Clare Hawkins joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences in March 2017, after nearly 20 years in Sydney at the Heart Research Institute, where she held the position of Scientific Director and the Inflammation Group Leader. She is a former Australian Research Council Future Fellow, and Principal Research Fellow within Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, and has held other prestigious Research Fellowships including an R.D. Wright Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and a Career Development Award from the Australian National Heart Foundation. Her research is focused on understanding the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in driving lesion development in atherosclerosis.

Chronic inflammation is the major driving force of the disease atherosclerosis, which is characterised by the accumulation of lipid in infiltrating macrophages in the artery wall. The disease progresses over decades to form complex fatty lesions that lead to the clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction and stroke. The over-production of various chemical oxidants during inflammation and the resulting oxidative stress plays a key role in lesion development. Our research is focused on understanding how oxidants produced during inflammation modify the structure and function of biological molecules and cells associated with the arterial wall. We are also interested in gaining a greater understanding of how immune cell extracellular traps contribute to the development of lesions and other types of disease. Our overall goal is to develop more targeted therapies to prevent lesion formation and slow the progression of atherosclerosis, which might also be relevant to diabetic complications and other types of inflammatory pathologies.

Our group is working to gain a more detailed understanding of how inflammatory oxidants and extracellular traps contribute to the development of disease to allow us to design new strategies to therapeutically target these reactions. Our aim is to develop a treatment to limit damaging reactions to the host during chronic inflammation without compromising innate immune defences.

Projects

More details about our projects can be found at the Redox Biology webpage

Understanding the protective mechanisms of selenocyanate in chronic inflammatory disease.
This project investigates a new approach to reduce tissue damage during chronic inflammatory diseases like atherosclerosis without compromising innate immunity.

Examining the role of post-translational histone modification in inflammation.
This project examines the dark side of histones, the nuclear proteins that package DNA but can promote organ failure and death when outside the cell.

Understanding the role of macrophage extracellular traps in disease.
This project investigates a potential new pathway by which macrophages promote lipid accumulation and lesion development in atherosclerosis.

Investigating the role of nucleic acid modification in diabetes and inflammatory disease.
This project examines how the oxidative modification of RNA and DNA perturbs cellular function to promote inflammation, pancreatic islet dysfunction and vascular damage.

Education
BSc(Hons) Chemistry, University of York, UK (1993)
PhD Chemistry, University of York, UK (1997)

Previous Positions

• 2015 – 2016 Scientific Director, Heart Research Institute, Sydney
• 2007 – 2016 Group Leader, Inflammation Group, Heart Research Institute, Sydney
• 2011 – 2016 Principal Research Fellow, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney
• 2014 – 2015 Acting Scientific Director, Heart Research Institute, Sydney
• 2000 – 2007 Senior Research Fellow, Free Radical Group, Heart Research Institute, Sydney
• 2004 – 2010 Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney
• 2001 – 2004 Honorary Academic Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney
• 1997 – 2000 Postdoctoral Research Officer, Free Radical Group, Heart Research Institute, Sydney

Scientific Qualifications
1998 Chartered Chemist, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
2017 Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK

Fellowships and Awards:

• 2018: Lifetime Achievement Award and Lecture, Society for Free Radical Research (Australasia).
• 2018: Leopold Flohe Redox Pioneer Award and Lecture, Society for Free Radical Research (Europe).
• 2016: Blackmore’s Mentor of the Year Award, HRI.
• 2013-16: Australian Research Council Future Fellowship.
• 2009-12: Career Development Fellowship, National Heart Foundation, Australia.
• 2003-8: R. Douglas Wright Biomedical Fellowship, National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia.

Professional Experience

Scientific Societies 
From 2021 Secretary-General, Society for Free Radical Research (Europe)
2019 – 2020 Council Member, Society for Free Radical Research (Europe)
2013 – 2014 President of the Society for Free Radical Research (Australasia)
2010 – 2012 President-Elect of the Society for Free Radical Research (Australasia)
2004 – 2007 Secretary of the Society for Free Radical Research (Australasia)

Editorial Board Positions
Associate Editor, Biochemistry Society Transactions
Editorial Boards of Redox Biochemistry and Chemistry, Chemical Research in Toxicology, BioFactors, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Redox Report

Postgraduate Research Coordination
2009 – 2015 Sub-Dean for Postgraduate Research, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney
2012 – 2016 Deputy Associate Dean (Postgraduate Research) / Deputy Chair, Research Sub-Committee of the Combined Board of Postgraduate Studies (Dentistry, Medicine and Pharmacy), University of Sydney

Bibliometrics
4 book chapters and 120 peer-reviewed journal articles (100 original research papers and 20 invited review articles/commentaries), in high-quality, journals, which have attracted > 7000 citations, contributing to an H-index of 46 (Scopus) or 54 (from Google Scholar). Co-chief Editor of “Mammalian Peroxidases in Health and Disease” with W.M. Nauseef, CRC Press, Informa, Boca Raton, 2021. 

International relations
In last 10 years > 30 invited lectures at international meetings (in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Portugal, USA, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, UK) and online webinars / virtual conferences. Chair (main organiser) of the Gordon Conference on Oxygen Radicals (to be held in 2026, Ventura, USA) and Discussion Leader of this conference in 2018, 2020 and 2024. Organising Committees / Scientific Advisory Panels for 12 international conferences, Symposium Organiser for 4 international meetings. Active collaborations with other scientists within UCPH and other research institutions and disciplines, nationally and internationally.

Supervision and mentoring
Experienced research supervisor of BSc, MSc, PhD students and Postdocs, guiding more than 30 PhD students to successful completion. Mentor for Postdocs and Assistant Professors within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH and internationally with Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, and Society for Free Radical Research (Europe). Departmental supervisor for Assistant Professors completing the UCPH pedagogical teaching course. Previously, a mentor for women in science, University of Sydney.