Associate Professor Andrew Brooks

Principal Research Fellow

Frazer Institute
Faculty of Medicine

Overview

Dr Andrew Brooks is the Group Leader of the Cytokine Receptor Signalling Group at the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute (UQ DI) within the Translational Research Institute. Andrew completed his Honours research on Flaviviruses in 1996 at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at James Cook University and then moved to the Department of Biochemistry to study Dengue Virus where he completed his PhD in 2002. He then moved to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, USA where he researched the role of Epstein-Barr Virus in B-cell lymphomagenesis. He then joined the research group headed by Prof Michael Waters at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, UQ in 2006 and subsequently began his independent research group at UQ DI in 2014. Andrew’s research interests are in cytokine receptors, cell signalling, oncogenesis, and immunology. His current research focus is on the molecular mechanisms of class I cytokine receptor activation including the growth hormone receptor (GHR), thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR/MPL), IL-7 receptor, and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R). In addition, he is investigating the regulation of inflammation by HLA-G. His research has led to publications in journals including Science, Blood, Hepatology, Oncogene, Nature Cell Biology, and PNAS. He has been the secured of over $12 million in research and commercialisation funding from sources including NHMRC, ARC, Innovation Connections, and Merck. He has a number of national and international collaborations, a scientific founder of a start-up company, and is an Editorial Board member for the Journal Cancers and Human Cell. He was previously a committee member of Australian Early-Mid Career Researchers Forum (AEMCRF) launched by the Australian Academy of Science.

Research Interests

  • Cytokine receptor signalling
    Mechanisms of cytokine receptor signal transduction
  • Growth hormone receptor signalling
    Mechanisms of growth hormone receptor signal transduction
  • Regulating Inflammation in the Liver
    Regulation of inflammation by HLA-G in the liver and its role in acute and chronic inflammatory disorders

Research Impacts

Quality of Research Outputs

In the last 10 years I have published in journals including Science, Nature Cell Biology, Blood, Oncogene, J Immunol, and Nature Reviews. I have over 1000 citations (Web of Knowledge or over 1500 Google Scholar) with an h-index of 16 (Web of Knowledge) or 19 (Google Scholar; i10-index 20). I have presented my research at a number of national (including as an invited speaker) and international (including as an invited speaker: Keystone JAK-STAT 2016, Biochemical Society 2016, US ENDO 2013, ICIS 2014) conferences.

Grant Success

In the last 5 year I have been awarded two NHMRC project grants as CIA awarded $919,834 for "Defining a general mechanism for class 1 cytokine receptor activation" and $494,050 for "HLA-G/H2-Bl is Critical for Regulating Inflammation in the Liver". I was also recently awarded an NHMRC project grant as CIB with Melissa and Matthew Call (WEHI) $667,521 for "The Structural Basis of Cytokine Receptor Triggering". In addition I was awarded a GGI award (Merck) (~$200,000) in 2016 for "Targeting the Growth Hormone Receptor Achilles’ Heel for Novel Therapeutics". I have also been a CI for three NHMRC project grants. These grants are: “Roles of the nuclear growth hormone receptor in cell proliferation and survival” awarded $414,925 in 2011, “Mechanism of activation of JAK2 by a class 1 cytokine receptor” awarded $543,675 in 2011, and “Constitutive activation of the growth hormone receptor” awarded $546,732 in 2010. In 2009 I was awarded a University of Queensland Early Career Researcher Grant for $20,000 (competitive written ARC style grant application) for “Establishment of an RCAS-TVA gene delivery system and in vivo analysis of growth hormone receptor signalling and its role in oncogenesis.”

Research Supervision and Mentoring

I have always had a strong role in supervising research higher degree (RHD) students. I have previously supervised 19 research students including two PhD students. I am currently supervising 3 PhD students. All of the students I have supervised are currently either continuing their research studies or are employed in their desired scientific field. I have given a number of lectures to undergraduate students to students at UQ since 2006. I am a member of the Translational Research Insititute Mentoring committee.

Community Engagement

I am actively involved in promoting my field to the general community and due to my standing have received multiple invitations for public engagement, including a radio interview (ABC: The World Today) and medical research information talks to community groups including the Northlakes Probus Club, Brisbane, 2015 and the Palm Lakes Lifestyle Village, Toowoomba, 2015 as part of a Cancer fundraiser. I have also received an invitation to present at an Educational Conference (Ausmed Education Australia) which will be attended by, health professionals and clinicians. I was previously a part of the IMB Science Ambassador program where I supervised High School work experience students in my research environment, gave tours of the IMB research facilities to students and members of the community, gave educational science demonstrations to a local primary school, as well as being part of “Scientists on the Loose” run by Australian Broadcasting Corporation which promotes science and science careers to regional high school students. I have attended the Talking Scientists Workshop in Brisbane which is a Queensland government initiative to engage Queensland scientists to talk about their work at branch meetings of community groups, and business associations, with the goal of showcasing your research, and getting the Queensland public thinking and talking about Queensland science. I have been a member of the Australian Early-Mid Career Researchers Forum.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, James Cook University

