Prof Benjamin Thierry is the University of South Australia Professor of Bioengineering and a Research Leader at the Future Industries Institute. He is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from McGill University in 2004 and has since received prestigious awards, including two NHMRC Career Development Fellowships.
Prof Thierry leads the translational Bioengineering group which aims to develop and implement novel biodiagnostic and prognostic technologies and is currently involved in several clinical translation/commercialization activities. A significant outcome of his research has been the establishment of precision cancer treatment company Ferronova Pty Ltd, Ferronova has... Read more
About me
Prof Benjamin Thierry is the University of South Australia Professor of Bioengineering and a Research Leader at the Future Industries Institute. He is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from McGill University in 2004 and has since received prestigious awards, including two NHMRC Career Development Fellowships.
Prof Thierry leads the translational Bioengineering group which aims to develop and implement novel biodiagnostic and prognostic technologies and is currently involved in several clinical translation/commercialization activities. A significant outcome of his research has been the establishment of precision cancer treatment company Ferronova Pty Ltd, Ferronova has raised over $12 million to fund several on-going clinical trials in Australia and the US. With the support of a NHMRC Development and CRC-P grants and in collaboration with Ferronova and UK-based company Diagnostic Green, Prof Thierry is currently leading a program of research aimed at developing molecular agent for image guided cancer surgery and radiotherapy.
Another significant research focus is the development of technologies aimed at improving prenatal care, especially in rural and low-ressource settings. This includes a comprehensive research program aimed at enabling better detection and treatment of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth. Prof Thierry has also developed and patented a technology aimed at enabling comprehensive non-invasive prenatal genetic testing, which is currently being developed through a NHMRC Development Grant.
Prof Thierry leads a research program aimed at the development of microphysiological disease models, including models "organs-on-chips". A specific focus is on patients derived tumour-on-chip models that recapitulate the tumour microenvironment. These models are being used to assist in the development of better cancer therapeutics, including based on ionizing radiation and immunotherapy.
About me
Doctor of Philosophy McGill University
Master of Applied Science Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal
Bachelor of Engineering Institute National Polytechnique de Grenoble
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
CRC P: Nanoparticle manufacturing and its application in brain cancer radiotherapy, CRC-P, 09/01/2023 - 09/06/2026
Development and preclinical validation of a laparoscopic magnetometer probe based on quantum sensors for intraoperative mapping of the spread of gastrointestinal tumours, Australia's Economic Accelerator Ignite Grant, 27/05/2025 - 26/05/2026
Preclinical investigation of an ultrabright indocyanine green nanoformulation towards improved intraoperative fluorescence-guided surgery of pancreatic tumours, Tour de Cure Ltd, 01/01/2024 - 04/09/2025
