Biography

Laureate Professor Aitken’s research career began with a PhD in reproductive biology from the University of Cambridge. Following post-doctoral positions at the Institute of Animal Genetics, University of Edinburgh and the University of Bordeaux, he accepted an invitation to join the World Health Organization in Geneva, where he managed two WHO task forces within the Human Reproduction Unit. In 1977, he joined the Medical Research Council’s Reproductive Biology Unit, University of Edinburgh, to establish a research group in gamete biology with clinical outreach into male infertility. In 1992, John was awarded an Honorary Professorship within the Faculty of Medicine of Edinburgh University and 1998 he received an ScD degree from the University of Cambridge in recognition of his research contributions to gamete biology. In the same year he moved to the University of Newcastle, NSW, as Chair of Biological Sciences and, later, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development. John has published over 480 research articles, given more than 350 invited lectures and filed 12 patents. His work has been cited >16,000 times (h-index of 69), the highest citation index in his field. Since arriving in Newcastle he has generated >$37 million in research income and has been continuously funded by both the ARC and the NHMRC.

Examples of professional awards include the Walpole prize (Society for the Study of Fertility) in consecutive years (1986,1987), the Puvan Memorial Lecture (Royal Malaysian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) Bruce Stewart Memorial Lecture (American Society of Reproductive Medicine) the Amoroso lecture (the most prestigious award offered by the Society for the Study of Fertility) the Jennifer Hallam Memorial Lecture (Family Planning Association of the United Kingdom) and the MJ Edwards lecture (Australian Birth Defects Society). In 2003 he gave the Lloyd Cox Memorial oration to the University of Adelaide, and in 2004 delivered the Founders Lecture (the most prestigious award offered by the Society for Reproductive Biology) at a combined meeting of the SRB and the Endocrine Society of Australia in Sydney. In 2005 he received the ST Huang-Chan Memorial Medal from the University of Hong Kong, was appointed a Laureate Professor by the University of Newcastle and received the 2005 Scientist-of-the-Year award from the Hunter Medical Research Institute. In 2006 he delivered the Keynote Address to the American Society of Andrology meeting in Chicago and a Plenary Lecture to the Fertility Society of Australia. He also presented a Keynote Address at the 2007 Frontiers in Bioscience Symposium, to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong. In 2009 he delivered the Inaugural Dame Anne McLaren Memorial Lecture at the Fertility 2009 Congress in Edinburgh and in 2010 was selected to present ‘The Yanagamachi Lecture’ to the University of Hawaii and the ‘IJA lecture’ (the most prestigious ward offered by the European Academy of Andrology) to the European Congress of Andrology in Athens. In 2012 he received the Simmet Prize, the highest honour bestowed by the International Congress on Animal Reproduction, at the ICAR meeting in Vancouver, presented the Ian Johnston Memorial lecture on behalf of the Fertility Society of Australia at their annual meeting in October and was named as the NSW Scientist-of-the-year. At an international meeting in Okinawa last year he was also elected Chairman and convenor of the 12th International Symposium of Spermatology, which will be held in Newcastle in 2014. He has also been elected a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Australian Academy of Science and is currently President of the International Society of Andrology.

John Aitken is on the Editorial Boards of 8 journals at the present time and he is also Chairman of two Scientific Advisory Boards in the healthcare sector.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Science, University of Cambridge - UK, 2000
• PhD, University of Cambridge - UK
• Master of Science, University of Wales
• Bachelor of Science, University of London

Research

Research keywords

• Fertility regulation
• Gamete Biology
• Infertility
• Reproductive Sciences

Research expertise

My area of expertise is cell biology and biotechnology with particular emphasis on reproductive science. I am Director of the PRC for Reproductive Science as well as the ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development.

In recent years my focus has been on the cell biology of mammalian germ cells, particularly the male. This interest extends from the fundamental molecular mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of male germ cells in the testes to the development of clinical improvements in our capacity to diagnose and treat male infertility. My laboratory has pioneered the proteomic analyses of spermatozoa and oocytes and has just released the first inventory of proteins comprising the human sperm proteome into the public domain. We have also been instrumental in developing techniques for the identification of spermatogonial stem cells and in defining key elements of the developmental niches that both preserve these cells stem cell status and drive some of their daughter cells to differentiation and the ultimate morphogenesis of spermatozoa. The functional maturation of spermatozoa in the epididymis and their subsequent capacitation in the female tract have also been a key point of interest for our laboratory. In the course of these studies we have proposed novel models for the control of mammalian sperm function based on the selective the partitioning of key proteins into lipid rafts on the sperm plasma membrane. Clinically, we have pioneered the notion that oxidative stress plays a key role in the aetiology of defective sperm function as well as DNA damage in the male germ line. These studies have lead to new developments in the treatment of such patients that are now beginning to enter clinical practice.

