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Prof. Nina Tirntiz-Parker

Director Curtin MRI and Professor
Curtin Medical Research Institute

About

Professor Janina (Nina) E. E. Tirnitz-Parker AM is Professor of Gastrointestinal Health, Director of the Curtin Medical Research Institute (Curtin MRI), and Head of the Liver Disease and Regeneration Laboratory at Curtin University. She is internationally recognised for her work in chronic liver disease, liver regeneration and liver cancer. Professor Tirnitz-Parker also co-founded and co-leads the Liver Cancer Collaborative, a major statewide initiative bringing together investigators, clinicians, and research platforms across Western Australia to improve outcomes for patients with liver cancer through collaborative and multidisciplinary research (www.livercancercollaborative.au).

Chronic liver disease and liver cancer are major global health challenges, often developing silently over many years before symptoms appear. Her team investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive liver injury, scarring, regeneration and cancer development, with a strong focus on translating discoveries into improved patient outcomes. The team works closely with clinicians, researchers, and industry partners to advance innovative approaches in liver disease and cancer research.

Homeward Bound Alumna

  • Fourth cohort (#HB4, Antarctica expedition in November 2019)
  • Homeward Bound is an international leadership programme for women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine).
  • https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/hb1-participants/hb4-participants/

Editorial Board Memberships

  • Cancer Letters (IF = 9.756)
  • International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IF = 5.64)
  • 2021 Curtinnovation Awards Overall Winner
    (Team Nina Tirnitz-Parker, Rodrigo Carlessi, John Olynyk)
  • 2021 Curtin Faculty of Health Inclusive and Consumer-Oriented Research Award
  • 2020 WA Young Tall Poppy Science Award
  • Cancer Research Trust Program Grant ($10.8M, 2020-2025; supported by the Cancer Research Trust, Minderoo Foundation, Curtin University, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, UWA, WA Department of Health, SCGH Charlies Foundation, Mccusker Foundation)
  • National Health and Medical Reseach Council
    Project Grant APP1160323 (2019-2022)
    Chief Investigators Nina Tirnitz-Parker, Grant Ramm, John Olynyk, Stuart Forbes
  • UHU in-aid Grant (2019)
    Chief investigators Nina Tirnitz-Parker, Stefan Stricker
  • GESA Seed Grant (2018-2019)
    Sole Chief Investigator
  • GESA Collaboration Award (2017-2018)
    Chief Investigators Nina Tirnitz-Parker and Leon Adams
  • National Health and Medical Reseach Council
    Equipment Grant (2015)
  • National Health and Medical Reseach Council
    Project Grant APP1087125 (2015-2018)
    Chief Investigators Grant Ramm, John Olynyk, Nina Tirnitz-Parker
  • New Independent Researcher Infrastructure Support Award 2014
    Government of Western Australia, Department of Health
  • National Health and Medical Reseach Council
    Project Grant APP1031330 (2012-2014)
    Chief Investigators Grant Ramm, John Olynyk, Nina Tirnitz-Parker
  • Early Career Researcher Award 2012
    (Best paper accepted for publication)
    University of Western Australia
  • PILLAR Young Investigator Award 2010
    Roche Products Pty Limited Australia
  • UWA Research Collaboration Award 2009
    University of Western Australia and University of Queensland
  • Presidential Poster of Distinction Award 2009
    Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Boston, MA, USA
  • Poster Prize Outstanding Presentation 2008
    FASEB Summer Research Conference, Snowmass, CO, USA
  • 1st Prize Student Oral Presentation 2007
    The 3rd Australian Biotherapeutics and Tissue Regeneration Forum, Margaret River, WA
  • Beckman Coulter Manuscript Prize
    17th Annual Combined Biological Sciences Meeting, Perth, WA

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

Research Team

Dr Jennifer Currenti

Research Fellow

Dr Rodrigo Carlessi

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Ben Dwyer

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Saurabh Gupta

Research Fellow

Anjali Ghimire

Sessional Academic

Dinesh Thapa

Sessional Academic

Dr Gayatri Shirolkar

Research Associate

Dr Ashu Gupta

Fiona Stanley Hospital

Sona Bassi

PhD Student

Jennifer Shen

PhD Student

Gabriel Rapanero

PhD Student

William Chambers

PhD Student

Saskia Saville

PhD Student

Danamma Kalavikatte

PhD 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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