Kristina Cook

Dr. Kristina Cook is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at the School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, affiliated with the Charles Perkins Centre and the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation. Her research focuses on cellular responses to hypoxia in diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and sleep apnea. She holds a D.Phil. in Chemical Biology from the University of Oxford (collaborative program with NIH) and a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology (Summa Cum Laude) from San Diego State University.

Her research investigates how cells adapt to low oxygen (hypoxia), particularly in cancers like glioblastoma and DIPG/DMG. Key areas include oxygen-sensing pathways (e.g., HIF, KDMs, ADO), drug development targeting these pathways, and the interplay between circadian rhythms and hypoxia in brain tumors. She has published over 100 articles in top journals like Nature Communications, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Blood, with >2,300 citations.

Dr. Cook’s awards include the Franklin Women Teresa Anderson Award (2021), Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship (2017–2020), and NIH/NCI Director’s Innovation Award (2007). She leads a lab exploring metabolic vulnerabilities in tumors and collaborates internationally on preclinical models of brain cancers. Current projects include developing mitochondrial OXPHOS inhibitors to radiosensitize DIPG and investigating mRNA/imaging signatures of tumor hypoxia.

Teaching interests include Cancer Biology and Molecular & Cellular Biology. She actively mentors students and offers PhD/Master’s projects on topics like ‘Heart Failure, Oxygen and HIF’ and ‘Brain Cancer and Hypoxia.’