Preclinical validation of a new molecular magnetic resonance imaging of glioblastoma towards improved image-guided treatment, Tour de Cure Ltd, 01/07/2023 - 01/07/2024
Point of Care Testing for Preeclampsia Towards Improving Antenatal Care in Rural Australia, The Hospital Research Foundation, 01/02/2022 - 31/01/2024
Development of Superior Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping Procedures using Magnetic Tracers, NHMRC - Development Grant, 01/01/2019 - 30/09/2022
FAPi-MRI towards Better target delineation of high-grade Gliomas, Neurosurgical Research Foundation, 30/08/2021 - 31/08/2022
AAS - Portable Healthcare: High-Value Micro/Nano-Scale Structures and Coating for Mass Production of Biomedical Devices, Australian Academy of Science, 01/11/2017 - 28/02/2022
Detection and viability of waterborne pathogens using a gut-on-chip, ARC - Linkage Project, 12/12/2018 - 11/12/2021
Preoperative Imaging of Metastatic Deposits in Regional Lymph Nodes: Preclinical Validation of a New Staging Modality for Head and Neck Cancer, NHMRC - Project Grant, 01/01/2019 - 31/07/2021
ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, ARC - Centre of Excellence, 01/04/2014 - 29/06/2021
Nanoscale silicon field-effect transistor diagnostic technology, ARC - Discovery Projects, 27/03/2017 - 31/12/2020
Development of Superior Sentinel Lymph Node Staging Procedures in Head and Neck Cancer Using Magnetic Tracers, Garnett Passe & Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation-Conjoint Grant, 01/06/2018 - 31/05/2020
Targeting particulate carriers to epithelial M cells, ARC - Linkage Project, 15/12/2015 - 30/09/2019
Advanced technologies for improved molecular diagnostic and prognostic of gastrointestinal cancers, NHMRC - Career Development Fellowship, 01/01/2015 - 31/12/2018
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, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2022 |
15
12
4
|
| 2022 |
Open access
10
10
|
| 2022 |
Open access
9
9
|
| 2019 |
136
126
3
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2012 |
1
|
| 2011 |
|
| 2009 |
4
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2025 |
Open access
|
| 2025 |
Open access
|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
52
|
| 2024 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2024 |
Open access
2
3
|
| 2024 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2024 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2023 |
Open access
5
4
1
|
| 2023 |
Open access
7
7
1
|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2023 |
Open access
3
2
|
| 2023 |
17
16
3
|
| 2023 |
Open access
3
4
|
| 2022 |
Open access
9
9
15
|
| 2022 |
Open access
19
17
2
|
| 2022 |
6
6
|
| 2022 |
7
7
5
|
| 2022 |
Open access
9
8
2
|
| 2022 |
Open access
1
6
|
| 2022 |
15
11
|
| 2022 |
15
12
4
|
| 2022 |
Open access
35
29
5
|
| 2022 |
Open access
10
10
|
| 2022 |
7
6
1
|
| 2022 |
Open access
9
9
|
| 2022 |
Open access
6
5
|
| 2022 |
Open access
7
7
1
|
| 2022 |
Open access
4
2
1
|
| 2022 |
Open access
5
6
|
| 2022 |
Open access
8
7
1
|
| 2022 |
32
29
10
|
| 2021 |
Open access
13
14
|
| 2021 |
Open access
23
22
|
| 2021 |
Open access
13
10
|
| 2021 |
1
1
|
| 2021 |
Open access
13
12
6
|
| 2021 |
Open access
19
16
4
|
| 2021 |
Open access
10
9
6
|
| 2021 |
Open access
15
14
|
| 2020 |
18
18
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
5
5
|
| 2020 |
Open access
31
28
2
|
| 2020 |
Open access
16
17
2
