Dustin Flanagan

Dr. Dustin Flanagan is a NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, leading the Cell Competition and Niche Signalling Laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His research focuses on stem cell biology, gastrointestinal cancers, and Wnt signaling pathways. He received his PhD in Gastrointestinal Biology from the University of Melbourne (2016) and conducted postdoctoral work at the CRUK Beatson Institute. His lab investigates stem cell regulation using genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and 3D organoids, integrating advanced techniques like single-cell RNAseq and proteomics. He leads an active project (2022-2026) on gastric cancer mechanisms. Notable awards include the Metcalf Prize for Stem Cell Research (2023) and the Monash BDI Cancer Program MCR Shining Star award (2023).

Education:

• Bachelor's with First-Class Honours, University of Melbourne (2008)
• PhD in Gastrointestinal Biology, University of Melbourne (2016)

Research Interests: Stem cell dynamics, cell competition, intestinal and gastric tumorigenesis, Wnt signaling, and organoid modeling. His work bridges basic science and translational applications, aiming to develop therapies for gastrointestinal cancers.

Recent Articles: Focus on hepatitis B virus infection modeling, NOTUM inhibition in colorectal cancer, and BCL-3’s role in DNA repair. These studies highlight his lab’s contributions to understanding cancer initiation and therapeutic targets.

Grants & Awards:

• NHMRC Investigator Grant (2021)
• Metcalf Prize (2023)
• Monash BDI Award (2023)

Labs/Teams: Directs the Cell Competition and Niche Signalling Lab, collaborating internationally on gastrointestinal cancer research.