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Merlin Crossley

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Merlin Crossley, AM[1] is an Australian molecular biologist, university teacher, and administrator. He is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Academic Quality at the University of New South Wales.[2]

Early life and career

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Crossley attended Mount View Primary School, Glen Waverley, Victoria, then was awarded an entrance scholarship to Melbourne Grammar School, where he was dux. He undertook a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, as a resident of Queen's College (University of Melbourne), then a doctorate at the University of Oxford supported by a Rhodes Scholarship at Magdalen College, Oxford.[3] He worked at Oxford, Harvard and the University of Sydney, before moving to UNSW as Dean of Science.[4] In recognition of his service on the Trust of the Australian Museum a new species of butterfly bobtail squid was named in his honour - Iridoteuthis merlini - Merlin's bobtail squid.[5][6]

University leadership

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Crossley has held senior roles at both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. He has led the research portfolio, and the teaching portfolio. He is most well known for overseeing the introduction, in 2017, of Education Focussed Careers at University of New South Wales. The idea was to formally recognise that the university relied on academics who were primarily dedicated to teaching and to supporting students. Previously the university had sought to ensure that all academics were 'research active', but now appreciates that a good team requires batters, bowlers, and all-rounders. Academics can be promoted for their work in any area. Many argue that, as well as boosting morale, this change has improved the student experience and even contributed to an uplift in the overall quality of research, as only those committed to research generate outputs.

Research

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Crossley is interested in gene regulation. He studied an unusual genetic disorder termed Haemophilia B Leyden where patients recover after puberty.[7] The condition results from mutations that disrupt the control region of the clotting factor IX gene.[8][9] A testosterone-responsive element accounts for post-pubertal recovery.[10] He has also investigated abnormal patterns of globin gene expression and his work on mutations associated with the lifelong expression of the fetal haemoglobin gene may help in the treatment of thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia.[11] He is using CRISPR-mediated gene editing to introduce beneficial mutations in cell lines as models for treating genetic diseases.[12][13] Clinical trials by major gene editing companies are now introducing mutations that his lab described.

He is also known for the initial identification and cloning of a significant number of genes encoding DNA-binding proteins: KLF3,[14] KLF8,[15] KLF17,[16] EOS IKZF4,[17] PEGASUS IKZF5,[18] and their associated co-regulators: FOG1 ZFPM1,[19] FOG2 ZFPM2,[20] and CTBP2.[21]

Other activities

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He has contributed numerous articles on molecular genetics and education to newspapers and media outlets such as The Conversation (website)[22] and has promoted science communication, for instance as a member of the judging panel for the annual anthology, Best Australian Science Writing.[23] He is Deputy Director of the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC),[24] has served on the Trust of the Australian Museum 2012-20[25] and the Board of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science 2010-15,[26] and is on the Board of, and Chair of the Editorial Board of The Conversation (website).