|
| 2020 |
Open access
29
28
3
|
| 2020 |
Open access
26
21
7
|
| 2020 |
Open access
84
80
4
|
| 2020 |
Open access
147
132
5
|
| 2019 |
136
126
3
|
| 2019 |
30
28
58
|
| 2019 |
Open access
10
7
3
|
| 2019 |
27
24
|
| 2019 |
Open access
28
22
8
|
| 2019 |
Open access
6
6
4
|
| 2019 |
Open access
17
16
1
|
| 2019 |
Open access
44
46
3
|
| 2019 |
14
13
1
|
| 2019 |
Open access
14
9
|
| 2019 |
Open access
9
8
1
|
| 2019 |
Open access
1
|
| 2019 |
13
11
7
|
| 2018 |
Open access
20
21
1
|
| 2018 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2018 |
Open access
7
6
|
| 2018 |
7
4
1
|
| 2018 |
Open access
98
83
11
|
| 2018 |
Open access
32
30
63
|
| 2017 |
Open access
29
28
|
| 2017 |
15
14
1
|
| 2017 |
28
24
|
| 2017 |
90
83
|
| 2017 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2017 |
44
41
|
| 2016 |
Open access
56
51
51
|
| 2016 |
31
29
1
|
| 2016 |
2
|
| 2016 |
Open access
20
20
1
|
| 2016 |
12
9
|
| 2016 |
Open access
45
44
2
|
| 2016 |
28
29
4
|
| 2016 |
27
24
|
| 2015 |
Open access
27
25
|
| 2015 |
Open access
48
46
3
|
| 2015 |
Open access
78
73
14
|
| 2015 |
Open access
128
112
|
| 2015 |
37
34
9
|
| 2015 |
Open access
32
30
1
|
| 2015 |
Open access
47
45
9
|
| 2015 |
28
26
|
| 2015 |
14
13
|
| 2015 |
Open access
11
11
2
|
| 2014 |
61
62
|
| 2014 |
24
24
|
| 2014 |
Open access
13
11
|
| 2014 |
28
23
|
| 2014 |
29
28
|
| 2014 |
Open access
44
39
|
| 2014 |
4
6
|
| 2014 |
51
45
|
| 2014 |
33
31
|
| 2014 |
43
46
|
| 2014 |
9
9
|
| 2014 |
49
42
|
| 2014 |
Open access
16
17
|
| 2014 |
5
4
|
| 2014 |
131
127
|
| 2014 |
Open access
86
82
|
| 2014 |
32
32
|
| 2014 |
50
45
|
| 2013 |
Open access
13
12
|
| 2013 |
39
33
|
| 2012 |
11
8
|
| 2012 |
52
45
|
| 2012 |
46
44
|
| 2012 |
39
35
|
| 2011 |
13
12
|
| 2011 |
35
33
|
| 2010 |
80
72
|
| 2010 |
207
178
|
| 2010 |
Open access
32
30
|
| 2010 |
54
50
|
| 2010 |
57
51
|
| 2009 |
37
37
|
| 2009 |
80
|
| 2009 |
32
28
|
| 2009 |
28
30
|
| 2009 |
99
96
|
| 2008 |
88
85
|
| 2008 |
84
79
|
| 2008 |
4
2
|
| 2008 |
37
34
|
| 2008 |
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2015 |
Open access
|
| 2015 |
1
|
| 2015 |
2
2
|
| 2013 |
3
3
|
Research
| Details | Registry | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Mapping nanoparticles Thierry, Benjamin; Nelson, Melanie Ruth Maria; Milanova, Valentina; Dmochowska, Nicole; Pham, Thi Hanh Nguyen; Hawkett, Brian Stanley |
World | Filed |
|
Sensing of molecules by electrochemical detection of nanoparticles Wolfrum, Bernhard; Adly Hassan, Nouran Yehia; Rinklin, Philipp; Grob, Leroy; Hayden, Oliver; Weiss, Lennart; Tran, Phu Duy; Thierry, Benjamin |
World | Granted |
|
Sensor for detection of magnetic particles Cousins, Aidan Mark Francis; Thierry, Benjamin; Wedding, A Bruce; Forero Morales, Daniel |
WO | Filed |
Prof Thierry is actively involved in the grant peer review process and served as panel member for the MRFF EMCR, NHMRC Synergy, NHMRC Investigator Fellowship, and NHMRC Project/Idea Grant schemes.
He serves on the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals, including for BMC Method and newly launched Springer Discover Biotechnology.
He served as the convenor and chair of the 2023 Australia and New Zealand Microfluidics conference (ANZNMF23). He is actively involved in the organization of MicroTAS 2025 to be held in Adelaide. He is a member of the scientific program committee of the Microphysiological Systems (MPS) World Summit to be held in Brussels, Belgium in June 2025.
