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Prof Nina Tirnitz-Parker AM

Director Curtin MRI and Co-Director Liver Cancer Collaborative

Head of Liver Disease and Regeneration

"I have always been driven by curiosity and a desire to understand how things work, why they function the way they do, and what happens when they stop working properly. This curiosity naturally led me into research, particularly in the fields of chronic liver disease and liver cancer, where many important questions remain unanswered and have significant implications for patients. What I enjoy most about research is not only uncovering new biological insights, but also building strong teams, mentoring and developing people, and creating environments where ideas and collaborations can thrive. I am continually looking for ways to improve processes and outcomes, whether in scientific discovery, leadership, or collaborative problem solving."

About

Professor Janina (Nina) E. E. Tirnitz-Parker AM is Professor of Hepatology and Cancer Research, Director of the Curtin Medical Research Institute (Curtin MRI), and Head of the Liver Disease and Regeneration Programme at Curtin University. She is Internationally recognised for her expertise in chronic liver disease, liver regeneration, and liver cancer, her research focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive liver injury, scarring, regeneration, and cancer development, with the aim of translating scientific discoveries into improved diagnostics, therapies, and patient outcomes.

Originally from Germany, Professor Tirnitz-Parker completed her PhD at The University of Western Australia in 2008 before establishing her independent research group at Curtin University in 2011. She now leads multidisciplinary research teams and major collaborative initiatives, including the Liver Cancer Collaborative, which she co-founded and co-directs ( www.livercancercollaborative.au). This statewide initiative brings together researchers, clinicians, industry partners, and research platforms across Western Australia to advance collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to liver cancer research and improve patient outcomes.

Alongside her research leadership, Professor Tirnitz-Parker plays an active role in shaping state and national research strategy, governance, and advocacy through a range of board, advisory, and professional leadership positions. Her contributions include serving multiple consecutive terms as an elected Board Director of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia and supporting initiatives that strengthen research excellence, collaboration, and health equity across Australia.

 
  • Elected Board Director, Gastroenterological Society of Australia, 2019-2020, 2021-2023 and 2023-2025
  • Strategic Governance Portfolio Lead, Gastroenterological Society of Australia, 2023-2025
  • Fellow of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia, 2022-current
  • WA Representative, GESA Regional, Remote and Indigenous Health Working Group, 2024-current
  • Member, WA Melanoma Research Strategy Advisory Group, current
  • Member, WA-NHMRC Working Group, current
  • Member, RAINE Awards and Prizes Advisory Committee, 2023-current
  • Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors, 2021
  • National Research and Grants Committee Chair, Gastroenterological Society of Australia, 2019-2020
  • National Research and Grants Committee Member, Gastroenterological Society of Australia, 2017-2019
  • National Translational Science Representative, Australian Liver Association, 2015-2019
  • Grant review panel member, external assessor and international expert reviewer for major national and international funding bodies, including NHMRC, MRFF, ARC, NAT-Net, UKRI, National Science Centre Poland, Dutch Research Council, Dutch Digestive Foundation, Israel Science Foundation, and others.
  • Regular reviewer for leading international journals in hepatology, cancer research, regenerative medicine and translational science, including Nature, Journal of Hepatology, Hepatology, Gut, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and others
  • Member of the Order of Australia, for significant service to biomedical science, 2025
  • School of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences Research Impact Award, 2025
  • Best Publication Award, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, for Carlessi et al., Cell Genomics, 2023
  • Fellow of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia, 2022
  • Curtinnovation Awards Overall Winner, Team Nina Tirnitz-Parker, Rodrigo Carlessi and John Olynyk, 2021
  • Curtin Faculty of Health Inclusive and Consumer-Oriented Research Award, 2021
  • WA Young Tall Poppy Science Award, 2020
  • Selection for Homeward Bound, international leadership initiative for women in STEMM, 2018; Antarctica expedition 2019
  • Defeating Primary Liver Cancer Program Grant, Liver Cancer Collaborative, 2020-2029, approximately $20 million, Co-Lead Investigator
  • Centre for RNA Therapeutics in Cancer Program Grant, 2024-2029, $12.1 million, Investigator
  • NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Grant APP2041836, 2025-2030, $5.12 million, Chief Investigator
  • NHMRC Project Grant APP1160323, 2019-2023, $997,485, Chief Investigator A
  • NHMRC Project Grant APP1087125, 2015-2018, $599,194, Chief Investigator
  • NHMRC Project Grant APP1031330, 2012-2014, $562,350, Chief Investigator
  • ARC LIEF Grant, Single Cell Genomics, 2017, $410,000, Chief Investigator
  • ARC LIEF Grant, CyTOF Mass Cytometry, 2015, $440,000, Chief Investigator

