ABOUT ME
Biography
Merlin Crossley is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Quality) at UNSW and Professor of Molecular Biology. He has also worked or studied at the Universities of Melbourne, Oxford, Harvard and Sydney. He has been recognized by numerous awards, including a Rhodes Scholarship and the Australian Academy of Science's Gottschalk Medal. He has made significant contributions to academic administration, serving as Dean at UNSW since...view more
ABOUT ME
Biography
Merlin Crossley is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Quality) at UNSW and Professor of Molecular Biology. He has also worked or studied at the Universities of Melbourne, Oxford, Harvard and Sydney. He has been recognized by numerous awards, including a Rhodes Scholarship and the Australian Academy of Science's Gottschalk Medal. He has made significant contributions to academic administration, serving as Dean at UNSW since 2010, and previously having been Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at the University of Sydney from 2006 to 2008.
Education
- BSc Hons (Melb) 1986
- DPhil (Oxon) 1990
RESEARCH
Research Goals
- Fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation
- Epigenetics
- Artificial DNA-binding proteins
- Blood development
- Haemophilia
- Sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia
- Gene therapy via CRISPR gene editing
Research in Detail
We are interested in understanding the fundamental molecular mechanisms by which genes are controlled. Ultimately we hope to treat chronic diseases, such as sickle cell anaemia or diabetes, by turning on beneficial genes or repressing harmful genes.
Supervision Opportunities/Areas
Please contact my collaborator Kate.Quinlan@unsw.edu.au
TEACHING & OUTREACH
Courses I contribute to teaching
BIOC2201 Principles of Molecular Biology (Advanced)
BABS3121 Molecular Biology of Nucleic Acids
BABS3281 Molecular Genomics
Current professional affiliations and service positions
Board Member, Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) 2013–present
Trust Member, Australian Museum 2012–2020
Board Member, New South Innovations 2011–2015
Council Member, European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia Council 2011–2015
Board Member, Sydney Institute of Marine Science 2010-17
Advisory Committee, Australian Astronomical Observatory, 2017-2019
Board Member, The Conversation (Chair of Editorial Board) 2019-present
Board Member, UNSW Press (NewSouth Publishing) 2015-present (Chair from 2019-present)
My Grants
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National Health and Medical Research Council Ideas Grant GNT2020861 New approaches to treating hemologinopathies M. Crossley and Kate Quinlan, 2023-27 $1,508,780
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National Health and Medical Research Council Project APP1164920 Silencing silencers to boost fetal globin production and treat beta-hemoglobinopathies M.Crossley, Kate Quinlan, and Mitch Weiss, 2019-2022, $560,394
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National Health and Medical Research Council Project APP1098391 Editing beneficial single nucleotide polymorphisms into the genome: A new approach to genetic disease M.Crossley, 2016-8, $646,979
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National Health and Medical Research Council Project APP1025877 Transcriptional regulation of globin genes M. Crossley and R. Pearson, 2012-14, $636,325
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National Health and Medical Research Council Project APP1025873 Transcriptional control of megakaryopoiesis M. Crossley, K. Ravid, T. Gonda and R. Pearson, 2012-14, $651,010
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National Health and Medical Research Council Project APP1009172 Identifying regulators of the DNA damage response and tumourigenesis using C.elegans H. Nicholas and M. Crossley, 2011-13, $496,706
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National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant ID632877 The transcriptional control of adipogenesis M.Crossley and K. Bell-Anderson, 2010-12, $535,125
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Australian Research Council Linkage Grant LP210200125 with industry partner CSL Limited Improving the efficiency of CRISPR gene editing in cells 2022-4 $412,919
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Australian Research Council Discovery Projet DP220101489 Transcription factors find their target genes by reading the epigenetic code Kate Quinlan, Jacqui Matthews, and M. Crossley, 2021-3, $530, 579
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Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP180103785 One code to rule them all: synthesis of the transcription factor and histone code J.P.Mackay, M. Crossley, K.K.J. Low and K.G.R. Quinlan, 2018-20, $598,198
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Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP 170101786 Designer DNA-binding proteins M. Crossley and K. Quinlan, 2017-9, $428,000
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Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP150103503 Role of methylation in transcription factor activity M. Crossley and J.P. Mackay, 2015-7, $428,100
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Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP120103798 Functional analysis of a nucleic acid binding protein essential for mammalian development J.P. Mackay and M. Crossley, 2012-14, $458,000
My Qualifications
BSc Hons (Melb)
DPhil (Oxon)
My Awards
Rhodes Scholarship 1987
Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Roche Medal 1999
Royal Society of NSW Sir Edgeworth David Medal 2000
Australian Academy of Science Gottschalk Medal 2002
Julian Wells Medal, Lorne Genome Conference 2010
Fellow Queen’s College, Melbourne 2014
Fellow Royal Society of New South Wales 2014
NSW Premier's Prize for Medical Biological Sciences 2020
Australia Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lemberg Medal 2021
My Research Activities
Fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation with a view to using the information to treat human genetic diseases
My Research Supervision
Areas of supervision
Molecular and cellular biology
CRISPR gene editing
Gene regulation
Globin gene expression
Genetic diseases of blood
Currently supervising
Vala Nejad Safari
Mahdi Haddad
Michael O'Dea
Anthea On-Fai Lee
Sonia Goozee
Ramyashree Prasanna Kumar
Annalise Psaila
Henry Bell
Emily Vohralik
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2057-3642
