Rate My Professor Brian Brestovac

Dr Brian Brestovac is a Senior Lecturer in the Curtin School of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University. He serves as Discipline Lead for Laboratory Medicine and Course Coordinator for Laboratory Medicine courses in the Curtin Medical School. His academic career at Curtin University encompasses teaching and research in biomedical sciences, with contributions to units such as Foundations of Medical Microbiology (MEDI2003) and Health Sciences first-year streams, where he delivers lectures on microbiology topics.

Brestovac's research specializations center on infectious diseases and molecular diagnostics, particularly human papillomavirus (HPV) in relation to high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, head and neck cancers, and cervical neoplasia. His work includes studies on HPV genotyping, DNA testing for determining cancer origins, killer immunoglobulin-like receptors in HPV-associated conditions, and validation of nucleic acid-based tests. He has also investigated respiratory viral infections in Western Australians with cystic fibrosis, interactions between respiratory viruses and pathogenic bacteria in upper respiratory tracts of children, including Aboriginal populations, and primary acute dengue in relation to chemokine receptor 5 deletions. Additionally, Brestovac explores natural products for therapeutic potential, such as Sarcostemma viminale activating macrophages to a pro-inflammatory phenotype and crab ash extract exhibiting anti-proliferative effects on SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells, inducing cellular stress responses and metabolic changes. Key publications include 'Respiratory viral infections in Western Australians with cystic fibrosis' (2020), 'Crab Ash Extract has Anti-Proliferative Effects on SK-MEL-28 Melanoma Cells and Induces a Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Changes' (2019), 'Human Papillomavirus Associated Cancers of the Head and Neck: An Australian Perspective' (2017), 'Sarcostemma viminale activates macrophages to a pro-inflammatory phenotype' (2014), 'Primary acute dengue and the deletion in chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5Δ32)' (2014), 'A Rapid DNA Extraction Method Suitable for Human Papillomavirus Detection' (2014), and 'Human papillomavirus, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and killer immunoglobulin-like receptors: A Western Australian cohort study' (2013). His 18 publications have garnered 303 citations. Brestovac has contributed to outbreak investigations, including sporotrichosis in Western Australia.