Peter Leedman

Peter Leedman is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Director of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. He holds affiliations with the UWA Medical School and the Australian Centre for RNA Therapeutics in Cancer. His clinical role includes practicing as an endocrinologist at Royal Perth Hospital.

Leedman earned his medical degree from UWA, completed a PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and undertook postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School. He co-founded the Perkins Institute and led its development into a major medical research center, overseeing the construction of state-of-the-art facilities.

His research focuses on hormone-dependent cancers (breast, prostate) and aggressive tumors (liver, head and neck cancers). He investigates miRNA mechanisms, epigenetic regulation, and translational therapies, including CRISPR-based precision medicine and RNA therapeutics.

He has been honored with the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO, 2021) and Fellowship in the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (2015). He leads over 100 grants, including projects on liver cancer therapies, RNA-based treatments, and clinical trials. Leedman co-founded miReven, a biotech firm developing novel liver cancer treatments.

He chairs the Perkins’ Linear Clinical Trials Ltd and collaborates on initiatives like the Australian Centre for RNA Therapeutics, aiming to establish the Perkins as a global leader in medical research innovation.