Dr Jerome Werkmeister: developing biological and synthetic materials for cell therapies and tissue regeneration

Dr Jerome Werkmeister designs new scaffolds based on natural biological systems to allow control of cell amplification and function for cell therapies and regeneration of diseased or damaged tissue.

• 16 October 2006 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications 
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Jerome Werkmeister’s research focuses on the development and evaluation of biomaterial scaffolds, particularly of biological origin, for cell-based tissue engineering constructs.

Dr Werkmeister is a Chief Research Scientist in the Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Theme.

He is Stream Leader of the cell and tissue therapies group.

Dr Werkmeister's team is currently interested in:

• developing natural matrix scaffolds for amplification of stem cells for improved cattle breeding with the Food Futures Flagship
• developing an arthroscopic-friendly polymer-matrix system for cell-based repair of cartilage with PolyNovo Biomaterials
• developing a platform technology for human stem cell amplification and biotherapeutic/protein applications with the Cooperative Research Centre-Polymers
• designing complex scaffolds for neural regeneration with Bionics Technology Australia
• designing next generation recombinant chimeric matrix scaffolds for wound repair with a commercial partner.

He has particular expertise in:

• cartilage systems
• stem cell amplification systems
• biological matrix scaffolds
• evaluation of tissue growth in vitro and in small and large animals.

Background

After completing his Doctorate, Dr Werkmeister spent three years at the Kanematsu Institute, Sydney Hospital, in New South Wales, Australia, working on melanoma antigens and host responses.

He then received a National Cancer Institute Fellowship to work for two years at the Ontario Cancer Foundation, Queens University, Canada, to continue to explore the immunoreactivty against various tumours. 

He returned to Australia with a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Fellowship to continue work on cancer research at the Lions Clinical Cancer Laboratory, at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Victoria.

Dr Werkmeister joined CSIRO in 1986 where he continues to work on the biological responses to foreign medical implants.

Academic qualifications

Dr Werkmeister was awarded his Bachelor of Science with Honours from Monash University, Victoria, in 1974.

He completed his doctorate on tissue and immune responses to colorectal carcinoma in 1978 at the Department of Pathology and Immunology, the Alfred Hospital, and Monash University.

Achievements

Dr Jerome Werkmesiter serves on the editorial board of several international biomaterial journals and has published 128 scientific papers and a number of patents. Other major achievements include:

• advising companies and acting as a consultant on various issues relating to biomaterials and biocompatibility
• being awarded the CSIRO Medal in 2005 as part of the team for his contributions to the formation of the spin-off company PolyNovo Biomaterials, and the IXC Partnering Prize at the 2006 Commercialization Expo for his work on cell-based therapies for cartilage repair
• co-founding the Australasian Society for Biomaterials and acting as Past President for a number of years
• co-organising and co-chairing the scientific program of the 7th World Congress in Biomaterials in 2004
• acting as a member of Standards Australia Technical Committee on Surgical Implants, and is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Aortech International
• being awarded the internationally recognised Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering for his scientific contributions to the field of biomaterials science.

Learn more about CSIRO's work in Biomedical materials: creating materials for the future.