Future Fellowship, co-investigator); as well as saliva metabolome biomarker panels for (1) cancer, (2) Parkinson's Disease/traumatic brain injury (MRFF funded); development of novel virtual reality software to aid in 3D visualisation of omics data (Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments at UniSA); development of a rapid antibody discovery program; commercialisation of ELISA assays for Alzheimer's disease diagnostics (Biosensis Pty Ltd) and developing a novel genotoxicity cell-based assay. Wayne has affiliate status at Flinders University (College of Medicine and Public Health) and is Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide (Molecular & Biomedical Science). He currently (co)supervises students from the University of Adelaide and UniSA; including three PhD students, one Masters student and two 4th year Software Engineering students.

Other Interests

Scuba diver & underwater photographer of marine life and shipwrecks near the coast of Adelaide;
Photographer; night, landscape, underwater, long exposure.
Keen interest in theoretical quantum mechanics (physics).

Community activities-
committee member of Marine Life Society of South Australia (MLSSA)
committee member of St Vinnies; northern region (& active volunteer for 15 years)

Award winning photography-
1. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources - Sea Pixels photo competition 2017
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/heritage/heritage-news-events/heritage-photo-competitions/sea-pixels-photo-competition-2017
2. Australian Institute of Maritime archaeology “shared histories” photographic competition 2017.
3. The Neville Coleman Memorial Nudibranch Dive - underwater photo competition 2018 - Winner in the category “The largest nudibranch”, and winner in the “Best Seascape” category.
4. Heritage Snaps Photo Competition 2021 Top 20 finalist - Heritage through the lens: photograph of the Excelsior Shipwreck at Mutton Cove, Osborne, South Australia. https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/heritage/heritage-news-events/heritage-photo-competitions/snaps-competition-2021/top-20

Community Reports

The Neville Coleman Memorial Nudibranch Dive Event: NCMND Report 2018
Summary of results of a community dive event in South Australia. J.L. Baker, S. Ruxton, H. Newton, W. Pillen, A. Wood, D. Monceaux, W. Leifert, J. Mackay, R. Paton, M. McLean, M. Chi, N. Strong, J. Bowey, D. Baxter, A. Futterer, D. Kinasz, M. Sutcliffe, D. Jeffrey, B. Battersby, S. Reynolds, B. Richards & J. Baker-Johnson.

Syngnathidae Fishes of Eastern Gulf St Vincent: Utilising citizen science to investigate pipefish distribution and habitat use.
FINAL REPORT FOR GRASSROOTS GRANT PROJECT 2020-21-1-0027, Janine Baker et al. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.32989.90088

Community contributions (marine photography)
1. Brochure: Seadragons: South Australia (Victor Harbor Visitor Information Centre” (2023).
2. Edithburgh Jetty Sign (2022), South Australia.

Professional Areas

Fields of Research

Current

Former

Current Roles

  • Committee Member
    Biofluid Based Biomarkers Professional Interest Area [of the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART)], an international working group of leading AD scientists.

  • Project Leader
    Australia Dementia Network Screening and Trials (ADNeT)

  • Defining the salivaomic profile of people with cancer and its association with treatment side effects
    Project Leader

  • Project Leader APaIRS translational pathway
    Commercialisation of Alzheimer's disease diagnostics

  • Coinvestigator
    Forecasting Impairment and Neurodegenerative Disease risk following Traumatic Brain Injury (FIND-TBI): A computational neurology-driven method to predict long-term prognosis.

  • Scientific Management Committee Member for the TACKLE study
    Study coinvestigator

  • Project leader
    Project Management Fundamentals 2021

  • Conference convenor
    Saliva Symposium Australia SalSA 2021

  • Project Leader
    Probing Biosystems - Future Science Platform - Saliva biomarkers of healthy aging

  • Biomarkers Project
    The Australian Imaging, Biomarker & Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL)

  • Project Leader
    Prostate cancer/Vitamin D supplementation trial (ProsD) 2017-2021

  • Project Leader - Alzheimer's disease risk & non-invasive biomarkers
    SAND, South Australian Neurodegenerative Disease study

