Professor Edwina McGlinn appointed Deputy Director, Research Strategy & Impact 

Developmental and regenerative biologist Professor Edwina McGlinn has been appointed Deputy Director, Research Strategy & Impact, at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI). 

Professor McGlinn joined the institute in 2011 as the first research group leader to be appointed under a joint initiative between Australia and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL Australia). For the past four years, she has led ARMI’s Research Excellence and Mentorship executive portfolio, driving strategies to support the Institute’s success in major national grant applications, engaging with international regenerative medicine partners and developing meaningful connections between research portfolios and the ARMI Leadership Advisory Board. 

Over the past 15 years Professor McGlinn’s research has focused on the gene networks and regulatory mechanisms that control vertebrate embryonic development, especially how the vertebral column and spinal cord form. “By deeply understanding how the embryo forms tissues and organs in the first place, we can use this as a blueprint for novel cell-based therapeutic strategies,” Professor McGlinn said. 

She will continue this research while delivering on her ambitious vision for ARMI: growing the research program while maintaining scientific excellence, cementing the institute’s standing as an international leader in regenerative medicine and delivering on the promise of ‘medicine’ that is explicitly stated in the institute’s name. 

“My main mission in this role is to see ARMI, and the outstanding research it does, deeply integrated within the international regenerative medicine landscape, championing the entire pipeline from fundamental basic biological breakthroughs through to clinical outcomes,” Professor McGlinn said. 

ARMI director Professor Peter Currie said the role of Deputy Director, Research Strategy & Impact, would strengthen the institute’s global leadership in research, in alignment with its strategic direction and growth trajectory. 

He said Professor McGlinn was known not only for her scientific leadership but also for her ability to foster a resilient, inclusive, and high-performing research culture.  

“Professor McGlinn’s ability to forge strategic external alliances is already delivering tangible benefits to ARMI,” Professor Currie said. “She recently secured a Memorandum of Understanding with the Araucaria Foundation in Brazil, enabling five fully funded research internships starting in 2026 – a program that will significantly boost our research productivity and provide early-career researchers with valuable international experience.” 

About ARMI
The Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), based at Monash University in Melbourne, is a world leader in regenerative biology and stem cell research. ARMI works at the frontier of science, translating discovery into hope for people living with conditions like cancer, arthritis, dementia, neurodegenerative disease, rare disease and injury.

Media Contact:
Penny Fannin, Communications Consultant, ARMI
M: +61 (0) 417125700
E: penny.fannin@monash.edu