Simon C Barry

Professor Simon C Barry serves as a University Professorial Research Fellow at the School of Biomedicine within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. He leads a substantial research operation with 5 staff members and 3 students working across three major projects, all housed within the Robinson Research Institute.

His research spans both basic science and translational applications with primary focus areas including:

• Molecular mechanisms of FOXP3 in regulatory T cell development
• Transcriptional regulation networks in immune cells
• Autoimmune disease pathogenesis
• Tumor suppressor functions of FOXP3 in epithelial cancers
• MicroRNA regulation of immune responses

Professor Barry's research program bridges fundamental discoveries with clinical applications. His basic science work uses genome-wide discovery platforms to identify key genes and pathways, most notably discovering SATB1 as a critical FOXP3 target in human Tregs. His translational work includes leading a $68 million CRC for Biomarker Translation developing novel Treg surface proteins with commercial partners BD and AMGEN, resulting in multiple international patents. He also co-founded Carina Biotech to commercialize T cell expansion technologies for future CAR-T and Treg therapies.

Key recognitions:

• Multiple competitive NHMRC project grants
• High-impact publication in Nature Immunology
• International patent portfolio covering Treg biomarkers and therapies
• Leadership in two major Cooperative Research Centres totaling $121 million

Professor Barry maintains active supervision of research students and staff while driving commercialization efforts through industry partnerships. His work demonstrates a clear pathway from fundamental gene discovery through to potential clinical applications in autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy.