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Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Sciences

Professor Mark Baker


Biography

Present positions: Chair of Proteomics (Macquarie University)

Former positions: APAF CEO; Director (Biomarker Discovery), LumiCyte, Fremont, CA, USA; Co-Director & Scientific Director, Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne; Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong; Reseaerch Fellow, John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU; Post-doctoral Fellow, Biochemistry, Monash University.

Research interests

a molecular cell biologist with ~70 publications and 18 years senior management experience driving cancer and inflammation discovery programs across industrial and clinical settings. His research interests include: advanced proteomic technologies, cancer metastasis and how proteases (their receptors, partners and inhibitors) regulate biological processes. His most recent work has focussed on the development of new biochip platforms (i.e., SELDI protein mapping strategies) for the early diagnosis of ovarian, breast and prostate cancer.

Academic Achievements and Awards

A Macquarie University graduate - completing his BSc (Hons 1) and PhD in free radical biochemistry. He was awarded the International Society for Free Radical Research Young Investigator Award twice (1988 and 1990), the Howard Florey Medal in 1991 for cancer research he undertook whilst at ANU and the Neils Sträng Award, 1998 for studies undertaken on serine protease inhibitors.

Curriculum vitae

Click here for Professor Baker's full CV

Publications

  1. .Baker MS., Feigan,J. & Lowther,D.A. The mechanism of chondrocyte hydrogen peroxide damage: Depletion of intracellular ATP due to suppression of glycolysis caused by oxidation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase J. Rheumatol., 1989, 16; 7-15. [First proteomic identification of proteins that were oxidised in vivo during inflammatory disease].
  2. Baker MS, Bleakley P, Woodrow GC & Doe WF (1990). Inhibition of cancer cell urokinase plasminogen activator by its specific inhibitor PAI-2 and subsequent effects on extracellular matrix degradation. Cancer Res 50: 4676-4684. [First demonstartion that PAI-2 inhibited cancer cell invasive properties].
  3. Kruithof EKO, Baker MS & Bunn C (1995). Biological and clinical aspects of plasminogen activator inhibitor 2. Blood 86: 4007-4024. [heavily cited serpin review].
  4. Saunders D, Buttigieg KM, Gould A, McPhun V & Baker MS (1998). Immunological detection of conformational neoepitopes associated with the serpin activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2. J Biol Chem 273: 10965-10971. [First demonstration that antibodies could be developed that detected conformation changes on serpins that paralled the S->R conformational change].
  5. Lavker RM, Risse B, Brown H, Ginsburg D, Pearson J, Baker MS, Jensen PJ (1998). Localisation of plasminogen activator type 2 (PAI-2) in hair and nail: implications for terminal differentiation. J Invest Dermatol 110: 917-922. [Heavily cited paper in dermatology - first demonstrated "relaxation" of PAI-2 in skin].
  6. Dougherty K, Pearson J, Westrick R, Yang A, Baker MS & Ginsburg D (1999). The plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 gene is not required for normal murine development or survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 96: 686-691. [First report of the null effects of "knocking out" the PAI-2 gene in mice].
  7. Jankova L, Harrop SJ, Saunders DN, Andrews JL, Bertram KC, Gould AR, Baker MS & Curmi PMG (2001). Crystal structure of the complex of plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 with a peptide mimicking the reactive center loop. J Biol Chem 276: 43374-43382. [First report of protein crystal structure of PAI-2 with a peptide that allows the s->R transition].
  8. Saunders DN, Jankova L, Harrop SJ, Curmi PMG, Gould AR, Ranson M & Baker MS (2001). Interaction between the P14 residue and strand 2 of b-sheet B is critical for reactive centre loop insertion in plasminogen activator inhibitor-2. J Biol Chem 276: 43383-43389. [Detailed biochemical analysis of effects on PAI-2 when incubated with a peptide that allows the S->R transition].
  9. Ahmed N, Niu J, Dorahy DJ, Gu X, Andrews S, Meldrum C, Scott RJ, Baker MS, Macreadie IG & Agrez MV (2002). Tumour growth is dependent on direct integrin-Erk-2 binding. Oncogene, 21: 1370-1380. [Functional proteomic discovery of a new cancer lynchpin interaction that may play critical roles in colon cancer].
  10. Ahmed N, Pansino F, Clyde R, Murthi P, Quinn MA, Rice GE, Agrez MV, Mok S, Baker MS (2002). Overexpression of alphavbeta6 integrin in serous epithelial ovarian cancer regulates extracellular matrix degradation via the plasminogen activation cascade. Carcinogenesis 23: 237-244. [First report of a potential cancer lynchpin protein in ovarian cancer and correlation of expression with degree of malignancy].

Speaking Engagements

Dr Baker has presented over 120 international or invited conference papers/posters at international and national conferences, including the three following recent conferences:

  1. Sir Mark Oliphant Conference, Proteomics: Progress, Partnerships & Possibilities, University of Sydney, November 2003:
    "Evaluating and Developing New Proteomic Technologies"     Annual Lorne Genome Conference, February 2004: "SELDI as an emerging technology"
  2. Human Proteome Organisation - 4th International Korean Proteomics Conference - New Trends in Functional Proteomics & HUPO Initiatives, Seoul, March 2004: "Visualizing More of the Human Proteome - Lessons Learned from High Abundance Proteins, Subcellular Fractionation, New Fluorescent Dyes and SELDI".