Associate Professor Nathan Pavlos

Associate Professor Nathan Pavlos is Head of the Bone Biology and Disease Laboratory within the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Western Australia.

In 2007, Associate Professor Pavlos was awarded a prestigious four-year CJ Martin (Biomedical) Overseas Research Fellowship by the National Health and Research Council of Australia.

His postdoctoral training was in the Department of Neurobiology (Reinhard Jahn), at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany, where he worked on the molecular regulation of synaptic vesicle exo-endocytosis in neurons. He returned to UWA in 2010 to start his own laboratory.

Associate Professor Pavlos’ research program focuses on the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of bone diseases. His team is interested in understanding the contributions of osteoclasts, known as giant bone-degrading cells, which are the major cellular protagonists underlying a number of highly debilitating musculoskeletal diseases including osteoporosis, Paget's disease and tumour-mediated bone loss.

His team uses genetically altered mice as a model organism, together with innovative microscopy-based platforms, to gain novel insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating osteoclast function and to identify potential new therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteoclast-mediated diseases.

Along with his focus on bone biology and disease, Associate Professor Pavlos has a longstanding interest in the molecular regulation and dynamics of membrane and protein trafficking, processes essential for normal cellular function and often seen in many diseases including skeletal disorders, neurological disease, cancer, inflammation and pathogen invasion.

Associate Professor Pavlos holds positions in musculoskeletal health policy and advocacy, serving as treasurer for both the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Research Society, and the Australian and New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society. Associate Professor Pavlos is also the Unit Coordinator for Body Systems and Disease III.