Publications

  • Bridgford, Jessica L., Lee, Su Min, Lee, Christine M. M., Guglielmelli, Paola, Rumi, Elisa, Pietra, Daniela, Wilcox, Stephen, Chhabra, Yash, Rubin, Alan F., Cazzola, Mario, Vannucchi, Alessandro M., Brooks, Andrew J., Call, Matthew Edwin and Call, Melissa Joy (2020). Novel drivers and modifiers of MPL-dependent oncogenic transformation identified by deep mutational scanning. Blood, 135 (4), 287-292. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019002561

  • Campos, Livia Weijenborg, Zenatti, Priscila Pini, Pissinato, Leonardo Granato, Rodrigues, Gisele Olinto Libanio, Artico, Leonardo Luís, Guimarães, Thais Rafael, Archangelo, Leticia Fröhlich, Martínez, Leandro, Brooks, Andrew J. and Yunes, Jose Andres (2019). Oncogenic basic amino acid insertions at the extracellular juxtamembrane region of IL7Rα cause receptor hypersensitivity. Blood, 133 (11), 1259-1263. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-09-872945

  • Chhabra, Y., Wong, H. Y., Nikolajsen, L. F., Steinocher, H., Papadopulos, A., Tunny, K. A., Meunier, F. A., Smith, A. G., Kragelund, B. B., Brooks, A. J. and Waters, M. J. (2018). A growth hormone receptor SNP promotes lung cancer by impairment of SOCS2-mediated degradation. Oncogene, 37 (4), 489-501. doi: 10.1038/onc.2017.352

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Dehkhoda, Farhad and Kragelund, Birthe (2018). Cytokine receptors. Endocrinology: principles of endocrinology and hormone action. (pp. 157-185) edited by Antonino Belfiore and Derek LeRoith. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-44675-2_8

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Dai, Wei, O’Mara, Megan L., Abankwa, Daniel, Chhabra, Yash, Pelekanos, Rebecca A., Gardon, Olivier, Tunny, Kathryn A., Blucher, Kristopher M., Morton, Craig J., Parker, Michael W., Sierecki, Emma, Gambin, Yann, Gomez, Guillermo A., Alexandrov, Kirill, Wilson, Ian A., Doxastakis, Manolis, Mark, Alan E. and Waters, Michael J. (2014). Mechanism of activation of protein kinase JAK2 by the growth hormone receptor. Science, 344 (6185) 1249783, 1249783.1-1249783.12. doi: 10.1126/science.1249783

  • Brooks, Andrew J. and Waters, Michael J. (2010). The growth hormone receptor: mechanism of activation and clinical implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 6 (9), 515-525. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2010.123

  • Rowlinson, Scott W., Yoshizato, Hideo, Barclay, Johanna L., Brooks, Andrew J., Behncken, Stuart N., Kerr, Linda M., Millard, Kirstin, Palethorpe, Kathryn, Nielsen, Katherine, Clyde-Smith, Jodie, Hancock, John F. and Waters, Michael J. (2008). An agonist-induced conformational change in the growth hormone receptor determines the choice of signalling pathway. Nature Cell Biology, 10 (6), 740-747. doi: 10.1038/ncb1737

View all Publications

Publications

Featured Publications

  • Bridgford, Jessica L., Lee, Su Min, Lee, Christine M. M., Guglielmelli, Paola, Rumi, Elisa, Pietra, Daniela, Wilcox, Stephen, Chhabra, Yash, Rubin, Alan F., Cazzola, Mario, Vannucchi, Alessandro M., Brooks, Andrew J., Call, Matthew Edwin and Call, Melissa Joy (2020). Novel drivers and modifiers of MPL-dependent oncogenic transformation identified by deep mutational scanning. Blood, 135 (4), 287-292. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019002561

  • Campos, Livia Weijenborg, Zenatti, Priscila Pini, Pissinato, Leonardo Granato, Rodrigues, Gisele Olinto Libanio, Artico, Leonardo Luís, Guimarães, Thais Rafael, Archangelo, Leticia Fröhlich, Martínez, Leandro, Brooks, Andrew J. and Yunes, Jose Andres (2019). Oncogenic basic amino acid insertions at the extracellular juxtamembrane region of IL7Rα cause receptor hypersensitivity. Blood, 133 (11), 1259-1263. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-09-872945

