Brian James Morris is an Australian

molecular biologist Molecular biology is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecule, molecular basis of biological activity in and between Cell (biology), cells, including biomolecule, biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactio ...

and medical researcher known for his work in the fields of

hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...

molecular genetics Molecular genetics is a branch of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms. Molecular genetics often applies an "investigative approach" to determine the st ...

, and the development of medical technologies. He is a Professor Emeritus at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

and has had a distinguished career in academic research, teaching, and clinical innovations. His work has led to contributions to medical science, including the invention of the first

polymerase chain reaction The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample rapidly, allowing scientists to amplify a very small sample of DNA (or a part of it) sufficiently to enable detailed st ...

(PCR) test for viral detection, which he patented and applied to

human papillomavirus Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) is caused by a DNA virus from the ''Papillomaviridae'' family. Many HPV infections cause no symptoms and 90% resolve spontaneously within two years. In some cases, an HPV infection persists and r ...

(HPV) screening for

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...

prevention.

Education

Morris grew up in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, South Australia, where he graduated from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

in 1972. He then completed his PhD at

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

and the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

in 1975. From 1975–1978 he did

postdoctoral research A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary acade ...

at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

, and the

University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It is part of the University of California system and is dedic ...

, first as a CJ Martin fellow, and then as an Advanced Fellow of the

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate Heart, cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability ...

Career

Morris was appointed as a lecturer at the University of Sydney in 1978 and advanced through the academic ranks, becoming a Professor of Molecular Medical Sciences in 1999. In 2013, he was appointed Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney. He has also served in various leadership roles within the university, including mentoring postgraduate students and overseeing research projects. He retired, with appointment to Professor Emeritus taking effect in January, 2014.

Research

Morris is best known for his invention of the first PCR-based test for viral detection that has had a profound impact on viral testing. His work in this area led to the development of a more accurate and effective method for identifying

(HPV) infections, which are known to cause most cervical cancers. His work, patented in the late 1980s, was later incorporated into national screening programs globally, including the Australian National Cervical Screening Program, which transitioned to HPV testing in 2017. Morris has made contributions to the understanding of

and its application in medicine. His research has focused on hypertension,

molecular biology Molecular biology is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecule, molecular basis of biological activity in and between Cell (biology), cells, including biomolecule, biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactio ...

, genetics, and

cancer prevention Cancer prevention is the practice of taking active measures to decrease the incidence of cancer and mortality. The practice of prevention depends on both individual efforts to improve lifestyle and seek preventive screening, and socioeconomic ...

, with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular health and the molecular mechanisms underlying disease. Morris studied the

Renin–angiotensin system The renin–angiotensin system (RAS), or renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), is a hormone system that regulates blood pressure, fluid, and electrolyte balance, and systemic vascular resistance. When renal blood flow is reduced, ...

(RAS) for most of his career. His interest in the RAS began during his undergraduate studies, when he worked for a while in the laboratory where Eugenie Lumbers had just found early clues to the existence of prorenin (the

protein precursor A protein precursor, also called a pro-protein or pro-peptide, is an inactive protein (or peptide) that can be turned into an active form by post-translational modification, such as breaking off a piece of the molecule or adding on another molecule ...

renin Renin ( etymology and pronunciation), also known as an angiotensinogenase, is an aspartic protease protein and enzyme secreted by the kidneys that participates in the body's renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)—also known as the reni ...

) during her PhD work. He remained interested in the field, and had the good fortune to move to the University of California, San Francisco in the mid-1970s, a centre for the development of the tools of

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

and

molecular cloning Molecular cloning is a set of experimental methods in molecular biology that are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and to direct their DNA replication, replication within Host (biology), host organisms. The use of the word ''cloning'' re ...

. He joined others in applying those tools to RAS, and was among the pioneers is isolating the gene for

itself, along with the prorenin and

kallikrein Kallikreins are a subgroup of serine proteases, enzymes capable of cleaving peptide bonds in proteins. In humans, plasma kallikrein (encoded by ''KLKB1 gene'') has no known paralogue, while tissue kallikrein-related peptidases (''KLKs'') encode a f ...

genes, and the cardiac

myosin Myosins () are a Protein family, family of motor proteins (though most often protein complexes) best known for their roles in muscle contraction and in a wide range of other motility processes in eukaryotes. They are adenosine triphosphate, ATP- ...

heavy chain gene. He and his team were among first to elucidate the

biosynthetic pathway In biochemistry, a metabolic pathway is a linked series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. The reactants, products, and intermediates of an enzymatic reaction are known as metabolites, which are modified by a sequence of chemical re ...

of renin, as well as key molecular mechanisms in renin's transcriptional and posttranscriptional control. Taking that work further, he helped pioneer the field of genetic variation in hypertension. Morris has been active in the

public debate Public debate may mean simply debating by the public, or in public. The term is also used for a particular formal style of debate in a competitive or educational context. Two teams of two compete through six rounds of argument, giving persuasiv ...

around circumcision. He has described pro-vaccination medical organisations, such as the

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and New Zealand. Known by its common acronym RACS, it is a not-for-profit organisation, supp ...

, who are not in favour of routine non-therapeutic circumcision, as like anti-vaccination advocates. He has, however, also remarked that parents should "weigh up all of the pros and cons for themselves and make their own best decision". In the 2000s, he began to study the genetics of longevity, including the roles of

FOXO3 Forkhead box O3, also known as FOXO3 or FOXO3a, is a human protein encoded by the ''FOXO3'' gene. Function FOXO3 belongs to the O subclass of the forkhead family of transcription factors which are characterized by a distinct fork head DNA- ...

and the

sirtuins Sirtuins are a family of signaling proteins involved in metabolic regulation. They are ancient in animal evolution and appear to possess a highly conserved structure throughout all kingdoms of life. Chemically, sirtuins are a class of proteins ...

. Morris has been a principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous research grants, including a significant US$15 million NIH Centre of Excellence grant for which he has led publication output since 2012. Morris has been a frequent contributor to national and international media on issues related to public health. He has appeared on TV and radio programs, including interviews on Australia's "

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

" and several US television networks.

Awards and honours

He was awarded the

Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society. It is the oldest learned society in the Southern Hemisphere. The Society traces its ...

Edgeworth David Medal The Edgeworth David Medal is awarded annually by the Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Societ ...

in 1985 and in 1993 the University of Sydney awarded him a DSc. In 2003 he was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research. In 2010 he gave the Lewis K. Dahl Memorial lecture, an award sponsored by the Council for High Blood Pressure Research in association with the American Heart Association. In 2014 the AHA awarded him the Irvine Page—Alva Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award. He was made a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the Queens Birthday Honours Awards in 2018. He received The Paul Korner Senior Scientist Award (2023) from the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia and Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award (2023) from the American Heart Association's Council on Hypertension.

Selected publications

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References

External links

CircInfo.net
Morris' website on circumcision {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Brian 1950 births Australian biologists Circumcision debate Living people Monash University alumni Members of the Order of Australia University of Adelaide alumni University of Melbourne alumni University of Missouri staff Academic staff of the University of Sydney