معرفی
Mary Herbert is a Professor of Reproductive Biology at Monash University, joining in July 2023. She also holds academic and clinical roles at Newcastle University and Newcastle Fertility Centre, UK. Her primary affiliations include the Newcastle NHS Hospitals Trust and collaborations across multiple institutions in Australia and the UK.
Education: Mary Herbert earned a PhD from Newcastle University in 1998. She transitioned to an academic position at Newcastle University in 2006, establishing a multidisciplinary team of research and clinical scientists.
Research Interests: Her work focuses on understanding mechanisms of maternal genome transmission (nuclear and mitochondrial) and developing clinical methods to prevent heritable diseases. Specific areas include mitochondrial DNA disease prevention, maternal-origin aneuploidy, and innovations in assisted reproductive technologies. She contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals through her research, particularly targeting health equity and disease mitigation.
Grants & Projects: She leads the MRFF-funded AU$15 million MitoHOPE initiative (2023-2029) to pilot mitochondrial replacement therapy in Australia. She is a Chief Investigator in projects like FemtoJet 4i microinjector development (2021-2022) and NHOMD: Mitigating Risks of Mitochondrial Donation (2021-2024). These projects involve collaborations with institutions such as Australian Genomics, Centenary Institute, and Monash IVF Group Limited.
- Contributions: Co-developed mitochondrial replacement therapies, advanced haplogroup matching techniques, and created the Eggcell device for IVF optimization.
- Awards:
- Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK, 2019)
- Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath)
Labs/Teams: She leads a closely integrated team of research and clinical scientists at Newcastle University and collaborates with global experts in the MitoHOPE program. Her work involves partnerships with the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA), Women's and Children's Health Care Network, and others to bridge research and clinical practice.
