Darren Shafren

Professor Darren Shafren is a Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at The University of Newcastle, Australia. His research focuses on virology, oncolytic virotherapy, and the molecular biology of picornaviruses, particularly exploring viruses as anti-cancer agents. He holds a PhD and Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Newcastle.

Key achievements include receiving the HMRI Young Medical Researcher of the Year in 1998 and co-founding Viralytics, a biotech startup acquired by Merck for $502 million in 2018. His work has advanced clinical trials for oncolytic viruses like IVX037. He has supervised 10 PhD students, primarily investigating oncolytic viruses in treating cancers such as pancreatic, lung, melanoma, and breast cancers.

Collaborations span multiple countries, including Australia, the UK, and the US. Recent news highlights include leading the first patient trial for IVX037 in colorectal/gastric/ovarian cancers and advocating for Newcastle’s contributions to global innovation.