  • Chhabra, Y., Wong, H. Y., Nikolajsen, L. F., Steinocher, H., Papadopulos, A., Tunny, K. A., Meunier, F. A., Smith, A. G., Kragelund, B. B., Brooks, A. J. and Waters, M. J. (2018). A growth hormone receptor SNP promotes lung cancer by impairment of SOCS2-mediated degradation. Oncogene, 37 (4), 489-501. doi: 10.1038/onc.2017.352

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Dehkhoda, Farhad and Kragelund, Birthe (2018). Cytokine receptors. Endocrinology: principles of endocrinology and hormone action. (pp. 157-185) edited by Antonino Belfiore and Derek LeRoith. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-44675-2_8

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Dai, Wei, O’Mara, Megan L., Abankwa, Daniel, Chhabra, Yash, Pelekanos, Rebecca A., Gardon, Olivier, Tunny, Kathryn A., Blucher, Kristopher M., Morton, Craig J., Parker, Michael W., Sierecki, Emma, Gambin, Yann, Gomez, Guillermo A., Alexandrov, Kirill, Wilson, Ian A., Doxastakis, Manolis, Mark, Alan E. and Waters, Michael J. (2014). Mechanism of activation of protein kinase JAK2 by the growth hormone receptor. Science, 344 (6185) 1249783, 1249783.1-1249783.12. doi: 10.1126/science.1249783

  • Brooks, Andrew J. and Waters, Michael J. (2010). The growth hormone receptor: mechanism of activation and clinical implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 6 (9), 515-525. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2010.123

  • Rowlinson, Scott W., Yoshizato, Hideo, Barclay, Johanna L., Brooks, Andrew J., Behncken, Stuart N., Kerr, Linda M., Millard, Kirstin, Palethorpe, Kathryn, Nielsen, Katherine, Clyde-Smith, Jodie, Hancock, John F. and Waters, Michael J. (2008). An agonist-induced conformational change in the growth hormone receptor determines the choice of signalling pathway. Nature Cell Biology, 10 (6), 740-747. doi: 10.1038/ncb1737

Book Chapter

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Dehkhoda, Farhad and Kragelund, Birthe (2018). Cytokine receptors. Endocrinology: principles of endocrinology and hormone action. (pp. 157-185) edited by Antonino Belfiore and Derek LeRoith. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-44675-2_8

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Dehkhoda, Farhad and Kragelund, Birthe B. (2017). Cytokine Receptors. Endocrinology (Switzerland). (pp. 1-29) Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-27318-1_8-2

  • Herington, Adrian C. and Brooks, Andrew J. (2014). Growth hormone-binding proteins. Reference module in biomedical research. (pp. 390-395) edited by Michael Caplan. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.04053-8

  • Brooks, Andrew J., Johansson, Magnus, Criswell, Erin, Jans, David A. and Vasudevan, Subhash G. (2002). The interdomain region of dengue NS5 protein interacts with NS3 and host proteins. Dengue Bulletin. (pp. 155-161) New Delhi, India.: WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Dang, T. V. T., Gillinder, K. G., Brooks, A. J., Asplett, K., Tolley, L. K., Hume, D. A., Leggatt, G. R., Frazer, I. H. and Chandra, J. (2022). Gene-therapy based modulation of antigen-presenting cells within hyperproliferative epithelium to restore immunity. 29th Annual Congress of the European-Society-of-Gene-and-Cell-Therapy (ESCGT), Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 11-14 October 2022. New Rochelle, NY United States: Mary Ann Liebert.

  • Lee, Christine, Brooks, Andrew, Chhabra, Yash and Perkins, Andrew (2019). Specific domains of LNK (SH2B3) bind and regulate TPOR stability and signalling. 48th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Experimental Hematology, Brisbane, Australia, 22-25 August 2019. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2019.06.387

  • Brooks, Andrew, Campos, Livia, Lee, Christine, Chhabra, Yash, Bridgford, Jessica, Lee, Su Min, Zenatti, Priscila, Pissinato, Leonardo, Rodrigues, Gisele, Artico, Leonardo, Guimarães, Thais, Archangelo, Leticia, Martínez, Leandro, Slape, Christopher, Call, Matthew, Call, Melissa and Yunes, José (2019). The mechanism of oncogenic mutations in the juxtamembrane and transmembrane region of IL7RA and TPOR/MPL. ISEH 2019, Brisbane, Australia, 22-25 August 2019. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2019.06.332

  • Steinocher, Helena, Bugge, Katrine, Nikolajsen, Louise Fletcher, Lindorff-Larsen, Kresten, Brooks, Andrew and Kragelund, Birthe Brandt (2017). Class I cytokine receptors: towards the inside. 61st Annual meeting of the Biophysical Society, New Orleans, LA, United States, 11-15 February 2017. St. Louis, MO United States: Cell Press. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.11.947

