Professor Ross McKinnon
Strategic Professor in Cancer Research & Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor
College of Medicine and Public Health
Welcome to my homepage. I am currently a Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor in the College of Medicine and Public Health. I was previously Foundation Director of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Dean (Research) and Cancer Council Beat Cancer Professor. A Flinders School of Medicine PhD graduate, I joined Flinders as Inaugural Director of the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer in 2011 after 16 years with UniSA. At UniSA, I was the Inaugural Director of the Sansom Institute (2005-2009), Associate Head (Research) of the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences and Director, Centre for Pharmaceutical Research (spun out as CPR Pharma). I am an academic pharmacist with broad research interests in pharmacology, pharmaceutical biotechnology and oncology. I am a co-inventor of patents relating to cancer chemoprevention (PharmaQest) and the discovery of novel anti-inflammatory compounds. I am a Board Member of Therapeutic Innovation Australia,having provided the original vision for its facilitated therapeutic development pathways. I am a former Vice-President of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) (two terms), which represents more than four million pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists globally. I was elected to the position of Chair, FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2020. I am a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the International Pharmaceutical Federation.
B Sc (Hons) (Flinders)
PhD (Flinders)
Current Grants
McKinnon RA. Beat Cancer Professor (Cancer Council SA/ SA Health) 2012-2022
Meech R, McKinnon RA, Mackenzie PI, Hu DG, Karapetis CS. UGT enzymes in chemotherapeutic drug metabolism: new avenues to improve drug response and overcome resistance. NHMRC Project Grant. 2019-2021
Watson D, Karapetis C, Young G, Ratcliffe J, Woodman R, Koczwara B, Symonds E, Reed R, Fraser R, McKinnon R. Improving gastrointestinal cancer outcomes: prevention, treatment and survivorship. Beat Cancer Translational Package. 2018-2022
Awards/Honours
2020 Chair, FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences
2020 Flinders University Distinguished Alumni Award
2018 APSA Distinguished Achievement Award
2017 Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor
2016 Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
2016: Barrie L. Reed Distinguished Lecturer, Monash University
2016: Vice-President, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) (Elected for second term)
2014: Fellow, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
2014: Chair, FIP Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress 2014
2012: Vice-President, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
2011: APSA Medallist
2011: AusBiotech Millis Orator
2010: CSIRO Flagship Fellow
2010: National Facilitator, DIISR Translating Health Discovery Into Clinical Applications SuperScience Project
2008: UniSA Chancellor's Community Engagement Award (collaboration with Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation)
2004-2008: President, Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association
2001: Fellow, Governor's Leadership Foundation (Leaders Institute of SA)
2000: Australian Institute of Political Science Tall Poppy Award
1993: NHMRC C.J. Martin Fellowship
1990: ASCEPT Neville Percy Prize
1988: Flinders University Medal, Peter Meffin Prize, Chancellor's Merit List, Dean's Merit List
1985: Beecham Research Laboratories Mastermind of Australian Hospital Pharmacy (State, National Winner)
1982: SAIT School of Pharmacy: Lipsham Memorial Award, Parke Davis Prize, Sir Eric Scott Prize
Beat Cancer Professorial Chair (Cancer Council/SA Health)
- Medical Biotechnology
- Pharmacology
- Cancer therapeutics
- Research
APSA Oral Prize -
APSA Poster Award -
Finalist, Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards - DEC 2009
Sansom Medal - DEC 2009
Tall Poppy Award - DEC 2009
Tall Poppy Award - DEC 2009
PE Biosystems Prize in Drug Metabolism, Delivery and Pharmacokinetics - DEC 2001
APSA Young Investigator Award - DEC 2003
ASCEPT Pharmacogenomics Prize - DEC 2012
NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship -
NHMRC Early Career Fellowship -
Tall Poppy Award - AUG 2014
Vice-Chancellor's Early Career Researcher Award - AUG 2020
Sansom Institute High Impact Paper Award - AUG 2006
ASCEPT Poster Prize in Drug Disposition - DEC 2012
PSWC 2014 Student Award – International Pharmaceutical Federation - APR 2014
Beat Cancer Early Career Fellow - DEC 2020
Flinders University 3 Minute Thesis winner - AUG 2017
ComBio Poster Award 2018 - SEP 2018
ASBMB Poster Prize - JUL 2008
Chair-Elect, Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
Board Member, Therapeutic Innovation Australia
Chair, Avner Foundation Scientific Advisory Panel
Member, International Society of the Study of Xenobiotics Scientific Advisory Committee
Member, Editorial Board of The Pharmacogenomics Journal
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
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