Peter Mac appoints Prof Ben Hogan to Associate Director of Laboratory Research
2 min read 15 June 2023
Peter Mac is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Ben Hogan to Associate Director of Laboratory Research.
Professor Hogan is Co-Head of the Organogenesis and Cancer Program and Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne. His work has been published in leading international journals, including recent studies in Nature Cell Biology, Nature Neuroscience, EMBO Journal and Developmental Cell.
Professor Hogan said it is an honour to step into this leadership role.
“We have a world class research faculty, and the opportunity to positively influence the way we do our research and to bring further impact to Peter Mac research is exciting,” he said.
Professor Hogan completed his PhD in blood development at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in 2005 before a postdoc at the Hubrecht Institute for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology from 2006 – 2009 in the Netherlands, where he took part in the first large scale forward genetic discovery screen focussed on lymphatic biology.
He became a group leader in 2010 at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (UQ) and was recruited to Peter Mac and the University of Melbourne in 2019. His work has uncovered a genetic cause and mechanism underpinning congenital lymphoedema, and he has uncovered a large number of new components and effectors of the VEGFC-VEGFR3 signalling pathway controlling lymphangiogenesis in development and cancer.
His lab currently uses cell biology, genetics and genomics for both fundamental and translational research and he’s exploring the lymphatic vasculature and the formation and function of the blood brain barrier in development and cancer.
“At Peter Mac, we have unique opportunities as a world-class cancer research centre that is embedded in a clinical environment,” Professor Hogan said.
“This is an enviable environment in which to be a scientist, providing unique opportunities for researchers across the spectrum from fundamental discovery to clinical researchers.”
Since 2015, Professor Hogan has served as a division head and program head and has taken on numerous national and international leadership roles in his discipline of vascular biology. He is looking forward to continuing his important work at Peter Mac, a place which holds a special place in his heart.
“I’ve always admired Peter Mac research for supporting and celebrating discovery science, while making sure that discoveries will be translated to impact the lives of our patients,” he said.
“I have also always viewed Peter Mac as the best place for loved ones to be treated for cancer and made sure my Mum was treated at Peter Mac 15 years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It’s an honour to be able to play a leadership role now in an organisation I have always held in such high regard.”