ProfessorWei Duan
Deakin Distinguished Professor
Faculty of Health/School of Medicine/Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation
Orcid identifier0000-0001-5782-9184 (opens in a new tab)
- Deakin Distinguished ProfessorFaculty of Health/School of Medicine/Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation
- +61 3 522 71149 (Work)
- Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Professor Duan's research focuses on developing nucleic acid aptamer
technology platforms for cancer biotechnology, focusing on cancer stem cell-
targeted drug, siRNA and miRNA delivery using nanoparticles as well as
aptamer-based molecular imaging for early detection of cancer and accurate
staging. He heads a cross-disciplinary and translational research team
consisting of cancer biologists, oncologists, molecular and cell biologists,
material scientists, organic chemists, drug developers, pharmaceutical
scientists and mechanical and electronic engineers across several faculties,
research centres and teaching hospitals in Deakin. He is also involved in
developing novel aptamer-based and microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices for the
application in biodefense, forensic medicine and rapid diagnostics at the
point of care. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed original research
papers and review articles in international refereed journals, with an h-index
of 30 (average citation per article of 25). Professor Duan has filed 5
international patents on cancer stem related aptamers. He serves as the
Editor-in-Chief for the journal "Drug Design, Development and Therapy"
(https://www.dovepress.com/drug-design-development-and-therapy-journal).
Professors Duan has been frequently invited to address international
conferences on biomedical research, drug development and molecular medicine.
6. Wei Duan, "Aptamer therapeutics: the 21st century's magic bullet of
nanomedicine", Second International Conference on Drug Discovery and Therapy'.
Feb 1-4, 2010. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
8. Wei Duan, RNA Aptamer: The Next Generation of Cancer Stem Cell-targeted
Molecular Imaging, BIT's 9th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery
Science and Technology, Nov 3-6, 2011, Shenzhen, China;
10. Wei Duan, RNA aptamer-guided nanodrug delivery for the 21st century
cancer medicine, 6th Annual Meeting of the Australian chapter of the
Controlled Release Society, Melbourne, Nov 26-27, 2012.
11. Wei Duan, "Aptamer-guided nano drug delivery systems for cancer therapy",
Nano- and Microparticle-based drug and vaccine delivery, The 6th Joint
Australia-New Zealand chapters of the Controlled Release Society, Brisbane,
July 4-5, 2013.
12. W. Duan, "The use of RNA aptamers for diagnosis: detecting low levels of
EpCAM in paraffin embedded tissues", Aptamer in Medicine and Perspectives, Oct
4-5, 2013, Naples, Italy.
13. D.Xiang. S. Shigdar, W. Duan, "Targeting cancer stem cells in vivo using
RNA aptamers", 16th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine/The 18th
World Congress on Advances in Oncology, 10-12, October, 2013, Hotel Creta
Maris Resort, Greece.
15. T Wang, S Shigdar, Wei Duan, "An aptamer-based siRNA in vivo delivery
system targeting cancer stem cells, 5th FIP Pharmaceutical Sciences World
Congress, Melbourne, Australia, April 13-16, 2014.
16. Shigdar S, Xiang D, Duan W. Aptamers as effective cancer stem cell
targeting modalities. Aptamers- 2014, 24-25th March 2014, Oxford, UK. Aug
25-27, 2015.
17. Wei Duan, "Cancer stem cells targeted delivery of siRNA in vivo:
translating Nobel Prize-winning technology to clinic", 8th Dubai International
Conference for Medical Sciences, Ded15-17, 2014, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
18. Wei Duan, "Cancer stem cell targeted delivery of siRNA to overcome
induced chemoresistance", European Pharma Congress, Aug 25-27, 2015, Valencia,
Spain.
19. Wei Duan, "RNA aptamer-guided in vivo RNAi to overcome chemoresistance",
Health forum of the Silk Road-Int Summit Forum of Research and Development on
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ethnic Medicine, Oct 17-18, 2015, Kunlun
Hotel, Urumuqi, Xingjiang, P.R. China.
