Griffith University

Contact details for Dr James St John

• Group Leader, Olfactory Ensheathing Cell Biology, National Adult Stem Cell Reseach Centre, Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies

Biography

Dr St John obtained his PhD in Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne. He then applied his expertise in carbohydrate synthesis and manipulation to determining the role of carbohydrates in the development and regeneration of the mammalian brain. He held positions as an NHMRC post-doctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne and University of Queensland, and has been chief investigator of NHMRC projects grants at the University of Queensland. In 2007 he took up the position of Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader of Olfactory Ensheathing Cell Biology within the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research at Griffith University.

Research expertise

1. Determining how the migration of glial cells can be manipulated with the aim of improving their potential for regeneration therapies
2. Understanding how nerve cells interact with glial so that we can enhance the repair of diseased or damaged brains
3. In depth characterisation of the development and regeneration of the olfactory system, including the identification of the olfactory stem cell niche.