Professor Janni Petersen

Research in my laboratory focuses on Cancer Cell Metabolism and Cell Biology, with an emphasis on understanding how tumour cells diverge from normal cells in their nutrient metabolism. Central to our investigations are two key nutrient-sensing signalling pathways: the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) networks, both of which play pivotal roles in human tumorigenesis.

I hold a BSc in Biochemistry (1989–1992), an MSc in Molecular Genetics (1992–1994), and a PhD in Cell Biology (1995–1998), all awarded by the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Following my doctoral studies, I joined the laboratory of Professor Iain Hagan at the University of Manchester and the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, where I investigated the role of protein kinases in regulating cell cycle progression in fission yeast. Subsequently, I worked as a Research Associate with Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse at the Rockefeller University in New York, USA, continuing my research on protein kinase regulation of the cell cycle in fission yeast. In 2005, I was appointed Lecturer in the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Manchester. In December 2009, I was awarded a Cancer Research UK Senior Research Fellowship. In 2015, I joined Flinders University as an Associate Professor, alongside a faculty appointment at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) within the Nutrition and Metabolism theme. At Flinders, my research group is part of the Centre for Innovation in Cancer, where we continue to advance our understanding of cancer biology through interdisciplinary approaches.