Rate My Professor Paul Gleeson

Professor Paul Gleeson is a distinguished molecular cell biologist and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne. He obtained his PhD from the University of Melbourne in 1980 and conducted postdoctoral studies on the biosynthesis and function of glycoproteins at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the National Institute for Medical Research in Mill Hill, London, and the Department of Biochemistry at La Trobe University, Melbourne. In 1986, he established an independent research laboratory at Monash University, where he defined the targeting signals of Golgi glycosyltransferases, identified golgins of the trans-Golgi network, and developed one of the best-defined mouse models of organ-specific autoimmune disease, namely autoimmune gastritis. He moved to the University of Melbourne in 2001, was appointed Professor of Biochemistry, and served as Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from 2003 to 2011 and subsequently as Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology. He has been a visiting scientist at the EMBL in Heidelberg and the Institut Curie in Paris.

The research of the Gleeson laboratory, located at the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, elucidates the molecular mechanisms of membrane trafficking and protein sorting in the secretory and endocytic pathways using differentiated primary cells such as macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, with implications for diseases including Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Key projects funded by NHMRC and ARC investigate anterograde and endocytic trafficking in neurons relevant to BACE1 and APP dysfunction in Alzheimer's, the function of the Golgi ribbon structure, and intracellular trafficking of recycling receptors for therapeutic proteins. His seminal publications include "Macropinocytosis: an endocytic pathway for internalising large gulps" (Lim and Gleeson, Immunology and Cell Biology, 2011; cited 968 times), "Pernicious anemia" (Toh, Van Driel and Gleeson, New England Journal of Medicine, 1997; cited 810 times), "Ligand-regulated transport of the Menkes copper P-type ATPase efflux pump from the Golgi apparatus to the plasma membrane" (Petris et al., EMBO Journal, 1996; cited 757 times), and "The role of innate immune responses and neuroinflammation in amyloid accumulation and progression of Alzheimer's disease" (Webers, Heneka and Gleeson, Immunology and Cell Biology, 2020; cited 376 times). With over 17,000 citations on Google Scholar, his contributions have profoundly impacted the fields of cell biology and glycosciences. Notable honors include appointment as Professor Emeritus in 2021, the ANZSCDB President's Medal for research excellence in 2024, and a five-year Honorary Membership from the Australian Glycoscience Society.