
Prof Robert Flower
National Research Program Leader
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Sydney Medicine Northern Clinical School Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology
Robert’s research focuses broadly on transfusion safety, with teams using in vivo and in vitro models to investigate impacts of transfusion as well as application of genotyping to improve matching of blood for patients.
He has a strong commitment to education and teaches university undergraduate and medical advanced trainees. He’s supervised completion of more than 87 postgraduate students.
Robert has over 400 papers and published abstracts in transfusion, virology and molecular genetics in the scientific literature.
AWARDS
- Peter Schiff Award from the Australia and New Zealand Society for Blood Transfusion (2019). A recognition of lifetime achievement in research and education in Blood Transfusion.
- QUT Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence (2018) in recognition of sustained performance and outstanding achievement in community partnership.
LEADERSHIP
- Foundation fellow of Royal College of Pathologists Faculty of Science
- NATA assessor for Transfusion
Key publications
The genomic landscape of blood groups in Indigenous Australians in remote communities
2022
Transfusion
62(5):1110-1120
Using Whole Genome Sequencing to Characterize Clinically Significant Blood Groups Among Healthy Older Australians
2022
Blood Advances
6(15):4593-4604
The distribution of MNS hybrid glycophorins with Mur antigen expression in Chinese donors including identification of a novel GYP.Bun allele
2016
Vox Sang
111:308-314.
SARA: a "new" low-frequency MNS antigen (MNS47) provides further evidence of the extreme diversity of the MNS blood group system
2015
Transfusion
55:1451-1456.
Sixty years of antibodies to MNS system hybrid glycophorins: what have we learned?
2011
Transfus Med Rev
25:111-124.
* This research was completed prior to starting with Lifeblood