Associate Professor Tianfang Wang | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Associate Professor Tianfang Wang was awarded his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2008. He then moved to Australia to undertake postdoctoral research at the University of Adelaide, where he explored the ion chemistry of peptides and small organic molecules using negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry combined with quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulations.

Since joining UniSC in 2012, Associate Professor Wang has broadened his research into peptide chemistry, mass spectrometry, functional proteomics, and peptidomics. He leads a multidisciplinary research group investigating the antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory activities of host-defence peptides derived from Australian marine and terrestrial organisms. His team has developed innovative animal models to assess peptide efficacy against drug-resistant bacteria, biofilms, and cancer, and their work has contributed to the development of peptide-coated biomaterials and novel immunotherapies.

Associate Professor Wang’s research is also focused on chemical communication in biological systems, particularly in non-model organisms. He has played a pivotal role in identifying pheromones and peptide hormones in land snails, designing peptide-based inhibitors of pheromone-receptor interactions. As part of the international genome project of Biomphalaria glabrata—the major intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni—his work has revealed that schistosome parasites are attracted to specific components of snail mucus, which he is now characterising using advanced peptidomic techniques.

He contributed significantly to establishing the proteome of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) and is currently investigating alarm peptide kairomones released by the giant triton snail (Charonia tritonis), a natural predator of COTS. This research aims to support biocontrol strategies for COTS outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef.

In aquaculture, Associate Professor Wang applies proteomic and bioinformatic tools to study growth and reproduction-regulating peptides, with the goal of improving breeding efficiency and disease resilience. His recent research has demonstrated the ability of host-defence peptides to enhance immune checkpoint therapy in cancer, mediated through macrophage activation and interferon signalling pathways.

Associate Professor Wang is a Chief Investigator on several national and international grants and has published extensively in high-impact journals. His work spans chemistry, biology, and immunology, with translational applications in aquaculture, infectious disease, and cancer therapeutics.