Invasion and Metastasis - Senior Research Staff - Prof Erik (Rik) Thompson

Prof Erik (Rik) Thompson

Unit Head
Professor and Director of Research, University of Melbourne Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital

Education and Professional Experience

1978         BSc Hons; Griffith University, Brisbane
1986         PhD, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
1986         Research Fellow, School of Science, Griffith University, Brisbane
1987-88    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Laboratory of Developmental Biology and         
                 Anomalies, NIDR, NIH
1988-89    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Vincent T. Lombardi Cancer Research
                 Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC

Achievements

1972-74    Queensland Secondary School Scholarship
1978-85    Griffith University Postgraduate Education Scholarship
1986         Fogarty International Postdoctoral Fellowship
1987-88    NIH Breast Cancer Study Group Postdoctoral Fellowship

Research Interests

Extracellular matrix, particularly basement membrane, in cancer invasion and metastasis and also tissue engineering. Matrix metalloproteinases as targets in breast cancer progression, the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer progression. Key molecular interests in MMPs, ECM proteins, SPARC, Galectin-3, integrins, cell adhesion, migration, invasion.

Selected Publications

  1. (CV#15) Thompson, E.W., Paik, S., Br