Rate My Professor David Owen

Professor David Owen serves as Professor and Director of the Protein Expression Facility (PEF) at the University of Queensland. He earned a Bachelor (Honours) from the University of Queensland and a Doctor of Philosophy from the Australian National University. Owen possesses a proven track record in translational research and leadership at the intersection of chemistry, biochemistry, and biology, with experience in both academic and industrial settings. Previously, as Vice President of Research at Starpharma, he spearheaded the discovery and development of a portfolio of dendrimer-drug conjugates for human health applications, including the DEP® platform, successfully advancing multiple oncology nanomedicines into clinical trials. He also held advisory positions with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology from November 2014 to December 2020 and the Pharmaceutical Science Advisory and Stakeholders Group at Monash University from 2014 to 2019. In his current role, Owen leads efforts to establish PEF as a global leader in protein research services and innovative protein production solutions, fostering collaborations with researchers from academia and industry.

Owen's research specializations include protein science, nanotechnology, radiotheranostics, cancer biology, and bioconjugation. He has produced 48 published works, accumulating 1,647 citations and an h-index of 23 according to Scopus/SciVal data from 2023. Key publications feature 'Nanobody-mediated cellular uptake maximizes the potency of polylysine dendrimers while preserving solid tumor penetration' in ACS Nano (2025), 'In depth characterization of physicochemical critical quality attributes of a clinical drug-dendrimer conjugate' in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2023), 'Subcutaneous delivery of a dendrimer-BH3 mimetic improves lymphatic uptake and survival in lymphoma' in the Journal of Controlled Release (2022), and 'Design and optimisation of dendrimer-conjugated Bcl-2/xL inhibitor, AZD0466, with improved therapeutic index for cancer therapy' in Communications Biology (2021). Earlier contributions encompass studies on pulmonary administration of dendrimer formulations and lymphatic targeting of anticancer agents. As an inventor, he holds 4 granted patents and 18 patent applications, notably on dendrimer-drug conjugates and macromolecules, underscoring his substantial impact on nanomedicine and biopharmaceutical development.