Personal
- Name
- Associate Professor Damien Harkin
- Position(s)
- Associate Professor
Faculty of Health,
School - Biomedical Sciences - IHBI Member
Institute of Health Biomedical Innovation (IHBI),
IHBI Health Projects,
IHBI Biomedical Sciences - Vision - Discipline *
- Optometry and Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Sciences
- Phone
- +61 7 3138 2552
- Fax
- +61 7 3138 6030
- d.harkin@qut.edu.au
- Location
- View location details (QUT staff and student access only)
- Qualifications
-
Doctor of Philosophy (University of Adelaide)
- Professional memberships
and associations Association for Research in Vision and Opthalmology
- Keywords
-
Biomaterials, Cell therapy, Cornea, Epithelium, Histopathology, Limbus, Mesenchymal stromal cells, Retina, Stem cells, Tissue engineering
Biography
Research theme: Health
Research discipline: Medical Sciences
Research program: Ocular Cell Biology Group – Vision Improvement Domain, IHBI
Research areas
Development of fibroin-based materials for ocular tissue reconstruction. Fibroin is a natural protein found in silk and can be readily purified and re-modelled to create scaffolds on which to grow new patient tissue. We have successfully grown corneal cells on fibroin and are extending this work to include retinal cells.
Retinal diseases associated with ageing. One of the primary factors associated with increasing retinal disease in Australia is simply age. Our program therefore hopes to identify potential ways of reversing the ageing process within the retina through a combination of cell-based and clinical studies.
Rapid assessment of squamous cell carcinoma in the eye. Squamous cell carcinoma while commonly known as a form of skin cancer also affects the surface of the eye. We are developing a screening tool which we hope will facilitate more effective assessment and treatment of these cancerous lesions.
Areas of expertise:
- Ocular surface epithelia
- Limbal stem cells
- Cell based therapies
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell culture, histology, microscopy
Current grants:
IHBI Seed Grant, 2007. $64,704: A pilot study of RPE cell responses to vitronectin, IGF family proteins and hypoxia – in relation to age related maculopathy.
Selected research projects:
- Trial of cultured limbal epithelial grafts for limbal repair.
- Development of silk protein (fibroin) based scaffolds for ocular cells.
- Development of novel markers for stromal cells within the ocular surface.
- Optimisation of growth factor requirements for cultured ocular cells.
- Investigation of RPE cell responses to vitronectin, IGF family proteins and hypoxia – in relation to age related maculopathy.
Curriculum vitae and the full list of publications, please download Damien Harkin´s CV (PDF 144kb)
Teaching
Publications
- Harkin DG, George KA, Madden P, Schwab I, Hutmacher D, Chirila T, (2011) Silk fibroin in ocular tissue reconstruction, Biomaterials p2445-2458
- Ainscough LL, Linn M, Barnard Z, Schwab I, Harkin DG, (2011) Effects of fibroblast origin and phenotype on the proliferative potential of limbal epithelial progenitor cells, Experimental Eye Research p10-19
- Chirila T, Harkin DG, Hirst L, Schwab I, Barnard Z, Zainuddin , (2009) Reconstruction of the ocular surface using biomaterials, Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine in Ophthalmology p213-242
- Ainscough LL, Feigl B, Malda J, Harkin DG, (2009) Discovery and characterization of IGFBP-mediated endocytosis in the human retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19, Experimental Eye Research p629-637
- Chirila T, Barnard Z, Zainuddin Z, Harkin DG, Schwab I, Hirst L, (2008) Bombyx mori silk fibroin membranes as potential substrata for epithelial constructs used in the management of ocular surface disorders, Tissue Engineering Part A: Tissue Engineering p1203-1211
- Zainuddin Z, Barnard Z, Keen I, Hill DJ, Chirila T, Harkin DG, (2008) PHEMA hydrogels modified through the grafting of phosphate groups by ATRP support the attachment and growth of human corneal epithelial cells, Journal of Biomaterials Applications p147-168
- Upton Z, Cuttle L, Noble A, Kempf M, Topping G, Malda J, Xie Y, Mill J, Harkin DG, Kravchuk O, Leavesley DI, Kimble R, (2008) Vitronectin : Growth Factor Complexes Hold Potential as a Wound Therapy Approach, Journal of Investigative Dermatology p1535-1544
- Ainscough L, Barnard Z, Upton Z, Harkin DG, (2006) Vitronectin Supports Migratory Responses of Corneal Epithelial Cells to Substrate Bound IGF-I and HGF, and Facilitates Serum-Free Cultivation, Experimental Eye Research p1505-1514
- Schwab I, Johnson N, Harkin DG, (2006) Inherent Risks Associated With Manufacture of Bioengineered Ocular Surface Tissue, Archives of Ophthalmology p1734-1740
- Harkin DG, Dawson RA, Upton Z, (2006) Optimized Delivery of Skin Keratinocytes by Aerosolization and Suspension in Fibrin Tissue Adhesive, Wound Repair and Regeneration p354-363
For more publications by this staff member, visit QUT ePrints, the University's research repository.
Supervision
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
- IGF: VN Complexes and their Role in Breast Cell migration (2008)
- Improved Strategies for the Cultivation of Human Limbal Epithelial (HLE) Grafts (2008)
- Novel Growth Factor Complexes for Bone Tissue Engineering (2007)
- Towards Feeder-Free and Serum-Free Growth Cells (2007)
- The Functional Consequences of the Interactions Between Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs), Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Proteins (IGFBPs) and Vitronectin (VN) and their Involvement in Skin (2006)