Email: CurtinMRI.Admin@curtin.edu.au
TEL:  +61 (08) 9266 1649
ORCID
Google Scholar
LinkedIn
Liver Cancer Collaborative Webpage
Curtin Staff Profilee

Research Focus

Professor Tirnitz-Parker’s research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive chronic liver disease, regeneration and liver cancer. Her team discovered disease-associated hepatocytes, a high-risk liver cell state with prognostic potential in fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, and continues to investigate how these cells contribute to disease progression and cancer development.

Her programme has a long-standing interest in liver cell plasticity, liver progenitor cell responses, ductular reaction biology and cytokine signalling, including how inflammatory pathways influence tissue repair, fibrosis and tumour formation. This work connects fundamental liver biology with translational approaches to better understand why some patients progress from chronic liver injury to cancer.

The team uses single-cell and single-nucleus genomics, methylomics, patient-derived organoids, liver tissue analysis and clinically linked blood samples to study disease progression, biomarker development and treatment response. Through the Liver Cancer Collaborative, these discovery platforms are integrated with clinical cohorts, consumer input and therapeutic testing approaches, with the aim of improving risk prediction, early detection, recurrence monitoring and personalised treatment for people with chronic liver disease and liver cancer.

Research Team

Dr Jennifer Currenti

Research Fellow

Dr Rodrigo Carlessi

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Saurabh Gupta

Research Fellow

Saskia Saville

PhD Student

Danamma Kalavikatte

PhD Student

Tristan Smith

Honours Student

Publications

Dwyer, B. J., E. J. Jarman, J. Gogoi-Tiwari, S. Ferreira-Gonzalez, L. Boulter, R. V. Guest, T. J. Kendall, D. Kurian, A. M. Kilpatrick, A. J. Robson, and 9 more contributors. 2021. TWEAK/Fn14 signalling promotes cholangiocarcinoma niche formation and progression. Journal of Hepatology 74 (4): 860-872.
Carlessi, R., T. J. Kendall, J. K. Olynyk, B. J. Dwyer, M. C. Wallace, J. A. Fallowfield, and J. E. Tirnitz-Parker. 2026. Disease-associated hepatocytes are predictive of outcomes and survival in MASLD beyond fibrosis staging. Gut 75 (3): 668-670.
ABSTRACT

Liver diseases represent a growing global health challenge, and the increasing prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders is set to exacerbate this crisis. To meet evolving regulatory demands, patient-specific in vitro liver models are essential for understanding disease mechanisms and developing new therapeutic approaches. Organoid models, which faithfully recapitulate liver biology, can be established from both non-malignant and malignant liver tissues, offering insight into various liver conditions, from acute injuries to chronic diseases and cancer. Improved understanding of liver microenvironments, innovative biomaterials, and advanced imaging techniques now facilitate comprehensive and unbiased data analysis, paving the way for personalised medicine. In this review, we discuss state-of-the-art patient-derived liver organoid models, recent technological advancements, and strategies to enhance their clinical impact.

Dwyer, B. J., and J. E. E. Tirnitz-Parker. 2025. Patient-derived organoid models to decode liver pathophysiology.Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 36 (3): 235-248.

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