Nikolas K. Haass

Nikolas Haass, MD/PhD/FACD

Professor for Cutaneous Oncology/Principal Research Fellow

Head, Experimental Melanoma Therapy Group

Director of Higher Degree Research UQDI

Academic lead of TRI’s Microscopy Facility

Nikolas Haass is a clinician scientist and academic leader with research in melanoma cell biology and experimental melanoma therapy. He received his degree in medicine from the University of Heidelberg, Germany (1990-1998). He graduated summa cum laude with a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Heidelberg (1993-1999) and trained in clinical dermatology at the University of Hamburg, Germany (1999-2003). In 2003 he moved to Philadelphia, PA, to work as a post-doctoral fellow in Meenhard Herlyn’s lab at The Wistar Institute/University of Pennsylvania (2003-2007). From there he was recruited as an associate faculty member to the Centenary Institute/University of Sydney (2007-2013). In 2013 he commenced a position as Professor for Cutaneous Oncology at University of Queensland Diamantina Institute.

Using cutting-edge technology, including real-time cell cycle imaging in 3D culture and in vivo, his team studies the role of dynamic melanoma heterogeneity in melanomagenesis with the goal to develop novel therapeutic approaches by simultaneously targeting different tumor cell subpopulations. His laboratory and his team are in the unique position to combine sophisticated imaging and biosensor approaches with biochemical methods to provide unprecedented insight to the mechanisms of tumor heterogeneity, tumor-stroma interactions and cancer immunology.