Knowledge Areas
aptamer, chemical antibody, molecular cell bioogy, cancer stem cell, targeted
drug delivery, nanomedicine, nanotechnology, novel cancer treatment and
diagnostics
Projects
Targeting breast cancer stem cells
-Novel strategy for peptide/protein-based drug delivery systems for nanomedicine
Development of novel liposomal drugs
Overcoming chemoresistance in cancer stem cells
Development of better tumour penetrating chemical antibodies
Novel strategy for isolation and purification of stem cells and cancer stem
cells
technology platforms for cancer biotechnology, focusing on cancer stem cell-
targeted drug, siRNA and miRNA delivery using nanoparticles as well as
aptamer-based molecular imaging for early detection of cancer and accurate
staging. He heads a cross-disciplinary and translational research team
consisting of cancer biologists, oncologists, molecular and cell biologists,
material scientists, organic chemists, drug developers, pharmaceutical
scientists and mechanical and electronic engineers across several faculties,
research centres and teaching hospitals in Deakin. He is also involved in
developing novel aptamer-based and microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices for the
application in biodefense, forensic medicine and rapid diagnostics at the
point of care. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed original research
papers and review articles in international refereed journals, with an h-index
of 30 (average citation per article of 25). Professor Duan has filed 5
international patents on cancer stem related aptamers. He serves as the
Editor-in-Chief for the journal "Drug Design, Development and Therapy"
(https://www.dovepress.com/drug-design-development-and-therapy-journal).
Professors Duan has been frequently invited to address international
conferences on biomedical research, drug development and molecular medicine.
6. Wei Duan, "Aptamer therapeutics: the 21st century's magic bullet of
nanomedicine", Second International Conference on Drug Discovery and Therapy'.
Feb 1-4, 2010. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
8. Wei Duan, RNA Aptamer: The Next Generation of Cancer Stem Cell-targeted
Molecular Imaging, BIT's 9th Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery
Science and Technology, Nov 3-6, 2011, Shenzhen, China;
10. Wei Duan, RNA aptamer-guided nanodrug delivery for the 21st century
cancer medicine, 6th Annual Meeting of the Australian chapter of the
Controlled Release Society, Melbourne, Nov 26-27, 2012.
11. Wei Duan, "Aptamer-guided nano drug delivery systems for cancer therapy",
Nano- and Microparticle-based drug and vaccine delivery, The 6th Joint
Australia-New Zealand chapters of the Controlled Release Society, Brisbane,
July 4-5, 2013.
12. W. Duan, "The use of RNA aptamers for diagnosis: detecting low levels of
EpCAM in paraffin embedded tissues", Aptamer in Medicine and Perspectives, Oct
4-5, 2013, Naples, Italy.
13. D.Xiang. S. Shigdar, W. Duan, "Targeting cancer stem cells in vivo using
RNA aptamers", 16th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine/The 18th
World Congress on Advances in Oncology, 10-12, October, 2013, Hotel Creta
Maris Resort, Greece.
15. T Wang, S Shigdar, Wei Duan, "An aptamer-based siRNA in vivo delivery
system targeting cancer stem cells, 5th FIP Pharmaceutical Sciences World
Congress, Melbourne, Australia, April 13-16, 2014.
16. Shigdar S, Xiang D, Duan W. Aptamers as effective cancer stem cell
targeting modalities. Aptamers- 2014, 24-25th March 2014, Oxford, UK. Aug
25-27, 2015.
17. Wei Duan, "Cancer stem cells targeted delivery of siRNA in vivo:
translating Nobel Prize-winning technology to clinic", 8th Dubai International
Conference for Medical Sciences, Ded15-17, 2014, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
18. Wei Duan, "Cancer stem cell targeted delivery of siRNA to overcome
induced chemoresistance", European Pharma Congress, Aug 25-27, 2015, Valencia,
Spain.