Honours and awards

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References

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  1. ^ "UNSW community recognised in 2023 King's Birthday Honours". Sydney: UNSW.
  2. ^ "Merlin Crossley". unsw.edu.au. 19 February 2016.
  3. ^ "Rhodes Scholars: Complete List, 1903-2013". Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Merlin Crossley reappointed Science Dean". UNSW Sydney. 14 January 2014.
  5. ^ "New species of bobtail squid named in honour of Professor Merlin Crossley". 3 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Fire shooting 'butterfly bobtail' named in honour of Professor Merlin Crossley!". Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  7. ^ Funnell, AP; Crossley, M (January 2014). "Hemophilia B Leyden and once mysterious cis-regulatory mutations". Trends in Genetics. 30 (1): 18–23. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2013.09.007. PMID 24138812.
  8. ^ Crossley, M; Brownlee, GG (May 1990). "Disruption of a C/EBP binding site in the factor IX promoter is associated with haemophilia B". Nature. 345 (6274): 444–6. Bibcode:1990Natur.345..444C. doi:10.1038/345444a0. PMID 2342576. S2CID 4261499.
  9. ^ Funnell, AP; Wilson, MD; Ballester, B; Mak, KS; Burdach, J; Magan, N; Pearson, RC; Lemaigre, FP; Stowell, KM; Odom, DT; Flicek, P; Crossley, M (March 2013). "A CpG mutational hotspot in a ONECUT binding site accounts for the prevalent variant of hemophilia B Leyden". American Journal of Human Genetics. 92 (3): 460–7. doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.02.003. PMC 3591849. PMID 23472758.
  10. ^ Crossley, M; Ludwig, M; Stowell, KM; De Vos, P; Olek, K; Brownlee, GG (July 1992). "Recovery from hemophilia B Leyden: an androgen-responsive element in the factor IX promoter". Science. 257 (5068): 377–9. Bibcode:1992Sci...257..377C. doi:10.1126/science.1631558. PMID 1631558.
  11. ^ Wienert, B; Funnell, AP; Norton, LJ; Pearson, RC; Wilkinson-White, LE; Lester, K; Vadolas, J; Porteus, MH; Matthews, JM; Quinlan, KG; Crossley, M (May 2015). "Editing the genome to introduce a beneficial naturally occurring mutation associated with increased fetal globin". Nature Communications. 6 (7085): 377–9. Bibcode:2015NatCo...6.7085W. doi:10.1038/ncomms8085. PMID 25971621.
  12. ^ "Turning the tables: using genetic mutations to fix nature's problems". theconversation.com. 13 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Crossley Lab UNSW Science". unsw.edu.au.
  14. ^ Crossley, M; Whitelaw, E; Perkins, A; Williams, G; Fujiwara, Y; Orkin, SH (April 1996). "Isolation and characterization of the cDNA encoding BKLF/TEF-2, a major CACCC-box-binding protein in erythroid cells and selected other cells" (PDF). Mol. Cell. Biol. 16 (4): 1695–705. doi:10.1128/mcb.16.4.1695. PMC 231156. PMID 8657145.
  15. ^ van Vliet, J; Turner, J; Crossley, M (May 2000). "Human Krüppel-like factor 8: a CACCC-box binding protein that associates with CtBP and represses transcription". Nucleic Acids Research. 28 (9): 1955–62. doi:10.1093/nar/28.9.1955. PMC 103308. PMID 10756197.
  16. ^ van Vliet, J; Crofts, LA; Quinlan, KG; Czolij, R; Perkins, AC; Crossley, M (April 2006). "Human KLF17 is a new member of the Sp/KLF family of transcription factors". Genomics. 87 (4): 474–82. doi:10.1016/j.ygeno.2005.12.011. PMID 16460907.
  17. ^ Perdomo, J; Holmes, M; Chong, B; Crossley, M (December 2000). "Eos and pegasus, two members of the Ikaros family of proteins with distinct DNA binding activities". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 275 (49): 38347–54. doi:10.1074/jbc.M005457200. PMID 10978333.
  18. ^ Perdomo, J; Holmes, M; Chong, B; Crossley, M (December 2000). "Eos and pegasus, two members of the Ikaros family of proteins with distinct DNA binding activities". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 275 (49): 38347–54. doi:10.1074/jbc.M005457200. PMID 10978333.
  19. ^ Tsang, AP; Visvader, JE; Turner, CA; et al. (July 1997). "FOG, a multitype zinc finger protein, acts as a cofactor for transcription factor GATA-1 in erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation". Cell. 90 (1): 109–19. doi:10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80318-9. PMID 9230307. S2CID 2085524.
  20. ^ Holmes, M; Turner, J; Fox, A; Chisholm, O; Crossley, M; Chong, B (August 1999). "hFOG-2, a novel zinc finger protein, binds the co-repressor mCtBP2 and modulates GATA-mediated activation". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 274 (33): 23491–890. doi:10.1074/jbc.274.33.23491. PMID 10438528.
  21. ^ Turner, J; Crossley, M (September 1998). "Cloning and characterization of mCtBP2, a co-repressor that associates with basic Krüppel-like factor and other mammalian transcriptional regulators". EMBO Journal. 17 (17): 5129–40. doi:10.1093/emboj/17.17.5129. PMC 1170841. PMID 9724649.
  22. ^ "theconversation.com/profiles/merlin-crossley-22601/articles". theconversation.com. 15 December 2021.
  23. ^ "The Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing". newsouthpublishing.com.
  24. ^ "Board members - AusSMC - Australian Science Media Centre". www.smc.org.au.
  25. ^ "Australian Museum Trustees". australianmuseum.net.au.
  26. ^ "SIMS is a collaboration which is stronger than its individual parts/articles". sims.org.au.
  27. ^ https://www.gg.gov.au/kings-birthday-2023-honours-list. Retrieved 12 June 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ^ "Winner of 2023 FAOBMB Award for Research Excellence". Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  29. ^ "HE 2021 LEMBERG MEDAL: MERLIN CROSSLEY". Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  30. ^ "2020 Category Winners". 27 October 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Fellows - The Royal Society of NSW". royalsoc.org.au. 18 November 2015.
  32. ^ College, Queen's (22 November 2017). "Fellows - Queen's College - The University of Melbourne - Queen's College - The University of Melbourne". www.queens.unimelb.edu.au.
  33. ^ http://www.lornegenome.asnevents.com.au/index84bb.html?option=com_content&view=article&id=38&Itemid=29[permanent dead link‍]
  34. ^ "Australian Academy of Science - Gottschalk medal". Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  35. ^ "Edgeworth David Medal". Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  36. ^ "Medalists". asbmb.org.au.
  37. ^ "Rhodes Scholars: Complete List, 1903-2013". Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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