  • Brooks, Andrew, Dai, W., O'Mara, M. L., Abankwa, D., Chhabra, Y., Pelekanos, R. A., Gardon, O., Tunny, K. A., Blucher, K. M., Morton, C. J., Parker, M. W., Sierecki, E., Gambin, Y., Gomez, G. A., Alexandrov, K., Wilson, I. A., Doxastakis, M., Mark, A. E. and Waters, M. J. (2016). Going downstream - how does GH binding activate JAK2. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia, Adelaide, Australia, 23-26 August, 2015. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/cen.13010

  • Brooks, Andrew J., O’Mara, Megan L., Dai, Wei, Abankwa, Daniel, Chhabra, Yash, Tunny, Kathryn A., Parker, Michael W., Sierecki, Emma, Gambin, Yann, Gomez, Guillermo A., Haxholm, Gitte W., Nikolajsen, Louise F., Doxastakis, Manolis, Mark, Alan E. and Waters, Michael J. (2016). Mechanism of JAK2 Activation by the Archetype Class I Cytokine Receptor, the Growth Hormone Receptor. Biophysical Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, United States, 27 February - 2 March 2016. CAMBRIDGE: CELL PRESS. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.233

  • Stewart, Teneale A., Azimi, Iman, Davis, Felicity M., Thompson, Erik W., Brooks, Andrew J., Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2015). A potential role for Janus protein tyrosine kinases in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a model of epidermal growth factor induced breast cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition. 37th Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, San Antonio, TX United States, 9-13 December 2014. Philadelphia, PA United States: American Association for Cancer Research. doi: 10.1158/1538-7445.SABCS14-P2-07-05

  • Brooks, Andrew J, Chhabra, Yash, Abankwa, Daniel, O’Mara, Megan, Dai, Wei, Gardon, Olivier, Tunny, Kathryn A., Blucher, Kristopher M., Morton, Craig J., Parker, Michael W., Sierecki, Emma, Gambin, Yann, Guillermo A. Gomez, Alexandrov, Kirill Kirill, Doxastakis, Manolis, Mark, Alan E. and Waters, Michael J. (2014). A new cytokine receptor activation paradigm: Activation of JAK2 by the growth hormone receptor. 2nd Annual Meeting of the International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS), Melbourne, VIC Australia, 26 - 29 October 2014. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2014.07.227

  • Bassett, John J., Stewart, Teneale A., Azimi, Iman , Davis, Felicity M., Thompson, Erik W., Brooks, Andrew J., Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J. and Monteith, Gregory R. (2014). Assessment of Janus protein tyrosine kinases as potential regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transition using a model of epidermal growth factor induced breast cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition. ASCEPT-MPGPCR Joint Scientific Meeting, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 7-11 December 2014.

  • Waters, M. J. and Brooks, A. J. (2014). Mechanism of activation of JAK2 by growth hormone. Seventh International Congress of the GRS and the IGF Society, Singapore, 17-20 October 2014. London, United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone. doi: 10.1016/S1096-6374(14)50035-4

  • Chhabra, Yash, Wong, Ho Yi, Brooks, Andrew James and Waters, Michael John (2014). The first cancer-associated variant of the growth hormone receptor. Endocrine Society's 96th Annual Meeting and Expo, Chicago, IL, United States, 21-24 June 2014. WASHINGTON: Endocrine Society.

  • Waters, Michael J. and Brooks, Andrew J. (2012). Growth hormone and cell growth. 6th ESPE Advanced Seminar in Developmental Endocrinology, Bern, Switzerland, 10-11 May 2012. Basel, Switzerland: S. Karger. doi: 10.1159/000341761

  • Ishikawa, M., Barclay, J. L., Brooks, A. J., McPhee, T. R., Yoshino, G. and Waters, M. J. (2012). Hepatic IGF-I production is regulated by Kupffer cells. Sixth International Congress of the GRS and the IGF Society, Munich, Germany, 17-20 October 2012. London, United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone. doi: 10.1016/S1096-6374(12)60056-2

  • Waters, Michael J. and Brooks, Andrew J. (2011). Growth hormone receptor: structure function relationships. Switzerland: S. Karger AG. doi: 10.1159/000329138

  • Ishikawa, M., McPhee, T. R., Barclay, J. L., Fernandez-Rojo, M., Brooks, A. J. and Waters, M. J. (2010). Role of growth hormone signaling pathways in liver regeneration. Fifth International congress of the GRS and the IGF Society, New York, NY, United States, 3-7 October. London, United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone. doi: 10.1016/S1096-6374(10)70011-3

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.