Associate Professor Deanne Whitworth
Associate Professor (Anatomy)
School of Veterinary Science
+61 7 54601 972
Researcher biography
I completed a BSc (Hons) and a PhD at the University of Melbourne before undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. My research focused on marsupial and eutherian developmental biology. After 6 years in the US I returned to Australia to study Veterinary Science (BVSc) at the University of Queensland (UQ), going on to work in equine and small animal practice. A longing to get back into research lead to my current position as a Teaching & Research academic in the School of Veterinary Science, UQ. My lab has generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from dogs and horses that are being used to model diseases in vitro and as the basis for research into stem cell-based treatments for a variety of diseases. We have also produced iPSCs from the Tasmanian devil and the platypus, the first stem cells ever described from a marsupial and a monotreme, respectively, allowing us to pursue research directed at treating devil facial tumour disease, understanding marsupial and monotreme embryonic development, and the conservation of endangered species.
Education
- BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne (1990)
- PhD, University of Melbourne (1996)
- BVSc (Hons), University of Queensland (2006)
Employment
- Post-doctoral researcher, University of California, Berkeley, USA (1996-1997)
- Post-doctoral researcher, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas, USA (1997-2002)
- Veterinary Surgeon (2006-present)
- Lecturer, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2010-2017)
- Affiliate Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland (2016-present)
- Senior Lecturer, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2017-2022)
- Associate Professor, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2023-present)
Book Chapters
Whitworth, Deanne J. and Behringer, Richard R. (2001). The transgenic mouse in studies of mammalian sexual differentiation.. Transgenics in Endocrinology. (pp. 19-39) edited by Martin M. Matzuk, Chester W. Brown, T. Rajendra Kumar and P. Michael Conn. Totowa, NJ, U.S.A.: Humana Press.
Shaw, Geoffrey, Harry, Jenny L., Whitworth, Deanne J. and Renfree, Marilyn B. (1997). Sexual determination and differentiation in the marsupial Macropus eugenii. Marsupial biology : Recent research, new perspectives. (pp. 132-141) edited by N. R. Saunders and L. A. Hinds. Sydney, NSW, Australia: University of NSW Press.
Journal Articles
Hutchinson, Ashlee M., Appeltant, Ruth, Burdon, Tom, Bao, Qiuye, Bargaje, Rhishikesh, Bodnar, Andrea, Chambers, Stuart, Comizzoli, Pierre, Cook, Laura, Endo, Yoshinori, Harman, Bob, Hayashi, Katsuhiko, Hildebrandt, Thomas, Korody, Marisa L., Lakshmipathy, Uma, Loring, Jeanne F., Munger, Clara, Ng, Alex H. M., Novak, Ben, Onuma, Manabu, Ord, Sara, Paris, Monique, Pask, Andrew J., Pelegri, Francisco, Pera, Martin, Phelan, Ryan, Rosental, Benyamin, Ryder, Oliver A., Sukparangsi, Woranop ... Kohler, Timo N. (2024). Advancing stem cell technologies for conservation of wildlife biodiversity. Development, 151 (20) dev203116. doi: 10.1242/dev.203116
Singh, Arti A., Shapter, Frances M., Bernard, Anne, Whitworth, Deanne J., Holt, Marnie G., Waller, Philip S. and Bond, Stephanie L. (2024). Applying iterative student feedback across flipped classroom and flexible teaching approaches: impact on veterinary students’ learning experience. Animals, 14 (16) 2335, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/ani14162335
Hosen, Md Hafiz All, Whitworth, Deanne J., Leusch, Frederic D. L., Yuen, Nicholas and Bengtson Nash, Susan M. (2024). Bioenergetic shifts in humpback whale fibroblasts upon chemical exposure. Environmental Science and Technology, 58 (28), 12313-12319. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10595
Hosen, Md Hafiz All, Sykes, Alex M., Wood, Stephen A., Leusch, Frederic D. L., Whitworth, Deanne J. and Bengtson Nash, Susan M. (2023). Novel use of cell profiling technology to visualize mitochondrial responses of humpback whale fibroblasts to chemical exposure. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (24), 8975-8982. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07159
Kumar, Satish, De Leon, Erica M., Granados, Jose, Whitworth, Deanne J. and VandeBerg, John L. (2022). Monodelphis domestica induced pluripotent stem cells reveal metatherian pluripotency architecture. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23 (20) 12623, 12623. doi: 10.3390/ijms232012623
You, Hong, Jones, Malcolm K., Whitworth, Deanne J. and McManus, Donald P. (2021). Innovations and advances in schistosome stem cell research. Frontiers in Immunology, 12 599014, 1-9. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.599014
