Presiding Member

Minoti Apte
MBBS, MMedSc, PhD

Professor Minoti Apte took up the role of Presiding Member of the Faculty of Medicine in January 2008. Minoti holds an MBBS degree from the University of Pune, India, a Master of Medical Science (MMedSci) degree from the University of Newcastle, Australia and a PhD from the University of New South Wales. She has been affiliated with and/or a staff member of UNSW for many years and serves on several School, Faculty and University committees. Minoti has served on the Animal Care and Ethics Committee of UNSW and has represented the Faculty as an elected member of the UNSW Academic Board since 2005. She also serves on the Committee on Research of the Academic Board.

Minoti is Director of the Pancreatic Research Group which has received continuous research support from the NHMRC/DVA since 1987. Her pioneering work with pancreatic stellate cells (now established as the key effector cells in pancreatic fibrosis) has firmly established the Pancreatic Research Group at the forefront of international research in the fields of alcohol-induced pancreatic injury, pancreatic fibrogenesis and pancreatic cancer. The international recognition of the Group’s work is reflected in the > 1325 citations of Minoti’s papers and in the invitations that she receives to speak at meetings worldwide. Minoti is a member of the Editorial Board of several journals including two prominent journals in pancreatology.

Minoti is strongly committed to training, fostering and nurturing promising young biomedical researchers. She is a founding member and immediate Past President of the Australasian Pancreatic Club (established in 2002 to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists with research interests in pancreatic pathobiology), a founding member of the Asian Oceanic Pancreatic Association (an organisation committed to fostering research and education in the pancreas in the Asia-Oceanic region) and a member of the Biological Subcommittee of the Australian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG). She is also a member of the NSW Pancreatic Cancer Network, established under the auspices of the NSW Cancer Council, to facilitate the establishment of a state-wide pancreatic cancer database and tumour bank and to foster research in the field.