1996 PhD Scholarship Award Recipient: Clinical Professor Kristi Jones
Professor Kristi Jones was our very first PhD scholarship recipient back in 1996! Now as a professor and Head of Department of Clinical Genetics at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, MDNSW had the opportunity to chat with Prof. Jones to discuss where her career has taken her since the early days of her scholarship. Read the interview below for more.
Applications are now open for MDNSW’s Postgraduate Scholarship for Medical Research into Neuromuscular Disorders!
In partnership with Hearts and Mind Investments Group, we are offering two full-time postgraduate scholarship opportunities for suitably qualified candidates in a relevant discipline to undertake research studies in neuromuscular disorders, leading to a PhD so you can fast-track your professional development and see your research make an impact first-hand within our community! Find out more here.
Prof. Jones, thanks for chatting with us! Can you tell us more about the scholarship you received back in 1996?
I was the lucky recipient of the very first MDNSW PhD Scholarship back in 1996 through my connection with Professor Graeme Morgan. Prof. Morgan was a visionary man who created this scholarship (and one of the founding fathers of MDNSW!). He believed that MDNSW should be supporting health researchers that could become ambassadors for the community and give back along the way, so that they could “fly the flag for MDNSW in years to come”.
At the time, I was at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. I thought genetics sounded really interesting and someone at Westmead connected me with Prof. Morgan at Randwick. He was looking to teach someone ‘everything he knew about muscle’ and encouraged me to enrol in a higher degree, which I did. They created the scholarship through the University of Sydney and advertised. I applied and I got it!
How did you feel when you first heard you received the scholarship?
I was really pleased. I was initially daunted by the idea of starting a higher degree but was incredibly excited to be working with Prof. Morgan. I remember thinking (at the time) that I hoped that I could give back to MDNSW at some point in my life, in which case, I was invited to be part of the Board and have stayed for over 15 years (until 2021).
Can you tell us more about the research you completed at the time?
The dystrophin gene associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was discovered in the late 1980s. Professor Kathryn North, who was then part of what is now the Kid’s Neuroscience Centre at Children’s Hospital at Westmead), was excited to study the proteins associated with dystrophin, to make a diagnosis in people who had muscular dystrophy. Prof. Morgan put me in touch with her directly.
We had muscle biopsies stored at the University of Sydney and looked at all the ones with muscular dystrophy and studied them with antibodies to the newly discovered proteins. This pulled out all the different diagnoses in the group. We reviewed other proteins that were in that complex that hadn’t yet been associated with disease. This set the basis and the paradigm for a bio bank that allowed multiple doctors and scientists to study various genetic causes of muscle conditions thereafter.
Where has your career taken you since then?
Professor Kathryn North started a muscle clinic at Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) with the same model that Prof. Morgan had done at Randwick for over 30 years. I worked with her in that clinic from 1996. Sometime later, I took over the leadership of the Neuromuscular/neurogenetics clinic at Children’s at Westmead and worked with her and a multidisciplinary team including neurologists, nurse, and allied health professional. In 2008, we established a clinical trials team, focussing on DMD, and have recently been able to facilitate access to gene therapy trials for some of our boys with DMD. An additional current role is as Head of Clinical Genetics at CHW. As mentioned already, I was also fortunately invited to be part of the Board of MDNSW and had stayed there from the years of 2005-2021, serving as Medical Director for 8 years.
How do you think the scholarship has supported the progression of your career?
I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the scholarship. If it wasn’t the moons aligning combined with the vision of Prof. Graeme Morgan and the vision of the Board that supported it, I would not be where I am today. It was quite a leap of faith to invest in someone they didn’t know. I’m hugely grateful for the vision they had in giving it a go. I’m also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Board because it has been a huge part of my life.
What were some of your highlights in your journey with MDNSW over the years?
I remember the initial phases of starting the camp. We all pitched in and did different things to make it happen. I’ve absolutely loved being able to contribute to the community in that way. Amazing people, people living with MD and their families. Charlotte and all the Board members that have come and gone in my time. That’s made a huge difference to my life. It’s been one thing that led to another and I’m grateful for all the opportunities.
What are you looking forward to in future?
I am looking forward to the continued growth and evolution of MDNSW. It’s constant growth and change but I have enjoyed seeing MDNSW adapt and evolve and grab new opportunities. I’m also excited about seeing some of the new treatments coming into clinical trials, like gene therapy. I feel like we’re entering an era where genetic therapies are finally making a difference in people’s lives.
What’s your advice for researchers looking to get into the neuromuscular field?
People need to think outside the square. You want to find a really good supervisor or mentor. The skills that you learn from a PhD can be applicable to so many areas. The neuromuscular field is a small one but there are always exciting developments and the neuromuscular community is a small, close-knit and very positive community that I am grateful to be part of.
Interested to learn more about our current scholarship offerings? Visit our page or alternatively, contact our team on (02) 9888 5711 or e-mail us at info@mdnsw.org.au for more information.