Sue Fletcher is an Australian scientist who is a professor and lecturer at the

University of Western Australia University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Crawley, Western Australia, Crawley, a suburb in the City of Perth local government area. UW ...

and a Senior Principal Research Fellow at

Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses also in Singapore and Dubai. It began operations as the state's second university on 25 July 1973, and accepted its first undergraduate students in 1975. Its ...

. She studies the field of molecular and

cell biology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living an ...

and holds the position of chief scientific officer at PYC therapeutics. Currently her research is focused on inherited retinal disease, the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain, spinal cord and retina. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity o ...

and neurodegeneration. Alongside Professor Steve Winton she developed novel treatments for

Duchenne muscular dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy predominantly affecting boys. The onset of muscle weakness typically begins around age four, with rapid progression. Initially, muscle loss occurs in the thighs and pe ...

, including

eteplirsen Eteplirsen (brand name Exondys 51) is a medication to treat, but not cure, some types of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), caused by a specific mutation. Eteplirsen only targets specific mutations and can be used to treat about 14% of DMD cases. ...

, which was the first of its kind to be approved by the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

in 2016. In 2021 she was appointed an

Officer 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 ...

for "distinguished service to medical research, to neurological science, and to the treatment and support of those with Muscular Dystrophy".

Career and research

Fletcher completed an undergraduate degree at the

University of Zimbabwe The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the Univers ...

. She then moved to Perth, where she completed a PhD at the University of Western Australia, with her thesis titled "The expression of alpha₂-macroglobulin, alpha₁-acid glycoprotein and thiostatin in the developing rat : in vivo and in vitro studies". Between 1991 and 2013 she work as a Principal Research Fellow under the Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders. From 2013 onwards she has worked for Murdoch University. Between 2015 and 2019 she was appointed the deputy director of the Centre for Comparative Genomics.

Awards and honours

* Western Australian Innovator of the Year Award, 2012 * Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, 2013 * Eureka Prize for Medical Research Translation, Australia Museum, 2013 ''(jointly with Professor Wilton)'' * Officer of the Order of Australia, 2021 * Fellow of the

Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences is an academy to promote health and medical sciences in Australia. It was established in June 2014. It cites "The Academy will serve the three purposes identified as of high priority in the 2 ...

, 2022

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Sue Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Officers of the Order of Australia Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences University of Zimbabwe alumni University of Western Australia alumni Academic staff of the University of Western Australia Academic staff of Murdoch University