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Academia Sinica | TAIWAN |
| Adelaide Pathology Partners | AUSTRALIA |
| Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) | SINGAPORE |
| Australian National Fabrication Facility | AUSTRALIA |
| Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation | AUSTRALIA |
| Australian Synchrotron | AUSTRALIA |
| Austrian Institute of Technology | AUSTRIA |
| Babol Noshirvani University of Technology | IRAN |
| Bionomics Ltd. | AUSTRALIA |
| Boutiq Science Ltd | NEW ZEALAND |
| Carina Biotech | AUSTRALIA |
| Ceramisphere | AUSTRALIA |
| CeramiSphere Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| Chang Gung Memorial Hospital | TAIWAN |
| Chang Gung University | TAIWAN |
| Children's Cancer Institute Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences | CHINA |
| CSIRO Australia (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research organisation) | AUSTRALIA |
| Curtin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | UNITED STATES |
| Deakin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Ferronova | AUSTRALIA |
| Ferronova Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| Ferronova Pty Ltd Salisbury South | AUSTRALIA |
| First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University | CHINA |
| Flinders University | AUSTRALIA |
| Forschungszentrum Julich | GERMANY |
| Fudan University | CHINA |
| Guilin University of Electronic Technology | CHINA |
| Hanoi University of Science and Technology | VIET NAM |
| Hanson Institute | AUSTRALIA |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | CHINA |
| Harvard University | UNITED STATES |
| Hashemite University | JORDAN |
| High Performance Computing | SINGAPORE |
| Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science | AUSTRALIA |
| Laboratoire de Biologie Moleculaire et de Genie genetique | BELGIUM |
| Leiden University | NETHERLANDS |
| Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford) | UNITED STATES |
| Magnetic Insight | UNITED STATES |
| Marinova Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| McGill University | CANADA |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre | UNITED STATES |
| Minomic Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| Monash IVF Group | AUSTRALIA |
| Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
| Montreal Heart Institute | CANADA |
| Murdoch University | AUSTRALIA |
| Nanjing Agricultural University | CHINA |
| Nanjing Forestry University | CHINA |
| Nanjing Medical University | CHINA |
| Nanjing University | CHINA |
| Nanyang Technological University | SINGAPORE |
| National Center for Technological Progress | VIET NAM |
| National Central University | TAIWAN |
| Netherlands Cancer Institute | NETHERLANDS |
| Peter Grunberg Institute (PGI) | GERMANY |
| Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre | AUSTRALIA |
| Prince of Wales Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Private Individual | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Purdue University | UNITED STATES |
| Queensland University of Technology | AUSTRALIA |
| Repromed | AUSTRALIA |
| RMIT University | AUSTRALIA |
| Royal Adelaide Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| SA Pathology | AUSTRALIA |
| SA Water | AUSTRALIA |
| SA Water Corporation | AUSTRALIA |
| Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University | RUSSIAN FEDERATION |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | CHINA |
| Shimadzu Biomedical Research Laboratory | CHINA |
| Siemens Healthcare Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| Siemens Healthcare Germany | GERMANY |
| Siemens Healthineers International AG | SWITZERLAND |
| Soochow Uiniversity | CHINA |
| South Australian Health and Medical and Research Institute (SAHMRI) | AUSTRALIA |
| Southeast University | CHINA |
| Southern Medical University | CHINA |
| St George Hospital | INDIA |
| Stanford University | UNITED STATES |
| Sung Kyun Kwan University | KOREA, REPUBLIC OF (SOUTH) |
| Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) | SWITZERLAND |
| Tabasco Advance Science and Technology Research Center | MEXICO |
| Tabriz University of Medical Sciences | IRAN |
| Tabsco Center for Applied Science and Technology Research | MEXICO |
| Technical University of Munich | GERMANY |
| The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | CHINA |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | UNITED STATES |
| Universita degli Studi di Pavia (AKA Institute for Advanced Study of Pavia) | ITALY |
| University College Dublin | IRELAND |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of California | UNITED STATES |
| University of Canterbury | NEW ZEALAND |
| University of Edinburgh | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Helsinki | FINLAND |
| University of Melbourne | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Montreal | CANADA |
| University of New South Wales | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Nottingham | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University Of Oklahoma Norman | UNITED STATES |
| University of Oulu | FINLAND |
| University of Pavia | ITALY |
| University of Queensland | AUSTRALIA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Technology Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre | UNITED STATES |
| University of Tokyo | JAPAN |
| University of Toronto | CANADA |
| University of Warwick | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Western Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | UNITED STATES |
| WARTN | AUSTRALIA |
| Western Sydney University | AUSTRALIA |
| Women's and Children's Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Yangzhou University | CHINA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Editorial Board MemberScientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) |
2018 |
Panel member, Early Career Fellowship SchemeNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
2015 |
Career Development FellowshipNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
2014 |
Expert panel member, Program Grant SchemeNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
2014 |
Best paper award, Wafer-Scale Fabrication of Ultra-Thin Silicon Nanowire Devices13th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology, Beijing |
2013 |
Panel member, Project Grants Peer Review ProcessNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
2012 |
Career Development FellowshipNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
2010 |
Prof Thierry heads the BioEngineering group at the UniSA Future Industries Institute. Reflecting our research, the group is highly multidisciplinary with expertise in physics, nanoscience, pharmaceutical science, molecular biology and biomedical engineering. Members of the group have won prestigious awards (SA Tall Poppy, ECR Thrasher Foundation and Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science New Innovator category - Finalist) and Fellowships (NHMRC ECR, ARC DECRA, Fulbright, The Hospital Research Foundation, MTPconnect REDI).
