Ben Hogan
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benjhogan.bsky.social
Ben Hogan
@benjhogan.bsky.social
Cell & Developmental Biology. Vascular Biology. Lymphatics. Zebrafish.
Associate Director of Laboratory Research at Peter Mac Cancer Centre. Professor at The University of Melbourne.
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Two Peter Mac researchers have secured $3.5M+ in MRFF funding for projects to improve recovery after cancer surgery and to advance personalised care for a rare type of ovarian cancer.

Read more: www.petermac.org/about-us/new...
January 27, 2026 at 5:40 AM
Our preprint on mural cells and the zebrafish blood brain barrier is now revised with new data and analysis

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
January 28, 2026 at 3:49 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Right now, the Government is starving medical research of full funding, even as it claims that science and research are national priorities. If our leaders truly value science as much as they say, then they must back their words with action—and fund it properly.

Join the campaign!
Medical Research Matters
www.moniqueryan.com.au
January 23, 2026 at 5:23 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
New research led by Prof @benjhogan.bsky.social has revealed a surprising evolutionary switch in the brain’s immune system - uncovering how specialised immune cells at the borders of the brain evolved, and why they behave so differently in humans.

More: www.petermac.org/about-us/new...
January 22, 2026 at 4:39 AM
We’re delighted to see this out today! Latest work from the lab reveals insights into the evolution of brain immunity and the developmental and evolutionary plasticity of lymphatic endothelial cells.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Convergent evolution of scavenger cell development at brain borders - Nature
Transcription factor osr2 is identified as a specific marker and regulator of mural lymphatic endothelial cell (muLEC) differentiation and maintenance, and muLECs and border-associated macrophages sha...
www.nature.com
January 21, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
The government can’t claim that medical research is a priority while failing to treat it as one. Nine in 10 leading researchers in Australia are missing out on government support for world‑class proposals, leaving exceptional talent uncertain about their future.
Most researchers miss out on innovation grants while medical fund sits on $25b
Nine in 10 Australian researchers had their “ideas grant” applications rejected last year, even as Australia’s medical investment fund sits on $5 billion more than it was designed to hold.
www.theage.com.au
January 3, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Medical research matters!

Australian scientists are making potentially lifesaving breakthroughs into the molecular mechanisms of brain tumours - discoveries with potential for commercialisation and global uptake. We should support them better via the MRFF and NHMRC.
Mark’s deadly cancer will come back. Now scientists know why
When Mark Norris finished his cancer treatment, there was nothing doctors could do except wait for it to return. The father of two says that’s not good enough.
www.theage.com.au
December 28, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Australia’s medical and scientific research sectors save lives and are vital to our economy. The government has to step up and lean in to their potential.

It’s small-minded and short-sighted to force them to wither on the vine, when we have money put aside for this purpose in the Future Fund.
December 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
“This feels like yet another attack on our research community that is already under siege”

Senator @davidpocock.bsky.social has issued a media release about the ARC's proposed restructure and job cuts 👇
December 5, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
An abismal 8% success rate for this year’s #NHMRC #IdeasGrant scheme. Must be an all time low. Congratulations to those successful, you really earned it! Commiserations to the NINETY TWO percent of applicants who didn’t get it… #australianresearch #discoveriesneeddollars 🥼🧪🔬🧫 🇦🇺
November 26, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
When a larval zebrafish twitches its tail, the vascular endothelium lights up with a calcium signal, mediated by Piezo1. We used to think mechanosensing in endothelial cells was about sensing blood flow, but at least in this case it's about sensing body motion.
November 14, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funds medical research in Australia. Only half the funds have been released. If you're an Australian and able to vote please use the form below to email your local MP to release the full amount of the MRFF
aamri.org.au/mrff/
Half the Funding. Half the Future. - AAMRI
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) was designed to deliver $1 billion each year in new, lifesaving funding for medical research. We know through financial modelling that the full amount can be re...
aamri.org.au
November 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Australia’s first Centre of Research Excellence in #Lymphoedema and Lymphatic Regeneration has launched, led by Prof @benjhogan.bsky.social and Prof Natasha Harvey, it's been dubbed a global “paradigm shift” and a major step forward.

Read more: www.petermac.org/about-us/new...
November 17, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Hundreds of millions in MRFF funds are sitting idle while labs close and researchers leave.
The money is there – release the full MRFF.
www.aamri.org.au/mrff
#releasethefullmrff
November 14, 2025 at 4:25 AM
And we’re off! Excited to be in Tokyo for a weekend of vascular biology kicked off by the Presidents of the Japanese, Korean and Australian vascular biology societies….
November 1, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
“It’s time to remove the arbitrary funding cap on MRFF disbursements so it can deliver what is has been designed & legislated to do: support medical research & innovation" - says Academy President Prof. Chennupati Jagadish, AC commenting on a story in Nine Newspapers lnkd.in/geu3QVba
September 28, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Thanks for sharing our work @bladoux.bsky.social (you just made the lead author @marcoenriquez18.bsky.social very happy 😊)
September 10, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Australia: SERD panel wants Australia to have narrow, long-term research focus (free to read): www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
Mission-based approach proposed for five R&D priorities - Research Professional News
Australian review panel wants 10-year plans, small number of priorities and better national coordination
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
September 4, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Excellent work by @juliaeckert.bsky.social- now online!
Now published in @natcomms.nature.com! 🥳

👉 rdcu.be/eATn3

We developed image analysis tools to capture the nematic orientation field of 3D tissue surfaces. Tested on epithelial aggregates, zebrafish hearts, myoblasts on spheres & micro-vessels, we combined soft matter physics with exp. biology.
August 22, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
The Institute for Molecular Bioscience is seeking an exceptional academic leader to be the new Director of the Centre for Chemistry and Drug Discovery and lead our centre consisting of 10 group leaders, 40 staff and approximately 50 HDR students. Come and join us in sunny Brisbane!
Director, Centre for Chemistry and Drug Discovery
Institute for Molecular Bioscience Join a university ranked in the world’s top 50 Australia’s #1 research institute Based at St Lucia Campus About UQ What started as Queensland's first university in 1...
uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
September 2, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Reminder Australia’s Global R&D Ranking (Gross R&D expenditure as % of GDP) is 23 at 1.66% (2023). Closest nations are Portugal 1.7%, Estonia 1.78%, Czech 1.96%, Slovenia 2.11%. Leaders=Israel 6.02%, Korea 5.21%. UK 2.9% and US 3.59%.
Imagine 3%….. @albomp.bsky.social @jimchalmers.bsky.social
August 29, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
The latest figures show R&D investment isn’t even keeping up with inflation, let alone fuelling productivity.
August 20, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Every "meet the speaker" event
July 23, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
SAVE THE DATE!! #2026SDB
🧪🧬🔬🧫🎉
(Never been to Vegas 😂 Exciting!!)
June 28, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Ben Hogan
Karolinska is looking for 20 (!!) assistant professors and offering 6 year appointments with ~1M USD startup packages.

ki.se/en/about-ki/...
Call for 20 Assistant Professor positions
Karolinska Institutet is a world-leading medical university with a long and proud history of ground-breaking research. We are now recruiting outstanding early-career researchers with particularly exce...
ki.se
June 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM