Professor Natasha Harvey is Director of the Centre for Cancer Biology, an internationally recognised Medical Research Institute investigating the biology underpinning cancer and translating this knowledge to provide better outcomes for cancer patients. The Centre for Cancer Biology is a strong alliance between UniSA and SA Pathology, harnessing the strengths of both partners to chart the path from scientific discovery to clinical implementation.
Natasha received her PhD in cell and molecular biology from the University of Adelaide and undertook postdoctoral training in developmental biology at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA. During her postdoctoral training, Natasha's studies focussed on embryonic lymphatic vascular... Read more
About me
Professor Natasha Harvey is Director of the Centre for Cancer Biology, an internationally recognised Medical Research Institute investigating the biology underpinning cancer and translating this knowledge to provide better outcomes for cancer patients. The Centre for Cancer Biology is a strong alliance between UniSA and SA Pathology, harnessing the strengths of both partners to chart the path from scientific discovery to clinical implementation.
Natasha received her PhD in cell and molecular biology from the University of Adelaide and undertook postdoctoral training in developmental biology at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA. During her postdoctoral training, Natasha's studies focussed on embryonic lymphatic vascular development and in particular, defining the role of the homeobox transcription factor PROX1 in programming cell identity during development.
Natasha returned to Adelaide in 2005 to establish her independent research program at the Centre for Cancer Biology. Natasha’s work aims to understand how the lymphatic vasculature is constructed during development and how this process “goes wrong” in human pathologies including cancer, vascular malformations and lymphoedema. Her work in this field has been published in leading international journals including Nature Genetics, Blood, Development, The Journal of Clinical Investigation and Science Translational Medicine.
GATA2 is important for the development and maintenance of lymphatic vessel valves.
In collaboration with Professor Hamish Scott’s team at the Centre for Cancer Biology, we recently discovered that heritable mutations in the transcription factor GATA2 predispose carriers to lymphoedema and myelodysplasia syndrome (MDS)-acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (Kazenwadel et al., Blood, 2012). This discovery revealed a key role for GATA2 in lymphatic vessels. We subsequently demonstrated that GATA2 is present at high levels in lymphatic vessel valves and that GATA2 regulates the expression of genes required for valve development. Our most recent work has established that GATA2 is required both to initiate the process of lymphatic vessel valve... Read more
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Investigating the application of targeted therapeutics for the treatment of complex lymphatic vascular anomalies, NHMRC - Ideas Grants, 01/01/2023 - 31/12/2025
Defining a new player in atherosclerosis: The role of Adventitial Haemangioblasts as an “outside-in” driver of plaque growth and stability, NHMRC - Ideas Grants, 01/07/2021 - 30/06/2024
Defining how molecular switches program cell identity during development, ARC - Discovery Projects, 01/03/2021 - 29/02/2024
Understanding the role of tissue growth pathways in expansion of the lymphatic vasculature, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2019 - 31/12/2022
Trafficking mechanisms governing receptor availability for signalling, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2018 - 31/12/2021
Understanding the role of the atypical cadherin Fat4 in lymphatic vascular development, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2018 - 31/12/2021
Defining the role of a novel transcriptional enhancer element in regulation of Prox1 expression and endothelial cell identity., NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2018 - 31/12/2020
Understanding how GATA2 controls lymphatic vessel valve development, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2018 - 31/12/2020
Deciphering the transcriptional program that instructs lymphatic endothelial cell fate., NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2016 - 31/12/2018
Regulation of VEGFR trafficking and signal transduction by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2015 - 31/12/2017
The transcriptional control of lymphatic vessel development., ARC - Future Fellowship, 05/03/2014 - 31/12/2017
Defining the earliest events in lymphatic vasculature formation from veins, ARC - Discovery Projects, 01/01/2015 - 31/12/2017
Defining the role of GATA2 in lymphatic vascular development as a means to understanding how GATA2 mutations predispose to human lymphedema., NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2014 - 31/12/2016
Regulation of neuro-vascular patterning and morphogenesis by semaphorin/neuropilin signalling, Cancer Council SA - Beat Cancer, 01/01/2015 - 31/12/2015
Defining the role of the ubiquitin protein ligase Nedd4 in vascular development, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2014 - 31/12/2015
Characterising signals important for lymphangiogenesis during development and disease., NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2014 - 31/12/2015
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
Year | Output |
---|---|
2018 |
5
2
|
2010 |
2
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2023 |
Open access
2
3
|
2023 |
Open access
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
7
7
191
|
2022 |
Open access
1
1
6
|
2022 |
Open access
3
2
7
|
2022 |
Open access
2
1
16
|
2021 |
20
1
|
2021 |
42
33
292
|
2021 |
Open access
5
4
13
|
2021 |
Open access
11
10
11
|
2021 |
Open access
24
22
1
|
2020 |
Open access
37
33
22
|
2020 |
Open access
272
226
127
|
2019 |
Open access
21
21
12
|
2019 |
Open access
23
21
13
|
2019 |
1
22
|
2018 |
Open access
93
84
30
|
2018 |
16
15
3
|
2018 |
Open access
17
16
4
|
2018 |
Open access
46
41
14
|
2017 |
Open access
37
36
3
|
2016 |
Open access
59
60
|
2016 |
Open access
27
27
|
2016 |
Open access
26
26
4
|
2016 |
Open access
18
18
|
2015 |
Open access
5
4
|
2015 |
Open access
154
136
16
|
2015 |
Open access
75
68
|
2014 |
Open access
36
32
|
2014 |
Open access
68
65
|
2014 |
Open access
23
21
|
2014 |
Open access
17
15
|
2013 |
Open access
102
100
3
|
2013 |
Open access
22
25
4
|
2012 |
Open access
16
14
|
2012 |
Open access
72
69
|
2012 |
Open access
51
50
|
2012 |
Open access
35
33
|
2012 |
Open access
220
197
|
2012 |
Open access
31
27
|
2011 |
Open access
49
42
|
2010 |
Open access
59
55
|
2010 |
Open access
112
108
|
2010 |
Open access
135
129
|
2009 |
Open access
103
94
|
2008 |
94
87
|
2008 |
86
78
|
2008 |
Open access
261
252
|
2008 |
|
Research
GATA2 is important for the development and maintenance of lymphatic vessel valves.
In collaboration with Professor Hamish Scott’s team at the Centre for Cancer Biology, we recently discovered that heritable mutations in the transcription factor GATA2 predispose carriers to lymphoedema and myelodysplasia syndrome (MDS)-acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (Kazenwadel et al., Blood, 2012). This discovery revealed a key role for GATA2 in lymphatic vessels. We subsequently demonstrated that GATA2 is present at high levels in lymphatic vessel valves and that GATA2 regulates the expression of genes required for valve development. Our most recent work has established that GATA2 is required both to initiate the process of lymphatic vessel valve development and maintain the architecture of lymphatic vessel valves once they have formed (Kazenwadel et al., J Clin Invest, 2015). Our current work aims to define precisely how GATA2 regulates gene expression in the lymphatic vasculature to control valve development. Ultimately, our goals are: 1) To identify new therapeutic targets to which effective therapeutics for the treatment of lymphoedema could be designed. 2) To understand how valve endothelial cell identity is transcriptionally programmed and how this process could be manipulated to generate valves for therapeutic applications.
Regulation of vascular development by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4.
Ubiquitination is a highly conserved process of protein modification that leads to the tagging of target proteins by one or more ubiquitin molecules. Ubiquitination can “flag” proteins for degradation, dictate their subcellular localisation and/or regulate protein trafficking through cellular compartments. As such, ubiquitination has crucial roles in regulating many signalling pathways and mis-regulation of this process is associated with numerous human pathologies. We have found that the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4 plays key roles in the growth and development of both blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. Our current work aims to dissect the endothelial cell autonomous versus non-autonomous roles of Nedd4 during vascular development and to define the signalling pathways regulated by Nedd4 that are important for vessel growth and remodelling.