Collaboration

Collaborating colleagues outside of the University of Newcastle with whom we share reagents and expertise include:

Prof Lois Salmonsen, Dr Pater Stanton, Prof Rob McLachlan (Prince Henry’s Research Institute, Melbourne)

Prof Moira O’Bryan (Monash University )

Prof Sarah Robertson, Prof Rob Norman (University of Adelaide)

Prof Mike Holland (University of Queensland)

Prof Peter Koopman (University of Queensland)

Prof Ken Beagley (Queensland University of Technology)

Prof Susan Suarez (Cornell University)

Prof Steven Ward, Prof Monica Ward (University of Hawaii)

Prof Joel Drevet (University Blaise Pascal)

Prof B. Gadella (University of Utrecht)

Prof Nuch Tanphaichitr (University of Ottawa)

Current collaborating agencies include:

NuSep: a biotechnology company based in Sydney who are commercializing an electrophoretic sperm isolation device developed by John for assisted conception purposes in man an animals

IVF companies: IVF Australia, Fertility First, Hunter IVF and Westmead Fertility Centre, partners in the development of novel approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility

Bayer-Schering-Pharma: this company has developed Sptrx KO mice (sperm specific thioredoxins) which are now being analysed by John’s research group.

Bayer Healthcare: John is Chairman of the Menevit Scientific Advisory Board and advises the company on the development of antioxidant therapy for male infertility

CellOxess, New Jersey: collaborating on the development of antioxidant formulations for treating equine infertility

Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre are partnering the Aitken laboratory in a research initiative designed to develop novel methods for the diagnosis of infertility in Thoroughbred stallions.

Harness racing Australia are partnering the Aitken laboratory in a research initiative designed to deliver improved methods of extending and cryopreserving semen from Standardbred stallions.

CONRAD (Contraceptive Research and Development Branch of the US Agency for International Development): partnering the Aitken laboratory in the area of contraceptive development

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: partners in the development of novel approaches to contraception and the control of sexually transmitted disease.

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Hunter Medical Research Institute
• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science (RS)

Group

• Hunter Medical Research Institute - Pregnancy and Reproduction

Memberships

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Scientific Advisory Board - Hunter Medical Research Institute
• Co-Director - Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science
• Editor - ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development
• Scientific Advisory Board - Andrology Australia
• Scientific Advisory Board - CSIRO /CRC for the Biological Control of Pest Animal Species
• Co-Director - Mothers and Babies Research Group

Editorial Board.

• Editor - Molecular Human Reproduction
• Editor - Andrology
• Editor - Spermatogenesis
• Editor - Reproductive Biomedicine Online
• Editor - Asian Journal of Andrology
• Editor - Journal of Andrology
• Editor - Reproduction

Learned Academy.

• Fellow (Australian Academy of Science)
• Fellow - Royal Society of Edinburgh (Royal Society of Edinburgh)
• Fellow - Society for Reproductive Biology

NHMRC Committee

• Member - Project grant committee

Appointments

Awards

Honours.

Recognition.

Research Award.

Invitations

Administrative

Administrative expertise

I am Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Co-Director of the Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science and Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Newcastle. I am a member of the University of Newcastle Research Portfolio Committee, the Biomedical Research Fund Committee, the Faculty of Science and IT Research Committee and the Executive of the School of Environmental and Life Sciences.

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Reproductive Biology

Teaching expertise

The emphasis of my teaching activities has been in the area of postgraduate teaching particularly with respect to the supervision of Honours, MSc and PhD students. I am co-ordinator for the MSc-by-research degree offered by the Faculty of Science and IT. I have also participated in the teaching of biological sciences at 1st, 2nd and 3rd year levels. Currently, I lecture to first year biology students and assist in the delivery of a 3rd year course on Reproductive Physiology.

Courses

• BIOL1002 - Organisms to Ecosystems