Shahsavari, Arash, Weeratunga, Prasanna, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A. and Whitworth, Deanne J. (2021). Pluripotency and immunomodulatory signatures of canine induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells are similar to harvested mesenchymal stromal cells. Scientific Reports, 11 (1) 3486, 3486. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82856-3
Tutt, Desmond A. R., Passaro, Claudia, Whitworth, Deanne J. and Holland, Michael K. (2020). Laser assisted blastomere extrusion biopsy of in vitro produced cattle embryos—A potential high throughput, minimally invasive approach for sampling pre-morula and morula stage embryos. Animal Reproduction Science, 219 106546, 106546. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106546
Mingramm, Fletcher M. J., Keeley, Tamara, Whitworth, Deanne J. and Dunlop, Rebecca A. (2020). Blubber cortisol levels in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae): a measure of physiological stress without effects from sampling. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 291 113436, 113436. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113436
Weeratunga, Prasanna, Shahsavari, Arash, Fennis, Evelien, Wolvetang, Ernst J., Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A. and Whitworth, Deanne J. (2020). Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells from the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) express immunomodulatory factors and a tropism toward devil facial tumor cells. Stem Cells and Development, 29 (1), 25-37. doi: 10.1089/scd.2019.0203
Mingramm, F. M.J., Keeley, T., Whitworth, D. J. and Dunlop, R. A. (2020). The influence of physiological status on the reproductive behaviour of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Hormones and Behavior, 117 104606, 104606. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104606
Mingramm, Fletcher M. J., Keeley, Tamara, Whitworth, Deanne J. and Dunlop, Rebecca A. (2019). Relationships between blubber and respiratory vapour steroid hormone concentrations in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Aquatic Mammals, 45 (5), 465-477. doi: 10.1578/AM.45.5.2019.465
Mingramm, F.M.J., Dunlop, R.A., Blyde, D., Whitworth, D.J. and Keeley, T. (2019). Evaluation of respiratory vapour and blubber samples for use in endocrine assessments of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). General and Comparative Endocrinology, 274, 37-49. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.12.015
Whitworth, Deanne J., Limnios, Ioannis J., Gauthier, Marie-Emilie, Weeratunga, Prasanna, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Baillie, Gregory, Grimmond, Sean M., Graves, Jennifer A. Marshall and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2019). Platypus induced pluripotent stem cells: the unique pluripotency signature of a monotreme. Stem Cells and Development, 28 (3), 151-164. doi: 10.1089/scd.2018.0179
Burkard, Michael, Bengtson Nash, Susan, Gambaro, Gessica, Whitworth, Deanne and Schirmer, Kristin (2019). Lifetime extension of humpback whale skin fibroblasts and their response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor). Cell Biology and Toxicology, 35 (4), 387-398. doi: 10.1007/s10565-018-09457-1
Alateeq, Suad, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry, Tracey, Timothy, Whitworth, Deanne, Al-Rubaish, Abdullah, Al-Ali, Amein and Wolvetang, Ernst (2018). Identification of on-target mutagenesis during correction of a beta-thalassemia splice mutation in iPS cells with optimised CRISPR/Cas9-double nickase reveals potential safety concerns. APL Bioengineering, 2 (4) 046103, 046103. doi: 10.1063/1.5048625
Fortuna, Patrick R. J., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Wolvetang, Ernst Jurgen and Whitworth, Deanne Jeanette (2018). Cortical neurons derived from equine induced pluripotent stem cells are susceptible to neurotropic flavivirus infection and replication: an in vitro model for equine neuropathic diseases. Stem Cells and Development, 27 (10), 704-715. doi: 10.1089/scd.2017.0106
Weeratunga, Prasanna, Shahsavari, Arash, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Wolvetang, Ernst J. and Whitworth, Deanne J. (2018). Induced pluripotent stem cells from a marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii): insight into the evolution of mammalian pluripotency. Stem Cells and Development, 27 (2), 112-122. doi: 10.1089/scd.2017.0224
Whitworth, Deanne J. and Pask, Andrew J. (2016). The X factor: X chromosome dosage compensation in the evolutionarily divergent monotremes and marsupials. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 56, 117-121. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.01.006
