Judith Clements

Judith Ann Clements AC is an Australian academic and educator, specializing in Kallikrein proteases in prostate and ovarian cancers. Clements is the Scientific Director at the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre – Queensland and was head of the Cancer Research Program at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) of Queensland University of Technology at the Translational Research Institute (Australia) from 1997–2014.[1]

Biography

Clements is a Principal Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia and lead the Cancer Program from 1997–2014 at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, QUT, based at the Translational Research Institute on the Princess Alexandra Hospital Biomedical Precinct. She is also Scientific Director of the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland located on this campus. Her areas of expertise include prostate and ovarian cancer, with respect to the Kallikrein proteases and their utility as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer progression.

She has over 190 publications in scientific journals and collaborates widely with colleagues in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe. She is the Chair of the national prostate cancer tissue bank – the Australian Prostate Cancer BioResource, which is a key resource that underpins prostate cancer research nationally and is co-leader of the Queensland node of the international genome wide association study consortium for prostate cancer, PRACTICAL. She is Chair of the Queensland Board of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) and a member of the PCFA National Board. She has been a member of the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Council since 2002. She was recently elected as a member of the International Proteolysis Society Council for 2014–2017. She was awarded the Queensland Women in Technology Biotech Outstanding Achievement Award for 2012, and the prestigious title of Distinguished Professor at QUT in 2013.

Her research specialises in ovarian and prostate cancers, particularly focusing on the Kallikrein proteases and their utility as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer progression. Clements has publications in over 190 publications scientific journals.[2][3]

Clements organised the two International Meetings: the 6th annual International Symposium on Kallikreins and Kallikrein-Related Peptidases (ISK 2015), held in Brisbane, Australia from 28 September–1 October 2015, and the 9th General Meeting of the International Proteolysis Society, held in Penang, Malaysia from 4–5 October 2015.[4]

In June 2015 in the Queens Birthday Honors, Clements received an Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), awarded for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large.[5] In 2017 she was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.[6]

Research

The Cancer Research Program led by Clements at QUT-IHBI, aims to more clearly understand the molecular and cellular basis for the development, progression, and metastasis of solid tumours.[7]

Clements has commented on her research, stating:

"The primary interest of my group within the Hormone Dependent Cancer Program is the tissue kallikrein family of serine proteases. Our group was one of three worldwide that identified and characterised the expanded human tissue kallikrein gene locus on chromosome 19q13.4 in 1999. Since that time, our research has focused on defining the roles of particular kallikreins, and their variant forms, in hormone dependent cancers such as prostate, ovarian and endometrial cancer. We have used conventional/real time PCR and immunohistochemistry to determine the association of kallikrein expression with clinical disease to determine their usefulness as biomarkers for detection, prognostic outcome and therapeutic approaches. We are also utilizing over-expression and knockout systems to determine the effect of kallikrein expression in cancer cell lines at the cell biology level. Other studies in progress are directed to understanding the structure/function of the kallikreins, their substrate specificity and in vivo interacting proteins and genomic regulation. Other protease research interests are the type 2 trans membrane serine proteases (with Dr John Hooper) and the ADAMs (with Prof Adrian Herington and Dr Dimitri Odorico).[8]

Education

Clements completed her PhD in Endocrinology at Monash University in 1989, her Master of Applied Science in 1983, after completing her Bachelor of Applied Science in 1982 and Diploma of Laboratory Technology in 1969 at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.[9]

Awards
  • 2012 Women in Technology (WiT) Biotech Outstanding Achievement Award[10]
  • 2011 Queensland University of Technology Vice Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence[11]
  • 2007 Gold Medal, E.K.Frey–E.Werle Foundation for pioneering work in the Kallikrein field[12]
  • 2006 Research featured in "Ten Of The Best" National Health and Medical Research Council funded health and medical research successes[13]
  • 2005 Alban Gee Prize, Urological Society of Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting
  • 2001 Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Science Distinguished Award for Excellence in Research
  • 2000 National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellowship
  • 2000 Silver Medal and Honorary Membership of the E.K.Frey–E.Werle Foundation (awarded at the International Conference, Kinin 2000, Munich)
  • 1998 Alban Gee Prize, Urological Society of Australasia Annual Scientific Meeting
  • 1995 National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellowship
  • 1991 Prize for an "Outstanding Presentation", Kinin 91, International Conference on Kallikreins and Kinins, Munich, Germany.[14]
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References
  1. "Distinguished Professor Judith Clements profile". staff.qut.edu.au. Queensland University of Technology. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  2. "TRI Staff Profile: Judith Clements". tri.edu.au. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  3. "Judith Clements Publications". ncbi.nlm.nig.gov. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  4. "International Protease Society: Quick Cuts" (PDF). protease.org. International Protease Society. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  5. "Queen's Birthday honours: More than 50 Queenslanders receive awards". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  6. "Fellowship | AAHMS – Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences". www.aahms.org. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  7. "Distinguished Professor Judith Clements profile". staff.qut.edu.au. Queensland University of Technology. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  8. "Australian Protease Network – Professor Judith Clements". Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  9. "Judith Clements". australianprostatecentre.org. Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Queensland. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  10. "WiT Award Winners 2012". wit.org.au. Women in Technology. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  11. "Judith Clements". australianprostatecentre.org. Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Queensland. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  12. Biol. Chem., Vol. 389, pp. 621–622, June 2008
  13. "10 of the Best 2006". nhmrc.gov.au. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  14. "Judith Clements". australianprostatecentre.org. Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Queensland. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
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