External engagement & recognition
Organisation | Country |
---|---|
Albert Einstein College of Medicine | UNITED STATES |
Australian National University | AUSTRALIA |
Central Adelaide Local Health Network Incorporated | AUSTRALIA |
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois | SWITZERLAND |
Chinese Academy of Sciences | CHINA |
de Duve Institute | BELGIUM |
Ecole Polytechnique | FRANCE |
Flinders Medical Centre | AUSTRALIA |
Flinders University | AUSTRALIA |
Francis Crick Institute | UNITED KINGDOM |
Garvan Institute of Medical Research | AUSTRALIA |
Hamamatsu University | JAPAN |
Hamamatsu University School of Medicine | JAPAN |
Hanson Centre for Cancer Research | AUSTRALIA |
Harvard University | UNITED STATES |
Hubrecht Institute | NETHERLANDS |
Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science | AUSTRALIA |
King's College London | UNITED KINGDOM |
KTH Royal Institute of Technology | SWEDEN |
Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine | GERMANY |
Max Planck Society | GERMANY |
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences | AUSTRALIA |
Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre Research Institute | JAPAN |
National University of Singapore | SINGAPORE |
Northwestern University | UNITED STATES |
Perkin Elmer Pty Ltd | UNITED STATES |
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre | AUSTRALIA |
SA Pathology | AUSTRALIA |
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) | AUSTRALIA |
Southern University Of Science And Technology | CHINA |
St Georges University of London | UNITED KINGDOM |
St Jude Children's Research Hospital | UNITED STATES |
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | UNITED STATES |
Technion Israel Institute of Technology | ISRAEL |
Texas A&M University, Health Science Center | UNITED STATES |
Tianjin Medical University | CHINA |
UCL Institute of Child Health | UNITED KINGDOM |
University College London | UNITED KINGDOM |
University Hospital of Lausanne | SWITZERLAND |
University Medical Centre Utrecht | NETHERLANDS |
University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
University of Auckland | NEW ZEALAND |
University of Chicago | UNITED STATES |
University of Cincinnati | UNITED STATES |
University of Edinburgh | UNITED KINGDOM |
University of Geneva | SWITZERLAND |
University of Helsinki | FINLAND |
University of Iowa | UNITED STATES |
University of Melbourne | AUSTRALIA |
University of Muenster | GERMANY |
University of Pennsylvania | UNITED STATES |
University of Queensland | AUSTRALIA |
University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
University of Southern California | UNITED STATES |
University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
University of Toronto | CANADA |
University of Virginia | UNITED STATES |
University of Washington | UNITED STATES |
Uppsala University | SWEDEN |
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute | AUSTRALIA |
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research | AUSTRALIA |
Washington University | UNITED STATES |
Yale University | UNITED STATES |
External engagement & recognition
Engagement/recognition | Year |
---|---|
Future FellowshipAustralian Research Council (ARC) |
2018 |
Future FellowshipAustralian Research Council (ARC) |
2017 |
Future FellowshipAustralian Research Council (ARC) |
2016 |
Future FellowshipAustralian Research Council (ARC) |
2015 |
Future FellowshipAustralian Research Council (ARC) |
2014 |
Future FellowshipAustralian Research Council (ARC) |
2013 |
Regular guest lecturer at the University of South Australia
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
Thesis title | Student status |
---|---|
Understanding how lymphatic vessel identity is programmed during development and disease | Current |
Understanding the genetic and developmental basis of human lymphatic vascular disease | Current |
Investigating the role of NEDD4 in neural crest cell development and craniofacial bone formation | Completed |
Transcriptional control of cellular identity in the lymphatic vasculature | Completed |