Dr Dusan Matusica
Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy
College of Medicine and Public Health
I completed my undergraduate studies at Flinders University, majoring in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, followed by an Honours degree in Neurophysiology. I earned my PhD in Medicine (Neurobiology) from Flinders University in 2008, focusing on the development of novel therapeutic reagents for targeted gene delivery in spinal cord injury and motor neuron disease. In 2010, I joined the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) Alzheimer's disease research group led by Assoc. Prof. Coulson as a postdoctoral fellow. My research concentrated on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, with a particular focus on regulators of nerve cell death. During this period, I gained extensive experience in both public and private biomedical research, developing strong expertise in molecular neuroscience, proteomics, biochemistry, microscopy, neuronal and non-neuronal cell culture, protein-conjugation chemistry, and animal behaviour studies.
In 2014, I was appointed Lecturer in Anatomy & Histology and Research Associate in the Pain & Pulmonary Neurobiology Laboratory within the School of Medicine. My research focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating neuronal trafficking and signalling pathways critical to the function and development of central and peripheral neurons, as well as their dysregulation in chronic pain.
In 2019, I was promoted to Senior Lecturer and Head of the Pain & Sensory Cell Biology Group. Since commencing my independent research program in 2019, my mission has been to engineer a next-generation point-of-care diagnostic technology for the quantitative measurement and discrimination of complex chronic pain conditions through neuronal imaging and multi-omics approaches.
I am also an award-winning educator at Flinders University, delivering innovative, student-centred teaching that bridges foundational science, clinical practice, and cutting-edge research in pain and neuroscience. I have made sustained and nationally recognised contributions through leadership in curriculum design, course coordination, and the delivery of innovative teaching Health and Medical Sciences, Advanced Neuroscience, and the Doctor of Medicine program, enhancing clinical reasoning, engagement, and student success. My leadership in musculoskeletal and cadaveric education was acknowledged through prestigious national and institutional teaching awards (AAUT 2024 – Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning), and is matched by consistently high evaluations and strong student recruitment into research training.
Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine (Neurobiology)
Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Neurophysiology
Bachelor of Health Science degree in Neuroscience and Biochemistry
Research Grants
2025 The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Russel Cole Memorial (ANZCA) Research Award “Proof of concept translational study for a biosensor-based blood test to enhance chronic pain diagnosis and treatment"
2025 Health Translation SA (HTSA) MRFF Catalyst Grant (HTSA000122025)
2025 Flinders Medical Centre Health Services Charitable Gifts Board Grant: Development of a novel pain biomarker blood test to enhance chronic pain diagnosis and treatment: A pilot study among SALHN consumers.
2024 NHMRC Ideas Grant: Defining interactions of complement to uncover pan-therapeutic targets for diverse neuroinflammatory disorders
2022 THRF Pain Management Grant: Artificial sensory neuron biosensors to predict post-surgical pain
2022 Flinders Foundation Seeding Grants: The role of sphingolipids in female sexual pain
2021 NHMRC Ideas Grant Scheme: Development of a nociceptive measuring device capable of differentiating chronic pain states
2021 Flinders Foundation Seeding Grants: Development of neuron-on-chip biosensor surface for empirical discrimination of chronic pain types
2019 Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute 2019 Research Collaboration Program: Development of a quantitative measuring device for nociception
2018 The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Project Seeding Grant: Exosomal miRNAs in CSF as objective description of pain states
2017 FMC Foundation Seeding Grant: Creation and characterization of nociceptive neuron subtypes: a first step towards a pain-biosensor
2017 FMC Foundation Seeding Grant: p75NTR proteolysis as a regulator of motor neuron survival in ALS
2016 FMC FoundationSeeding Grant: Sphingosine kinase 2 signalling at the interface between primary nociceptor and microglia
2016 FMC Foundation Equipment Grant: User-friendly Image Analysis System Software & Hardware Package (Imaris) for Flinders Microscopy
2016 FMC Foundation Seeding Grant: Modulation of pain signalling via the cleavage of p75 neurotrophin receptor
2015 FMC Foundation Seeding Grant: Role of retromer in neurodegeneration
Academic Awards
2024 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
2024 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
2019 Flinders University Emerging Leader Showcase: Best Presentation for Molecular Biosciences
2018 Flinders Medical Student Society (FMSS) - Team Teaching Award (Anatomical Dissection Program)
2016 Flinders Medical Student Society (FMSS) – Best Lecturer MD2
2008 Travel Award, Flinders University Neuroscience ASRI
2008 The Australian Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting Postgraduate Student Prize
2007 The GlaxoSmithKline Victor MacFarlane Graduate Student Prize in Neurobiology
2006 The GlaxoSmithKline Victor MacFarlane Graduate Student Prize in Neurobiology
Head - Pain & Sensory Cell Biology Group, FHMRI
HDR Student Supervision, FHMRI
Graduate student supervision - Professional Placement in Medical Science (MDSC3102)
Theme Lead, Musculoskeletal Systems (MMED9250)
Theme Lead, Human Cadaveric Dissection (MMED9151 and 9250 - 2021-23)
Senior Lecturer Lecturer in Human Anatomy, Histology and Pathology (MMED9251)
Senior Lecturer, Advanced Neuroscience (MMED3139)
Senior Lecturer, Pathophysiology for Medical Science (MMED3937)
Senior Lecturer, Medicine 2A (MMED9250)
- Macroscopical and microscopical human anatomy.
- Anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal and nervous system.
- Cellular neurobiology and mechanisms regulating neuronal transport.
- Pathophysiology of pain
- Neuroanatomy and intergrative brain function
- Team Based Learning (TBL)
- Professional Lab placements for Medical Science students
Dr. Matusica serves on the executive of the Australian Pain Society Basic Pain Research group and is an invited member of the South Australian Statewide Chronic Pain Clinical Network. Since 2021, he has served on the editorial board of Frontiers in Neurology Headache and Neurogenic Pain. He regularly reviews for leading journals in molecular biosciences.
He serves as a senior academic to Flinders Doctor of Medicine program national and international student interview panels, and supports students across all four years, including peer-to-peer teaching mentorship, fostering professional growth, resilience, and scholarship. As a member of the MD Progress Test Review Committee, he provides academic leadership in designing, quality-assuring, and continuously improving the Programmatic Assessment of Learning (PAL) framework, strengthening rigour, transparency, and equity in assessment. He also contributes as a Senior Examiner for the Skills for Medical Scientists topic.
Beyond the research sector, Dr. Matusica actively engages with the community through Science at the Pub presentations, Brains and Banter student sessions, and participation in the nationally recognised Pain Revolution chronic pain outreach program. He advocates for basic pain researchers within the Australian Pain Society, facilitates access to professional research bodies such as the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA), and collaborates with consumer advocates in pain clinics to inform preclinical study recruitment.
- Neuroscience
- Anatomy
- Medicine
- Anatomical Dissection - Medical Education
- Dorsal Root Ganglia
- Living Cells as Biosensors
- Neuronal growth factors
- Nociception
- Pathophysiology of Chronic Pain
- Peripheral Sensory Nerves
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
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