Rate My Professor Sam Faulkner

Dr Sam Faulkner is a passionate biochemist specialised in cancer neurobiology within the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He obtained his Bachelor of Biomedical Science, graduating with First Class Honours, from the University of Newcastle in 2013. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biochemistry at the same university in 2018, with his thesis focusing on the role of neurotrophic growth factors and their receptors in the innervation and progression of human cancers. Currently, Dr Faulkner holds the position of Technical Team Leader (Biochemistry) and serves as a Casual Academic in his school. He is also a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). In 2018, he was appointed under an Innovation Connections Facilitation Grant from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (Australian Government), collaborating with Biosensis Pty Ltd to investigate neuroproteins as blood biomarkers for aggressive prostate cancer and to elucidate nerve-cancer cell cross-talk mechanisms in the tumour microenvironment.

Dr Faulkner's research expertise lies in cancer neurobiology, encompassing biomarkers, growth factors, nerves, and the tumour microenvironment, with a primary field in cancer diagnosis. Notable publications include 'Tumor Neurobiology and the War of Nerves in Cancer' (Cancer Discovery, 2019), 'Nerve Dependence: From Regeneration to Cancer' (Cancer Cell, 2017), 'Griffin N, Faulkner S, et al., Targeting neurotrophin signaling in cancer: The renaissance' (Pharmacological Research, 2018), 'Faulkner S et al., Neurotrophin Receptors TrkA, p75NTR, and Sortilin Are Increased and Targetable in Thyroid Cancer' (American Journal of Pathology, 2018), and 'ProNGF is a potential diagnostic biomarker for thyroid cancer' (Oncotarget, 2016). He has received the Margaret Taylor Travel Award from HMRI (2016), the Kellerman Award from the Faculty of Health and Medicine (2016), and the PRC CaRIT ‘Career Advancement Fellowship in Cancer Research’ from Hunter Cancer Research Alliance (2019). His contributions extend to collaborative grant projects totaling over $2,195,694, including NHMRC Ideas Grants and Mark Hughes Foundation grants targeting glioblastoma and prostate cancer research.