THERAPY TO PREVENT HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN PEOPLE WITH LIVER CIRRHOSIS
Professor John Olynyk, Liver Specialist, Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist,
Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals
South Metropolitan Health Service, Western Australia &
Associate Director, Clinical Engagement,
Curtin Medical Research Institute, Curtin University, Western Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Perth, Western Australia | February 2026
Professor John Olynyk is a Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist with over 30 years’ experience, primarily at The Fiona Stanley & Fremantle Hospital Group. He planned the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Service for the Fiona Stanley Hospital and was Head Department from 2010 until 2020.
Professor John Olynyk was appointed as Associate Dean and Head of the Medical Discipline at Curtin University in 2023 until 2025 and is now Associate Director, Clinical Engagement, Curtin Medical Research Institute, Curtin University.
Professor John Olynyk has a long and productive history of research in the field of haemochromatosis, liver disease and iron metabolism. He has sustained 27 years of continuous funding from the NHMRC and published over 270 peer reviewed publications with nearly 20,000 citations. He is patron of Haemochromatosis Australia and currently serves on the Royal Australasian College of Physicians overseas trained physicians assessment panel.
He has been a member of multiple national and international professional organisations. He was a keynote speaker at the UK Liver Cancer Meeting at Cambridge University in 2024. Currently he is leading a multicentre, international NHMRC-funded clinical trial examining whether aspirin therapy can prevent hepatocellular carcinoma in people with cirrhosis.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0417-3411
-
Paediatric obesity prevention, nutrition and dietetics
Leveraging a systems-based and collaborative approach, Dr Littlewood over the past 25 years has driven research and data outcomes in the area of health and wellbeing. Dr Littlewood leads a dedicated team focused on making healthy happen for all Queenslanders, with a particular focus on improving health outcomes for the next generation.
-
Gerontological physiotherapy in falls prevention and prehabilitation
Dr Rik Dawson is a gerontological physiotherapist and health leader dedicated to improving healthy ageing through evidence-based physiotherapy, digital health and health system reform. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney, and President of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, he combines research and policy to improve access to high quality care for older people.
-
Muscle Cell Communication and Repair
Dr. William Roman is a Group Leader at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University. He obtained his PhD from Paris Descartes University and Freie University of Berlin, focusing on nuclear positioning during skeletal muscle development. Dr. Roman’s research journey has taken him across the globe, including postdoctoral work in Barcelona, tissue engineering in Lisbon, and a brief stint at Stanford University.
At ARMI, Dr. Roman leads innovative research on intercellular communication within muscle organs. His work involves growing human muscles on chips to understand how skeletal muscle cells interact with neurons and tendons. This research aims to develop better models for studying muscle diseases, drug screening, and even applications in cellular agriculture and biorobotics.