Burkard, Michael, Whitworth, Deanne, Schirmer, Kristin and Nash, Susan B. (2015). Establishment of the first humpback whale fibroblast cell lines and their application in chemical risk assessment. Aquatic Toxicology, 167, 240-247. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.08.005
Whitworth, Deanne J. and Banks, Tania A. (2014). Stem cell therapies for treating osteoarthritis: prescient or premature?. The Veterinary Journal, 202 (3), 416-424. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.09.024
Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Titmarsh, Drew M., Fortuna, Patrick R. J., Hidalgo, Alejandro, Alharbi, Samah, Whitworth, Deanne J., Cooper-White, Justin J. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2014). Transgenic human ES and iPS reporter cell lines for identification and selection of pluripotent stem cells in vitro. Stem Cell Research, 13 (2), 251-261. doi: 10.1016/j.scr.2014.05.006
Whitworth, Deanne J., Frith, Jessica E, Frith, Thomas J. R., Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Cooper-White, Justin J. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2014). Derivation of mesenchymal stromal cells from canine induced pluripotent stem cells by inhibition of the TGFbeta/activin signaling pathway. Stem Cells and Development, Online Ahead of Print (24), 3021-3033. doi: 10.1089/scd.2013.0634
Whitworth, Deanne J., Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Sun, Jane, Fortuna, Patrick R. J. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2014). Generation and characterization of leukemia inhibitory factor-dependent equine induced pluripotent stem cells from adult dermal fibroblasts. Stem Cells and Development, Fast Track Articles (13), 1-9. doi: 10.1089/scd.2013.0461
Whitworth, Deanne J., Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2012). Generation and characterization of LIF-dependent canine induced pluripotent stem cells from adult dermal fibroblasts. Stem Cells and Development, 21 (12), 2288-2297. doi: 10.1089/scd.2011.0608
McGowan, C. M. and Whitworth, D. J. (2008). Overtraining syndrome in horses. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 5 (2), 57-65. doi: 10.1017/S1478061508979202
Pask, Andrew J., Whitworth, Deanne, J., Mao Chai-An, Wei, Kei-Jun, Sankovic, Natasha, Graves, Jennifer A. M., Shaw, Geoffrey, Renfree, Marilyn B. and Behringer, Richard R. (2004). Marsupial anti-Mullerian hormone gene structure, regulatory elements, and expression. Biology of Reproduction, 70 (1), 160-167. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.103.020016
Whitworth, D. J., Pask, A. J., Shaw, G., Marshall Graves, J. A., Behringer, R. R. and Renfree, M. B. (2001). Characterization of steroidogenic factor 1 during sexual differentiation in a marsupial. Gene, 277 (1-2), 209-219. doi: 10.1016/S0378-1119(01)00677-1
Bi, Weimin, Huang, Wendong, Whitworth, Deanne J., Deng, Jian Min, Zhang, Zhaoping, Behringer, Richard R. and de Crombrugghe, Benoit (2001). Haploinsufficiency of Sox9 results in defective cartilage primordia and premature skeletal mineralization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98 (12), 6698-6703. doi: 10.1073/pnas.111092198
Bishop, Colin E., Whitworth, Deanne J., Qin, Yanjun, Agoulnik, Alexander I., Agoulnik, Irina A., Harrison, Wilbur R., Behringer, Richard R. and Overbeek, Paul A. (2000). A transgenic insertion upstream of sox9 is associated with dominant XX sex reversal in the mouse. Nature Genetics, 26 (4), 490-494. doi: 10.1038/82652
Whitworth, Deanne J., Hunt, Leigh and Licht, Paul (2000). Widespread expression of the mRNA encoding a novel vitamin D/thyroxine dual binding protein in the turtle Trachemys scripta. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 118 (2), 354-358. doi: 10.1006/gcen.2000.7474
Mishina, Y., Whitworth, D. J., Racine, C. and Behringer, R. R.. (1999). High specificity of Müllerian-inhibiting substance signaling in vivo. Endocrinology, 140 (5), 2084-2088. doi: 10.1210/en.140.5.2084
Whitworth, Deanne J., Licht, Paul, Racey, Paul A. and Glickman, Stephen E. (1999). Testis-like steroidogenesis in the ovotestis of the European mole, Talpa europaea. Biology of Reproduction, 60 (2), 413-418. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod60.2.413
Whitworth, Deanne J. (1998). XX germ cells: The difference between an ovary and a testis. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 9 (1), 2-6. doi: 10.1016/S1043-2760(98)00002-2
Whitworth, Deanne J., Shaw, Geoffrey and Renfree Marilyn B. (1997). Müllerian duct regression in a marsupial, the tammar wallaby. Anatomy And Embryology, 196 (1), 39-46. doi: 10.1007/s004290050078
Whitworth, Deanne J., Shaw, Geoffrey and Renfree, Marilyn B. (1996). Gonadal sex reversal of the developing marsupial ovary in vivo and in vitro. Development (Cambridge), 122 (12), 4057-4063.