  • Project Leader
    Guanine quadruplexes and folate deficiency

  • Project leader
    Buccal cell cytome and proteome in Alzheimer's Disease

Academic Qualifications

  • 2001

    PhD
    University of Adelaide

  • 1997

    BSc Hons
    Flinders University

  • 1992

    Dip Med Lab Sc
    University of South Australia

Professional Experiences

  • 8/8/88-current

    Scientific research
    CSIRO

Achievements and Awards

  • 2015

    Honorary Associate Professor, University of Adelaide

  • 2009

    Registered Nutritionist (RNutr)

  • 2002-

    Australian Academy of Science Travel Award to University of Michigan

  • 2002-

    CSIRO Chief's Study Tour Award to University of Michigan

  • 2001-

    International Society for Heart Research

  • 2001-

    National Heart Foundation of Australia

  • 2001-

    World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research

  • 2001-

    Australian Research Council Career Development Award

  • 2000-

    Walter and Dorothy Duncan Trust Award

  • 2000-

    University of Adelaide, Department of Physiology

  • 2000-

    University of Adelaide, Department of Physiology

  • 2000-

    Meadow Lea Foods Ltd

  • 1999-

    University of Adelaide, Department of Physiology

  • 1999-

    Ross Wishart Memorial Award (Australian Society for Medical Research)

  • 1998-

    WG Nayler Prize (best presentation-International Society for Heart Research)

  • 1998-

    National Heart Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship

  • 1993-

    WR O'Dell Award (Australian Institute of Medical Scientists)

Other highlights

  • 2009

    Published Book - G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Drug Discovery

Grants

  • 2023-2023

    $26K (MOSH; CSIRO Principal Investigator) "Salivary microbiome signature of Alzheimer’s disease".

  • May 2022-August 2022

    $30K (Investigator) Biosecurity Mission: Pathfinder - Novel diagnostic for detection

  • 2022-2023

    $82,125 University of Adelaide - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Strategic Research Support Scheme, University of Adelaide – Defining the salivaomic profile of people with cancer and its association with treatment side effects (with Dr Hannah Rose Wardill).

  • 2021-2023

    $1.98M MRFF (University of Adelaide) - Forecasting Impairment and Neurodegenerative Disease risk following Traumatic Brain Injury (FIND-TBI): A computational neurology-driven method to predict long-term prognosis.

  • 2021-2023

    $51K CSIRO Research plus scholarship top-up

  • 2020-2023

    $40K UniSA - ARC Future Fellowship, co-investigator.

  • 2017-2022

    $156,800 Prostate cancer/Vitamin D supplementation trial (ProsD)

  • 2017-2019

    $799K Probing Biosystems Future Science Platform project

  • 2014-2015

    $19,750 P-Health Postgraduate top-up for AIBL project

  • 2013-2014

    $30,000 (Principal Investigator) Wicking & Mason trust (ANZ trustees)

  • 2012-2014

    $209,000 NHMRC/Nutritech (associate investigator). “Application of new technologies and methods in nutrition research – the example of phenotypic flexibility”.

  • 2010-2011

    $30,000 (Principal Investigator) JO & JR Wicking trust (ANZ trustees)

  • 2009-2010

    $16,900 (Principal Investigator) OCE Cutting Edge Science Symposia

  • 2009-2010

    $25K (Principal Investigator) Acorn Transformational Biology

  • 2010-2013

    $612K (Principal Investigator) HAL - Irradiation-induced DNA damage in Q-fly

  • 2004-2006

    $140K (Principal Investigator) OzNano2Life

  • 2003-2006

    $900K (Primary Investigator) CSIRO Nanotechnology Emerging Science initiative

Community and Corporate Citizenship

  • 2023-ongoing

    Biofluid Based Biomarkers Professional Interest Area [of the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART)]

  • 2015-ongoing

    Associate Editor - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

  • 2006-ongoing

    Affiliated (Assoc Professor) with School of Biological Sciences - University of Adelaide

  • 2005-ongoing

    Editorial Board - Journal of Biomolecular Screening

  • 2002-2003

    Visiting Scientist - University of Michigan

  • 2007-2013

    Editorial Board - Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery

  • 2006-2013

    Editorial Board - Journal of Bionanoscience

  • 2006-ongoing

    Formal Affiliation - Flinders University

  • 2010-ongoing

    St Vincent de Paul Society

Attachments

Related links

Publications

We have publications by Dr Wayne Leifert