Professor Rodney Scott – Medicine at University of Newcastle

Professional Summary

Laureate Professor Rodney Scott is an internationally recognised leader in medical genetics at the University of Newcastle, serving as Professor and Head of the Discipline of Medical Genetics in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. He earned his PhD in Western Australia, followed by postdoctoral work in Houston, Texas, where he developed his interest in the genetic basis of cancer predisposition. He then moved to Switzerland, establishing a centre for identifying genetic predisposition to cancer and obtaining his DSc in genetics from the University of Basel for his significant contributions to the genetics of colorectal cancer. In 1997, he joined the University of Newcastle, where he established one of Australia’s largest cancer genetics testing centres and directs a diagnostic facility that ranks among the largest in Oceania. He holds positions as Director of Molecular Medicine at NSW Health Pathology Hunter Area Pathology Service, Co-Director of the Priority Research Centre for Information-Based Medicine, and Research Director of a Priority Research Centre. His qualifications include BSc(Hons), FRCPath, FFSc(RCPA), FHGSA, and Privatdozent.

Professor Scott’s research specialises in the genetic basis of disease, with a focus on predisposition to common cancers including colorectal and breast cancer, as well as the genetics of childhood leukaemia and brain tumours. He has been instrumental in positioning the Hunter region at the forefront of personalised medicine. Key appointments include the inaugural HMRI NBN Telethon Chair of Childhood Cancer in 2005. In 2017, he was awarded the Laureate Professor title for his outstanding contributions to genetics in medicine. He has secured over $60 million in competitive grant funding from NHMRC, ARC, and others, and produced over 730 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as Nature Genetics, The Lancet, and JAMA, amassing more than 25,000 citations and an h-index of 67.