Jane Cross

Jane Cross is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in the UWA Medical School, affiliated with the Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders at the Perron Institute. She also serves as Head of Laboratories at the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Sciences since January 2019. Her academic background includes a BSc from Canterbury and a PhD from UWA.

Her research focuses on neuroprotective strategies, particularly using polyarginine peptides to mitigate brain injury from stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Key areas include evaluating peptide efficacy in preclinical models, optimizing treatment timing, and understanding neuroinflammatory and excitotoxic mechanisms. Cross has contributed to studies on stroke models (e.g., middle cerebral artery occlusion), TBI in rodent models, and translational applications of neuroprotective agents.

Her work spans collaborations in cardiology, such as fenestrated endovascular repair for aortic aneurysms, and surgical case reports involving rare vascular anomalies. Cross has secured grants from institutions like the National Stroke Foundation and Neurotrauma Research Program, supporting projects on peptide-based therapies.

• Grants & Projects:
  • Pre-clinical assessment of polyarginine peptides for stroke (National Stroke Foundation, 2015–2016)
  • Neuroprotective efficacy of arginine-rich peptides in TBI models (NRP, 2015–2016)
  • Development of therapeutic peptides for neurotrauma (Brain Foundation, 2016)
• Labs/Teams: Head of Laboratories at Perron Institute, leading interdisciplinary research in neurological disorders and translational science.