I completed my PhD in 2013 at SBMS, UQ and continued my post-doctoral studies at QIMR-Berghofer and IMB, investigating the genetic control in reproductive disorders, where I investigated the role of gene regulation underlying endometriosis pathogenesis. In 2019, I was appointed in the Woodruff group which studies neuroinflammation, to work on immunotherapy development for cancer, and genomics analyses on brain disease models. My research focuses on understanding the contribution of an individuals’ genetic background to disease immunity. The primary objective of my projects is to discover target genes and putative pathways underlying disease progression, with an ultimate goal to develop potential effective drugs for reproductive and brain disorders.  

Researcher biography

Dr Jenny Fung is a Senior Research Officer at the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBMS), where she investigates the genetic and immune mechanisms underlying complex diseases. Her research combines molecular biology, genomics, computational analysis, and both ex-vivo and in-vivo models, with a focus on translating discoveries to benefit patients.

Dr Fung completed her PhD in Endocrinology at UQ and conducted postdoctoral research at QIMR Berghofer and The Institute for Molecular Bioscience, uncovering key molecular mechanisms driving endometriosis. In 2019, she joined Professor Trent Woodruff's laboratory, expanding her work to neurodegenerative diseases, including motor neuron disease (MND), Huntington's disease, and frontotemporal dementia. She has contributed her expertise in high-throughput proteomics to a Phase Ib clinical trial in MND and is actively involved in patient-focused projects, including identifying immune and molecular biomarkers in longitudinal patient cohorts and evaluating therapeutic targets in patient-derived cells.

She has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers in journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, PNAS, and Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Dr Fung is passionate about connecting laboratory discoveries with clinical impact and co-leads projects integrating genetics, immunology, and patient-focused research to develop new strategies for treating complex diseases.