Dr John Schjenken is a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle and current Director of the Hunter Medical Research Institute Reproductive and Family Health Research Research program.
Within the HMRI program, they are the group leader of the Seminal Plasma and Extracellular Vesicle Group. They are internationally recognised as a leader in reproductive biology, ranked 9th worldwide of ‘semen’ experts (Expertscape) and was named a ‘Rising Star in Reproductive Biology’ by the Society for the Study of Reproduction (USA, 2021).
Dr Schjenken research utilises transcriptomics, proteomics and bioinformatics to redefine how male factors influence conception events.
Their research has demonstrated impact (5 articles in top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric). Notably, their research in mice demonstrated that sperm have a biological role beyond fertilisation, in modifying female reproductive tract immune mechanisms, and in this proposal they will use their skills to identify and characterise novel signalling molecules carried by human sperm to provide new insights and targets to improve male reproductive health.
