Image: Left to right – Gary Cheng, Tom Li, Bridget Tsai
Dr Gus Grey has been appointed as the new Director of BIRU, replacing Dr Sue McGlashan who has moved to a new role. Dr Gus Grey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology. He studied at the University of Auckland and graduated with a PhD in Physiology in 2007, having investigated the functional implications of ocular lens membrane protein distributions by fluorescence confocal microscopy. He built on this work by undertaking post-doctoral positions in the USA, learning imaging mass spectrometry to continue his study of lens proteins whilst also working collaboratively on research of the retina, heart, lung and brain.
Since returning to New Zealand in 2010, he has established imaging mass spectrometry facilities at the University of Auckland. He is a current Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellow and uses imaging mass spectrometry to investigate the underlying distributions and transport of metabolites in the lens, with the goal of developing novel therapies to delay the onset of lens cataract.
Gus is also a member of the Centre for Brain Research and the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery and maintains collaborations within these centres which utilise advanced imaging techniques to study neurodegeneration, cancer and obesity.
Gus is excited to be given the opportunity to lead the team and is looking forward to maintaining the high levels of technical support and instrumentation provided by the BIRU.
Welcomes: We welcome three new staff into the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre.
Gary Cheng is working as a research technician with Associate Professor Michael Hay on ‘Hypoxia-activated prodrugs as radiosensitisers’.
Tom Li is working as a research technician with Professor Lai-Ming Ching on ‘IDO and TDO inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy’.
Bridget Tsai is working as a research technician with Professor Lai-Ming Ching on ‘The use of IDO inhibitors in the treatment of tumours’.
We also welcome Ms Camille Victoor from the University of Lyon, who is working as an intern with Professor Lai Ming-Ching on ‘The effects of IDO-1 mediated changes in immune T-cells’.