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Role Director
Group Director's Office
Professor Kathryn North AC BSc(Med) MBBS MD DMedSc FRACP FAHMS

Professor Kathryn North AC is Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the David Danks Professor of Child Health Research at the University of Melbourne.

Professor North is trained as a physician, neurologist and clinical geneticist and in 1994, was awarded a doctorate for research in neurogenetics. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Harvard Genetics Program.

Professor North is a national and international leader in Genomic medicine. In 2014, Professor North was appointed as Co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health - a collaborative network of over 500 organisations across over 100 countries funded by the NIH and the Wellcome Trust (genomicsandhealth.org). Commencing in 2016, she leads an NHMRC-funded national network of over 80 institutions - the Australian Genomics Health Alliance (AGHA). The goal of AGHA is to provide evidence and practical strategies for the implementation of genomic medicine in the Australian health system.

Professor North chaired the National Health and Medical Research Council Research Committee from 2012-2018, and has chaired the International Advisory Board of the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UK) since 2015. She is a member of the Board of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. In 2014, she was appointed as a Foundation fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science, and in 2020 joined the Academy’s Board. In 2020, she joined the Board of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) as President-Elect.

Professor North has received a number of awards including the GSK Australia Award for Research Excellence (2011), the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research (2012) and Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to medicine in the field of neuromuscular and neurogenetics research (2012). In 2019, Professor North was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for eminent service to genomic medicine internationally, to medical research in the field nationally and of genetics, neurology and child health, and as a mentor and role model.
Professor Kathryn North AC BSc(Med) MBBS MD DMedSc FRACP FAHMS

Professor Kathryn North AC is Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the David Danks Professor of Child Health Research at the University of Melbourne.

Professor...
Professor Kathryn North AC BSc(Med) MBBS MD DMedSc FRACP FAHMS

Professor Kathryn North AC is Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the David Danks Professor of Child Health Research at the University of Melbourne.

Professor North is trained as a physician, neurologist and clinical geneticist and in 1994, was awarded a doctorate for research in neurogenetics. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Harvard Genetics Program.

Professor North is a national and international leader in Genomic medicine. In 2014, Professor North was appointed as Co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health - a collaborative network of over 500 organisations across over 100 countries funded by the NIH and the Wellcome Trust (genomicsandhealth.org). Commencing in 2016, she leads an NHMRC-funded national network of over 80 institutions - the Australian Genomics Health Alliance (AGHA). The goal of AGHA is to provide evidence and practical strategies for the implementation of genomic medicine in the Australian health system.

Professor North chaired the National Health and Medical Research Council Research Committee from 2012-2018, and has chaired the International Advisory Board of the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UK) since 2015. She is a member of the Board of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. In 2014, she was appointed as a Foundation fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science, and in 2020 joined the Academy’s Board. In 2020, she joined the Board of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) as President-Elect.

Professor North has received a number of awards including the GSK Australia Award for Research Excellence (2011), the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research (2012) and Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to medicine in the field of neuromuscular and neurogenetics research (2012). In 2019, Professor North was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for eminent service to genomic medicine internationally, to medical research in the field nationally and of genetics, neurology and child health, and as a mentor and role model.

Top Publications

  • Thomas, KC, Zheng, XF, Garces Suarez, F, Raftery, JM, Quinlan, KGR, Yang, N, North, KN, Houweling, PJ. Evidence based selection of commonly used RT-qPCR reference genes for the analysis of mouse skeletal muscle.. PLoS One 9(2) : e88653 2014
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  • Gupta, VA, Ravenscroft, G, Shaheen, R, Todd, EJ, Swanson, LC, Shiina, M, Ogata, K, Hsu, C, Clarke, NF, Darras, BT, et al. Identification of KLHL41 Mutations Implicates BTB-Kelch-Mediated Ubiquitination as an Alternate Pathway to Myofibrillar Disruption in Nemaline Myopathy. American Journal of Human Genetics 93(6) : 1108 -1117 2013
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  • Foley, AR, Quijano-Roy, S, Collins, J, Straub, V, McCallum, M, Deconinck, N, Mercuri, E, Pane, M, D’Amico, A, Bertini, E, et al. Natural history of pulmonary function in collagen VI-related myopathies. Brain 136(12) : 3625 -3633 2013
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  • Lorenzo, J, Barton, B, Arnold, SS, North, KN. Cognitive Features that Distinguish Preschool-Age Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 from Their Peers: A Matched Case-Control Study. The Journal of Pediatrics 163(5) : 1479 -1483.e1 2013
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  • Oates, EC, Rosser, AM, Hafezparast, M, Lek, M, Scoto, M, Greensmith, L, Auer-Grumbach, M, Schule, R, Herrmann, DN, Clarke, NF, et al. O.10 Mutations in a new dynein/dynactin adaptor gene cause Dominant Congenital Spinal Muscular Atrophy (DCSMA) and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP). Neuromuscular Disorders 23(9-10) : 798 2013
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