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| 110450 - Development of a theranostic agent for image-guided and radiosensitisation of pancreatic cancer | Current |
| 111188 - Development of brain tumour-targeting ICG nanoformulations for fluorescence-guided neurosurgery | Current |
| 111875-Turning foes into allies: Hijacking myofibroblasts to regenerate cardiac tissues with RNA therapeutics | Current |
| Addressing technological barriers in solid-state biosensing towards enabling next-generation point-of-care biomarker testing | Current |
| GaN/AlGaN based High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) for bioelectric interfacing | Current |
| New radiobiological insights using a microphysiological device enabling long-term culture of patient-derived brain tumour tissue slices and cerebral organoid slices | Current |
| Next generation bioengineered in vitro tumour models | Current |
| Non-invasive prenatal testing using extracellular vesicle derived fetal DNA | Current |
| A nanomedicine approach for immune checkpoint inhibition: towards better and safer cancer immunotherapy | Completed |
| Amplification of surface plasmon resonance biomolecular binding events: towards improved biosensing based cancer prognostics | Completed |
| Beyond the gastrointestinal cell layer: replication of the complex oral absorption barrier through enhanced in vitro models for nanoparticulate oral protein delivery | Completed |
| Bioengineered vascularized microfluidic model: towards improved cancer therapy risk reduction and in vitro evaluation of the metastatic process | Completed |
| Cation exchange reaction in colloidal nanocrystals: a versatile approach towards improved cancer imaging and radiotherapy | Completed |
| Detection and characterisation of rare disseminated cancer cells; towards improved patient prognostication | Completed |
| Development of a solid-state biodiagnostic platform based on indium oxide nanoribbon field effect transistors | Completed |
| Development of imaging methods/models to study oral vaccination and/or delivery of biologics | Completed |
| Enrichment and proteomic analysis of placenta-specific extracellular vesicles towards non-invasive diagnosis of preeclampsia | Completed |
| Formation and characterisation of fucoidan-based polyelectrolyte multilayers for applications in biomaterials | Completed |
| High density lipoprotein: a natural multi-functional nanomedicine for targeted delivery of radiosensitisers to the tumour microenvironment | Completed |
| High-performance heterojunction FETs for bioelectrical signals monitoring | Completed |
| Improving nitric oxide delivery to staphylococcus aureus biofilms | Completed |
| Isolation and analysis of circulating fetal cells: towards improved non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders | Completed |
| Long-range surface plasmon resonance biosensing structures for mammalian-cell studies | Completed |
| Microfluidic intestine-on-a-chip in vitro models for improved mechanistic understanding of intestinal drug and particulate carrier uptake | Completed |
| Microfluidic intestine-on-a-chip in vitro models for improved understanding of intestinal particulate carrier absorption and interaction with mucus | Completed |
| Microfluidic manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor t-cells | Completed |
| Molecular mechanisms of M cell signalling in the small intestine | Completed |
| Novel fabrication and operation of integrated silicon nanowire field effect biosensors for reliable detection of cancer prognostic biomarkers | Completed |
| Novel handheld magnetometer probe for improved intraoperative detection of sentinel lymph nodes in cancer patients | Completed |
| Plasma activated hydrogel dressing with integrated electrode and electronic sensor for healing and monitoring of chronic wounds | Completed |
| Radiosensitization of cell sub-populations by gold nanoparticles: cross-correlative microscopy for elucidating fundamental mechanisms | Completed |
| Single cell analysis of gold and gold-core/silica-shell nanoparticles for radiosensitisation | Completed |
| Systematic characterisation of existing and new models of the vaginal mucosa and their application to assess the vaginal delivery of nanomedicine | Completed |
| Transport of immuno-targeted nanoparticles in 3D tumor spheroids and in vivo models | Completed |
