Dr Brenna Osborne is a Senior Research Officer in the Cancer Plasticity and Dormancy Program at the Garvan Institute, and a Conjoint Lecturer at St. Vincents Clinical School, UNSW Medicine and Health.

Research Focus

Brenna completed her PhD at the Garvan Institute, Sydney in 2015 investigating the role of post-translational modifications in mitochondria that are mediated by the sirtuin protein, SIRT3, in models of insulin resistance and diet-induced obesity. An expert in the use of in vivo animal models to study diverse aspects of biology in ageing, metabolism and cancer, she has worked in NAD⁺ metabolism in ageing and metabolic disease, drug discovery for obesity and most recently in developing models of breast cancer.

Qualifications

PhD, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2015

Professional Experience

• 2026- present: Senior Research Officer, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
• 2024- 2026: Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW
• 2018 - 2023: Assistant Professor, Center for Healthy Ageing, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2018 - 2020: Postdoc, Center for Healthy Ageing, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2015 - 2018: Research Associate, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW
• 2011-2014: PhD student, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
• 2005 - 2010: Research Assistant, Centenary Institute of Medical Research

Awards

• Cardiac Vascular and Metabolic Medicine Theme (CVMM) Collaborative Grant, Medicine and Health UNSW, 2025 (co-PI)
• Global Research and Impact Grant UNSW 2025 (co-investigator)
• The Foundation for Neurological Research Research Grant, Denmark, 2019
• AP Møller/Maersk Research Grant 2019
• Hartmann Fonden Research Grant 2018
• Ian Potter Travel Award 2017
• UNSW School of Medical Sciences Early Career Research Award 2016
• Australian Diabetes Society Pincus Taft Young Investigator Award, 2016
• Travel Awards: Lundbeck Foundation Travel Grant 2018; Australian Diabetes Society 2014; International Diabetes Federation 2013; Seahorse Bioscience 2013; European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2012
• NHMRC Dora Lush  Biomedical Postgraduate Scholarship, 2011 - 2014