Dr. Noel Whitaker
- Position: Senior Lecturer
- Room: 214B, Biological Sciences
- Phone: (+61 2) 9385 2041
- Fax: (+61 2) 9385 1483
- email: n.whitaker@unsw.edu.au
Professional Experience
- 1985-1986: Research Assistant, Department of Virology, Prince Henry Hospital
- 1986-1988: Secondary School Science Teacher (Physics, Science, Maths), NSW Dept. Education (Ashfield Boys High School)
- 1988-1992: Research Assistant, Cancer Research Group, The Children’s Medical Research Foundation (R.R. Reddel)
- 1995-1999: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, German Cancer Centre (Harald zur Hausen)
- 1999-2000: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biochemistry, University of Cologne (Martin Scheffner)
Research Contribution
As A/Dean (Education), I am actively encouraging scholarly enquiry into best teaching practice within the University through the establishment of the Science Learning and Teaching Interest Group (SLATIG) and the Sydney basin Network of University Science Educators (SNUSE). I have established a research active group (the EdSquad) which, since 2006, has been researching and implementing effective teaching strategy. To date, EdSquad has been successful in obtaining two Carrick Grants (Threshold concepts and the e-Portfolio) as well as a number of UNSW Learning and Teaching grants. We have run 1 local, 1 national and 1 international symposia, published 3 papers and presented 5 abstracts. We are being recognised for our expertise in implementing education policy (especially in embedding graduate attributes, curriculum mapping and sessional staff (tutor) training).
My lab has established that the presence of HPV E7 (a transforming gene known to induce cellular proliferation by degrading/inactivating the protein product of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor gene, p110RB) is sufficient to induce high levels of the p53 protein. We have clearly identified a key role for E6, both in tumourigenic transformation as well as normal HPV infection, is to degrade p53 which would otherwise inhibit cell proliferation and/or induce apoptosis.
In collaboration with E/Professor Jim Lawson (Faculty of Medicine), my lab has established an impressive bank of breast and prostate (cancer and normal) specimens. We have demonstrated the presence of three viruses (HPV, MMTV and EBV) in Australian breast and prostate cancer specimens. Our results indicate that HPV (perhaps in collaboration with EBV) has a causal role in initiating carcinogenesis in these tissues (similar to cervical cancer and head and neck tumours). In addition, we have identified MMTV in human breast cancer, and not normal breast tissue, indicating that MMTV may also have a role in human breast cancer. As a result of this work, I was invited to present, and chair a session, on the involvement of viruses at the Human Cancers at the ASM meeting in Canberra, 2005.
Honours & Awards
- ITET Fellowship, 2002
- Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, 2006
Active Research Projects
Publications
- Mok, Myth T.S., Lutze-Mann, L., Lawson, JS and Whitaker, NJ (2008)
- Integration of a mouse mammary tumor virus-like env sequence with a rodent-like sequence in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells
- . International J. Cancer, 122, 2864-2870
- Kofod, M., Quinnell, R., Rifkin, W. and Whitaker, N.J. (2008)
- Is tutor training worth it? Acknowledging conflicting agenda.
- In: HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia), Rotorua, N.Z., pp 273.
- Lawson, J.S., Glenn, W.K. and Whitaker, N.J. (2008)
- Reply: Breast cancer, human papilloma virus and sexual activities.
- British Journal of Cancer. 98: 510-511
- Mok, M.T.S., Lawson, J.S., Iacopetta, B.J. and Whitaker, N.J. (2008)
- Mouse mammary tumor virus-like env sequences in human breast cancer.
- International Journal of Cancer. 122: 2864-2870
- Lawson JS, Heads J, Glenn WK, Whitaker NJ (2007)
- Breastfeeding, breast milk and viruses
- BMC Women’s Health 2007;7:17-20
- JS Lawson, DD Tran, E Carpenter, CE Ford, WD Rawlinson, NJ Whitaker, W Delprado (2006)
- Presence of mouse mammary tumour virus-like (MMTV-like) env gene sequences in some human breast tumours may be associated with histological characteristics typical of mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) associated mouse mammary tumours in experimental mice.
- J. Clin Pathol: doi: 10.1136
- James S. Lawson, Walter Guenzburg, Noel J. Whitaker (2006)
- Viruses and human breast cancer.
- Future Microbiol, 1, 33-51
- Glenn WK, Lawson JS, Whitaker NJ (2006)
- Mouse mammary tumour-like virus gene sequences and specific breast cancer morphology
- J Clin Pathol, 60, 1071-1071
- Lawson JS, Kan CY, Iacopetta BJ, Whitaker NJ. (2006)
- Are some breast cancers sexually transmitted?
- Br J Cancer. 18;95(12):1708
- Roesch-Ely M, Steinberg T, Muessig E, Whitaker N, Wiest T, Komposch, G, Tomakidi, P. (2006)
- Organotypic co-cultures allow for immortalized human gingival keratinocytes to reconstitute a gingival epithelial phenotype in vitro
- Differentiation, 74, 1–16
- Kan, C-Y, Iacopetta, BJ, Lawson, JS and Whitaker, NJ (2005)
- Identification of human papillomavirus DNA gene sequences in human breast cancer
- Br J Cancer, 93, 946 – 948
- C-Y Kan, BJ Iacopetta, JS Lawson and NJ Whitaker (2005)
- Identification of human papillomavirus DNA gene sequences in human breast cancer.
- Br J Cancer, 93, 946 – 948
- Whitaker, N. & Takayama, K (2004)
- Computer-aided visualisation in teaching genomics and bioinformatics
- FASEB Journal, 2004, 18, 6-7
- Scheffner M, Whitaker NJ (2003)
- Human papillomavirus-induced carcinogenesis and the ubiquitin-proteasome system.
- Semin Cancer Biol, 2003, 13: 59-67