Career Recognition Award for Professor Helen O’Neill 2024

Career biography

Professor Helen O’Neill commenced at Bond University as Professor of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology in 2015 and was appointed as Director of the Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine in 2016. Other academic appointments include Emeritus Professor, Australian National University and Former Fellow, Stanford University.

Research experience has been in the fields of stem cell biology and immunology with a history of publication in experimental hematology and hematopoietic stems cells and their differentiation. Recent important findings relate to hematopoiesis in the spleen, and definition of myelopoiesis unique to spleen.

Since joining Bond University in 2015, research interests have expanded to retinal cell differentiation with a view to development of a stem cell therapy for treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

HDR supervision

34 higher degree research supervisions, with 16 as sole supervisor and 18 as co-supervisor.

Grant success

Professor Helen O’Neill during her career has been awarded 42 research grants totalling $9.4 million, with 10 research grants worth $6.8 million awarded since joining Bond University. Recent grant funding include:

  • Clem Jones Foundation
  • Cutmore Bequest
  • 2021 Clem Jones Foundation grant ‘Pre-clinical development of a stem cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)’
  • NHRMC Ideas grant ‘Investigating microRNAs as key regulators in a novel communication pathway driving retinal degeneration’ (2021-2024).
  • NHMRC Ideas grant ‘Retinal stem cell therapy in the immunoprivileged eye’ (2020-2023).

Contribution to the research field/sector

Professor Helen O’Neill has a H-index of 27, including 194 publications and 2,620 citations, with a ResearchGate authorship score of 42.24 within the top 2.5% of all members.

Research expertise is in the development of mature cells from stem and progenitor cells, characterisation of the stem cell niche and immune cell development and hematopoiesis.

Continuing interest in the spleen as an alternative site for hematopoiesis beyond bone marrow, for the development of immune cells from stem cells in spleen. This has significant clinical relevance since the spleen has unique regenerative capacity.

The Clem Jones Centre of Regenerative Medicine has developed new and exacting culture methods and procedures for stem cell isolation and study that will form the basis of future work on stem cell differentiation and tissue regeneration.

Professor O’Neill has established a global presence, with 16 national and international collaborators.

Leadership and mentoring

During this time as Director of Clem Jones Centre of Regenerative Medicine, the Centre has undergone immense growth and success. This is demonstrated through research strategy, funding attainment, recruitment, and innovation which has heavily contributed to the research profile of HSM and the University as a whole.

Professor O’Neill’s biggest strength lies with her commitment to people development. Her focus on mentoring and career building early/mid-career researchers and higher degree research students has become a primary driver in the Centre’s success.

Professor O’Neill has led the recent development of stem cell therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in the Centre, with a patent portfolio for the clinical translation of research. Long-term planning and management have set clear and relevant goals to take Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cell technology from the laboratory to clinical trial, with an emphasis on commercialisation of this Bond developed technology.