Prof. Alistair Sim

Biography

Since my seminal work in characterising the first ever pharmacological inhibitor of protein phosphatases, I have continued to build an international and national reputation for my work that seeks to understand the ways in which these enzymes regulate cellular signalling and disease. I have made key findings in the way in which protein phosphatases respond to physiological and environmental signals and in the role these enzymes play in neurotransmission and in the initiation of asthma. My publications have now received over 2000 citations and I am ranked in the top 15% of my field internationally. In recognition of this standing in my field I have received annual invitations to speak at key symposia at major international and national conferences. I have also established a number of mutually beneficial international collaborations in the USA and UK. I am one of only 4 Australian researchers on the Editorial Board of The Biochemical Journal, Europes leading scientific journal for biochemistry and I sit on the Biochemistry Grant Review Panel for the National Health and Medical Research Council Australias leading medical research funding body. I have attracted funding from the Wellcome Foundation, UK to establish proteomics facilities and I am a project director of the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma and Airways new diagnostics proteomics discovery program. I hold an international patent for anticancer therapeutics and current asthma diagnostic work is under intellectual property protection procedures.

Qualifications

• PhD, Australian National University
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), Aberdeen University

Research

Research keywords

• asthma
• cancer
• cell biology
• cell signalling
• exocytosis
• protein kinase
• protein phosphatase
• protein phosphorylation
• protein targeting
• proteomics

Research expertise

Since joining the university in 1989, I have provided national focus and international leadership in cellular signalling with a focus on the regulatory enzymes, protein phosphatases. Current focus is investigation of these key cell regulatory enzymes in the etiology and management of national priority diseases such as asthma and cancer, but also maternal health. I employ a broad range of modern molecular and cellular techniques with a major focus on proteomics for identification of molecular markers of disease

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Group

Memberships

Editorial Board.

• Member - The Biochemical Journal

NHMRC Committee

• Grant Review Panel Member - NHMRC

Appointments

Assistant Dean Research, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle (Australia)

01/01/2004 - 01/06/2006

Awards

Recognition.

2007	Protein Phosphatase Research Portal Ion Channel Media Group (United States) This is an independent international organisation which ranks all investigators in my field (protein phosphatases) according to the number and citations of publications. It contains over 5000 investigators and I am ranked in the top 15%. See http://www.phosphatase.net/showauthor.php?surname=Sim&initials=AT

Invitations

), The Australian Physiology and Pharmacology Society Annual Meeting ), The Australian Physiology and Pharmacology Society, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2006
Australian Neuroscience Society Meeting Australian Neuroscience Society , Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2006
Combio Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2005
FASEB Summery Research Conference on Protein Phosphatases Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, United States (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2002
FEBS Europhosphatase Federation of European Biochemical Societies, Spain (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2005
FEBS Europhosphatase Meeting Federation of European Biochemical Societies, Belgium (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2003

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

I have occupied a broad range of senior administrative positions within my school, faculty and university.

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Biochemistry
• Cell signalling
• Medical Biochemistry
• metabolism

Teaching expertise

My main teaching focus is into the medical program and the bachelor of biomedical sciences. Key expertise is in the area of cellular signaling and metabolism.