Peter Klinken
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Professor Peter Klinken AC |
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|---|---|
| 3rd Chief Scientist of Western Australia | |
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Assumed office 10 June 2014 |
|
| Minister | Dave Kelly |
| Preceded by | Lyn Beazley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Svend Peter Klinken Singapore |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Aquinas College, Perth |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
Svend Peter Klinken (AC PhD FAHMS FTSE CitWA) is an Australian medical researcher and academic. He is currently the Chief Scientist of Western Australia. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in June 2017.
Klinken was born in 1953 in Singapore. He attended Aquinas College, Perth (Western Australia) from 1966 to 1970. In 1975 he obtained a Bachelor of Science (1st Class Honours) in Biochemistry from the University of Western Australia (UWA). He obtained a PhD in Biochemistry and a Diploma of Education from UWA in 1982.
While writing his PhD thesis, Klinken taught at Scotch College, Perth (Western Australia) from 1981 to 1983. After being awarded his PhD, he received a Fellowship from the Fogarty International Center at the US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland (1984-1986). He then returned to Australia and worked as a post-doctoral Fellow at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne 1987–1988. In 1989, he returned to an academic position at UWA, where he received two "Excellence in Teaching" Awards. In 1994 he was appointed UWA Professor of Clinical Biochemistry based at the Royal Perth Hospital, and in 2000 he became Director of Research at the Hospital.
Klinken’s research interests include the regulation of red blood cell formation, and the ability of leukemic cells to develop different features and functions. He has a long-standing interest in identifying genes, which when altered can cause leukemia and other cancers. During his career on the genetic causes of cancer, his laboratory team identified two genes (Mlf1 and Hls5) implicated in the development of leukemias and cancers. His team participated in the Japanese-led FANTOM5 international consortium that investigated cellular trancriptomics.
Klinken played a key role in establishing the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) in 1998, which later became known as the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. During his tenure as Executive Director from 2002 to 2014, the Institute grew from 63 to over 250 researchers and staff, and established a number of spin-off companies including Linear Clinical Research, an early Phase clinical trials facility. Under his stewardship, the Institute attracted world-class researchers to Western Australia and made numerous acclaimed medical discoveries. He also spearheaded the $200m development of state-of-the-art medical research facilities for the Harry Perkins Institute at the QEII Medical Centre and the Fiona Stanley Hospital. After stepping down as Executive Director of the Institute, he remained a Professor at UWA.
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