PROFILE
Professor Wendy Erber
Started at UWA: 2011
Developing new technologies to save lives
Professor Wendy Erber is a world-renowned haematologist and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Medical School.
After studying medicine at the University of Sydney, Professor Erber specialised in haematology at the Royal North Shore Hospital of Sydney and then the University of Oxford under a Rhodes Scholarship. Professor Erber also holds a Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford.
Professor Erber was a lecturer in haematology at the University of Cambridge before returning to Australia in 2011 to start her role as Chair and Head of the School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UWA, now known as the Medical School.
Professor Erber continues to undertake diagnostic and translational haematology research. Most recently her research team developed Immuno-flowFISH, an automated method for rapid leukaemia detection for which they won the 2018 Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology.
With a passion for uncovering new technologies to improve haematology diagnostics, especially in relation to haematological malignancies, Professor Erber has become a world leader in this research field.
Professor Erber specialises in three main research areas:
- Pathological basis of fibrosis in myeloproliferative neoplasms
- Imaging flow cytometry and its use for detection of chromosomal abnormalities in immunophenotyped cells (with a patent pending on the Immuno-flowFISH)
- Translation of biological discoveries for clinical pathology practice with an emphasis on haematological malignancies
Having been published in more than 160 peer-reviewed journals, as well as three books and 14 chapters, Professor Erber is known for her extensive haematology knowledge, inspiring teaching and strong mentorship and supervision.
Professor Erber likes to give back to the local community and resource-constrained countries by sharing her in-depth medical knowledge with those in need.
Awarded the Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology, 2018
Won the Research Innovation and Enterprise Award at the IQ Awards, 2018
Admitted as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, 2015
Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford
Became an Honorary Life Member of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion
Finalist, Scientist of the Year, Premiers Science Award (WA), 2020
Funding
2018 – 2019
Ruby Red Foundation
- “A novel blood-based approach to predict fibrotic progression in myeloproliferative neoplasms”
- Guo, B., Allcock, R., Erber, W., Fuller, K. & Linden, M.
Perpetual Philanthropic Services
- “IMPACT philanthropy - Myeloproliferative neoplasms: Predicting and preventing progression to bone marrow failure”
- Erber, W., Allcock, R., Fuller, K., Guo, B. & Linden, M.
Cancer Council Australia
- “Improved diagnostic testing for better breast cancer outcomes”
- Meehan, K., Dessauvagie, B., Erber, W. & Redfern, A.
Cancer Council Australia
- “Ultra-sensitive minimally-invasive molecular disease monitoring of acute myeloid leukaemia”
- Allcock, R., Erber, W. & Guo, B.
2016 – 2018
Garnett Passe & Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation
- “Conjoint grant - Assessing the prognostic value of mechanisms that facilitate the metastatic potential in oral carcinomas”
- Lim, A., Dewar, J., Erber, W., Meehan, K. & Millward, M.
News
UWA team wins Eureka prize
UWA researchers Professor Wendy Erber, Dr Kathryn Fuller and Henry Hui were presented with the Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology for developing an automated method for rapid leukaemia detection.
Read more2018 IQ Awards celebrate new inventions
Professor Wendy Erber, Dr Kathy Fuller and PhD student Henry Hui from UWA’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences won the Research Innovation and Enterprise Award for developing Immuno-flowFISH, a device that will significantly improve the ability to identify genetic changes in leukaemia cancer cells.
Read more