David Cook

Professor David Cook serves as Professor Emeritus in the Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney, where he holds the title of Professor of Cellular Physiology. With over 30 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading international figure in research on exocrine epithelia, focusing on the molecular physiology of ion channels and transporters. A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Cook's expertise spans medical sciences, membrane transport, membranes, and physiology. His career includes significant administrative roles, such as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and University of Sydney Medical Foundation Fellow since 1998. He has contributed to professional bodies, including co-option to the Australian Physiological Society Council.

Cook's groundbreaking research has profoundly impacted the field. He elucidated the critical role of ion channels in exocrine gland function and discovered that epithelial Na+ channels and other transporters are regulated by intracellular concentrations of Na+ and Cl-, overturning the previous paradigm of extracellular regulation. Through elegant studies, he delineated the molecular mechanisms, developing a novel model for cytosolic ion homeostasis with key implications for epithelial function in health and diseases like hypertension and cystic fibrosis. Further, he showed that respiratory pathogens such as influenza virus inhibit Na+ channels in lung epithelia and identified a cytocortical clock regulating K+ and Ca2+ channels during the cell cycle. His influential publications include 'Respiratory distress and perinatal lethality in Nedd4-2-deficient mice' (Nature Communications, 2011), 'Purinergic regulation of the epithelial Na+ channel' (Pflügers Archiv, 2009), 'Physiological changes in extracellular sodium directly control myocardial intracellular sodium concentration via sodium-calcium exchange' (Pflügers Archiv, 1998), 'Regulation of epithelial Na+ channels by aldosterone: Role of Sgk1' (2006), and 'Subgroup analysis in clinical trials' (Internal Medicine Journal, 2004). Cook's work continues to shape understanding of membrane physiology and disease mechanisms.

Professional Email: david.cook@sydney.edu.au