Conference Papers
Weeratunga, Prasanna, Shahsavari, Arash, Ovchinnikov, Dmitry, Wolvetang, Ernst and Whitworth, Deanne (2018). Induced pluripotent stem cells from a marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii): insight into the evolution of mammalian pluripotency. Joint 10th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian-Gene-and-Cell-Therapy-Society (AGCTS) and Australasian-Society-for-Stem-Cell-Research (ASSCR), Sydney, Australia, 24-26 May 2017. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley.
Shahsavari, A., Ovchinnikov, D., Wolvetang, E. and Whitworth, D. (2018). Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory capabilities of canine mesenchymal stem cells and their clinical potential. Joint 10th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian-Gene-and-Cell-Therapy-Society (AGCTS) and Australasian-Society-for-Stem-Cell-Research (ASSCR), Sydney, Australia, 24-26 May 2017. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley.
Whitworth, Deanne (2015). Stem cell therapies for treating osteoarthritis: prescient or premature?. Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists College Science Week Conference, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 9-11 July 2015.
Whitworth, D. J., Gauthier, M.-E., Ovchinnikov, D. A., Grimmond, S. M., Marshall Graves, J. A. and Wolvetang, E. J. (2015). Platypus Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveal that Acquisition of SOX2 Responsiveness Facilitated Expansion of the Pluripotency Network During Mammalian Evolution. Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, Stockholm , Sweden, 24-27 June 2015.
Whitworth, Deanne J., Ovchinnikov, Dmitry A., Sun, Jane, Fortuna, Patrick R. J. and Wolvetang, Ernst J. (2013). FGF/ERK signalling induces X chromosome inactivation in LIF-dependent equine induced pluripotent stem cells. ASSCR 2013: 6th Annual Meeting for Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research, South Bank, QLD, Australia, 27-29 October, 2013.
Whitworth, D. J., Sun, J and Wolvetang, E. J. (2012). The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from human CD34+ cells reveals a sex bias in reprogramming efficiency. Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, Yokohama, Japan, 13-16 June 2012.
Whitworth, D. J., Bi, W., Deng, J. M., de Crombrugghe, B. and Behringer, R. R. (2000). Sox9 and Sertoli cell differentiation in the mouse. Second International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination, Hawaii, U.S.A., xx.
Whitworth, D. J., Bi, W., Deng, J. M., de Crombrugghe, B. and Behringer, R. R. (1998). An analysis of the behaviour of Sox9 mutant cells in testicular development. Cold Spring Harbor Meeting on Mouse Molecular Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, xx.
Whitworth, Deanne, Licht, .P, Racey, P. A. and Glickman, S. E. (1998). Testis-like steroidogenesis in the ovotestis of the European mole. Society for the Study of Reproduction, Ann Arbor, MI, xx. Society for the Study of Reproduction: Madison, WI, United States.
Renfree, Marilyn B., Shaw, Geoffrey, Harry, Jenny L. and Whitworth, Deanne J. (1995). Sexual differentiation in marsupial mammals. Keystone Symposium on the Molecular Basis for the Differences Between the Sexes, Tamarron, CO, U.S.A., 12-18 February 1995.
Whitworth, D. J. and Renfree, M. B. (1994). Gonadal sex reversal in female tammar wallabies is induced by MIS. Australian Society for Reproductive Biology and the Endocrine Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 30 September-2 October 1991. Perth, WA, Australia: Australian Society for Reproductive Biology.
Whitworth, Deanne, Harry, J. L., Shaw, G. and Renfree, M. B. (1994). Müllerian inhibiting substance gene expression in the developing testis of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Australian Society for Reproductive Biology, Sydney , Australia, xx.
Whitworth, D. J., Harry, J. L., Shaw, G. and Renfree, M. B. (1994). Müllerian inhibiting substance gene expression in the developing gonad of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility, Southhampton, UK, xx.
Whitworth, D. J. and McLean, J. R. (1992). Density of adrenergic nerves about guinea-pig intrapulmonary arterial smooth muscle increases with decreasing vessel diameter. The 55th Meeting of the Australian Physiological and Pharmacological Society jointly with the Australian and New Zealand Society of Neplanology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 27-28 February 1992. St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: Australian Physiological and Pharmacological Society.