Professor Jason Howitt

Biography

Professor Jason Howitt is a neurobiologist studying pathways involved in both brain development and neurodegenerative diseases. His research has identified important mechanisms for the trafficking of metals in the brain and how failure of these systems can contribute to Parkinson’s disease. More recently he has identified an important role for the tumour suppressor protein PTEN in the regulation of brain size during development. This research has important implications for not only understanding how the brain is engineered, but also to define neurodevelopmental changes that occur in disorders such as autism. His laboratory is actively involved in determining the role of small vesicles called exosomes that are released from most cells in the body, and in a world first has shown how exosomes can be loaded with target proteins for potential therapies. His current research is focused on determining how Parkinson's disease starts in the brain and identifying pathways to slow or prevent the disease progression.

Professor Howitt’s career includes positions at Brookhaven National Laboratory New York, Imperial College London and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health at The University of Melbourne. He has ongoing collaborations with researchers both here and overseas and his work is internationally recognised for understanding cellular pathways in disease. He was the former chair of the Florey Faculty and has held multiple successful CIA NHMRC grants. Prof Howitt has received a number of awards including the NHMRC’s ‘10 of the best’ research projects 2013. He is currently the Chair of the Department of Health Sciences and Biostatistics and heads the Biological Signalling laboratory at Swinburne University. His laboratory has supervised a number of successful PhD and Honour’s students and is always actively seeking new postgraduate students.