معرفی
Roger Yazbek is a Research Fellow at Flinders University, holding dual appointments as a Full Member in the College of Medicine and Public Health and Associate Member in the College of Science and Engineering. He leads the South Australian Breath Analysis Research (SABAR) laboratory within the Department of Surgery and maintains affiliations with both the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and the Medical Device Research Institute.
His educational background includes:
- Ph.D. from Flinders University (2009), supervised by A/Prof Catherine Abbott and Assoc. Prof. Gordon Howarth
- B.Sc. (First Class Honours) from Flinders University (2004)
- B.Sc. from University of Adelaide (2003)
- NHMRC Training Fellowship at University of SA (2011-2015)
Dr. Yazbek's research centers on developing and validating transformational breath analysis tools for non-invasive disease detection and improved clinical management. His work spans cancer detection, inflammatory bowel disease, and nutritional assessment. Breath analytics represents cutting-edge technology with established clinical applications including Helicobacter Pylori detection, gastric emptying measurement, sugar intolerance assessment, and emerging applications in heart transplant rejection prediction. His research group collaborates with local and international experts to facilitate translational outcomes, aiming to develop point-of-care devices that improve clinical management through early disease detection.
His publication record demonstrates consistent focus on breath analysis techniques, particularly using 13C isotope testing across multiple medical applications. The research bridges gastroenterology, oncology, and nutritional science with emphasis on non-invasive biomarker development. Key thematic areas include inflammatory bowel disease biomarkers (particularly dipeptidyl peptidase activity), pediatric environmental enteropathy assessment, and cancer detection methods using volatile organic compounds in breath.
Scientific recognition includes:
- AIPS South Australian Tall Poppy Award (2013)
- Supervision awards for students (ASMR People's Choice Award in 2018 for Nuwan Dharmawardana)
- Best poster presentation award at Frontiers 2016 for Dhina Chandran
Dr. Yazbek currently supervises three PhD students and has completed principal and associate supervisions across gastroenterology and head/neck cancer research. He serves as President of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) since 2018, having joined the board in 2011. His community engagement is extensive, featuring regular media appearances, presentations to community groups including the University of the Third Age and Mitcham Rotary Club, and articles in publications like the Australian Financial Review and AIPS Australian Quarterly Magazine advocating for medical research value.
The SABAR laboratory under his leadership is developing breath analysis tools with potential to revolutionize early detection of cancer and inflammatory diseases through non-invasive point-of-care devices, representing a significant advancement in diagnostic medicine that could improve clinical management pathways worldwide.