19. Wei Duan, "RNA aptamer-guided in vivo RNAi to overcome chemoresistance",
Health forum of the Silk Road-Int Summit Forum of Research and Development on
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ethnic Medicine, Oct 17-18, 2015, Kunlun
Hotel, Urumuqi, Xingjiang, P.R. China.
Knowledge Areas
aptamer, chemical antibody, molecular cell bioogy, cancer stem cell, targeted
drug delivery, nanomedicine, nanotechnology, novel cancer treatment and
diagnostics
Projects
Targeting breast cancer stem cells
-Novel strategy for peptide/protein-based drug delivery systems for nanomedicine
Development of novel liposomal drugs
Overcoming chemoresistance in cancer stem cells
Development of better tumour penetrating chemical antibodies
Novel strategy for isolation and purification of stem cells and cancer stem
cells
GRANTS
- GRANTWorld's first chemical antibody-based intraoperative diagnostic platform for surgical pathology15 Jan 2024 - 15 Jul 2025People funded by this grant:
- Duan W,
- Xu J,
- Xiang S
- GRANTWorld's first chemical antibody-based intraoperative diagnostic platform for surgical pathology15 Jan 2024 - 15 Jul 2025People funded by this grant:
- Duan W,
- Xu J,
- Xiang S
- CONTRACT RESEARCHShanghai OneTar-Deakin Joint Laboratory of Personalised Precision Medicine.1 Apr 2021 - 1 Apr 2030People funded by this grant:
- Wei Duan
- CONTRACT RESEARCHDevelopment of novel aptamer-guided and exosome-based diagnostics and therapeutics21 Sep 2017 - 21 Sep 2035People funded by this grant:
- Wei Duan
- CONTRACT RESEARCHDevelopment of nanoparticle-based delivery systems for Artemisia flavonoids for the treatment of hepatitis B6 Sep 2017 - 5 Sep 2019People funded by this grant:
- Wei Duan
- GRANTGlycomarker Panel for Prediction of IVF Outcome31 Jul 2015 - 31 Jan 2018People funded by this grant:
- Edgell T,
- Duan W
- GRANTPeptide-based Star Nanocarriers for Targeted Anticancer Drug Delivery1 Jan 2014 - 31 Dec 2016People funded by this grant:
- Qiao G,
- Duan W,
- Dawson K
- GRANTNovel therapeutics to root out cancer31 Jan 2013 - 31 Jan 2014People funded by this grant:
- Wei Duan
- GRANTResearch into the role of Proteins called cytokine receptors in ovarian cancer and the development of novel agents to suppress their effects1 Jan 2013 - 31 Dec 2015People funded by this grant:
- Ward A,
- Duan W,
- Mcculloch D
- COLLABORATIVE GRANTTailored Neoadjuvant Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide (EC) and Nanoparticle Albumin Bound (nab) Paclitaxel for Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer1 Nov 2012 - 1 Jan 2015People funded by this grant:
- Khasraw M,
- Duan W
- GRANTSmart bombing of cancer stem cells using aptamer-guided nanoliposomal siRNA31 Jul 2010 - 31 Aug 2013People funded by this grant:
- Duan W,
- Kong L
- GRANTEstablishment of an aptamer-based technology platform for molecular targetting of cancer stem cell10 Sep 2008 - 28 Feb 2011People funded by this grant:
- Duan W,
- Danks A,
- Dong Q,
- Kong L,
- Liu J-P
- GRANTA novel tumour-targeting nanoliposome drug delivery system for the treatment of malignant gliomas28 Jul 2008 - 27 Jul 2011People funded by this grant:
- Duan W,
- Danks A,
- Lo S,
- Li QT
- GRANTLink and Learn Grant1 Jan 2008 - 31 Dec 2008People funded by this grant:
- Wei Duan
- INFRASTRUCTUREEquipment Grant 200718 Oct 2007 - 30 Jun 2008People funded by this grant:
- Wei Duan
- GRANTDeveloping molecularly targeted polymer nanoparticles for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics1 Oct 2007 - 31 Oct 2011People funded by this grant:
- Duan W,
- Guo Q