Research output per year
Research output per year
Professor, BSc, BSc Hons (1st Class), PhD
Research activity per year
Professor Stuart Brierley is Director of the Visceral Pain Research Group, Director of the Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, and Co-Theme Leader of Lifelong Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). He is an NHMRC Investigator L1 recipient (2022-2026), and received an NHMRC Research Excellence Award for being the top-ranked NHMRC CDF-II Fellow in the 2016 round. In 2024 he was named in the Stanford University / Elsevier World Top 2% Scientist Rankings. He was also a South Australian Tall Poppy Science Awardee in 2011.
Prof Brierley is an international expert on the 'gut-brain axis' and chronic visceral pain mechanisms. His research comprises discovery and translational science investigating the nerve pathways innervating visceral organs to determine the causes of, and treatments for, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder pain syndrome, and endometriosis. His research focuses on the role of different nerve pathways innervating the viscera, the channels and receptors underlying their function, the influence of the immune system, and how these mechanisms are changed during acute and chronic visceral pain.
Prof Brierley has 126 publications and a strong track record in coordinating and working in multi-faceted research programs for high impact publications in journals such as Nature (x4), Cell, Nature Communications, Gastroenterology (x6), Gut (x11), PNAS, JCI Insight (x3), Pain (x10), J Neuroscience (x2), and has invited reviews in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology Hepatology (x2), Annual Reviews of Physiology, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, and Trends in Biomedical Sciences.
Prof Brierley has been awarded >$36 million in research funding, including four NHMRC Fellowships (Investigator; CDF-II; CDF-I; Peter Doherty ECF) and was CIA on an NHMRC Development Grant (2022-2024). He has been CI on 13 NHMRC Project Grants (since 2004), three NIH grants, and two ARC Discovery Grants.
Prof Brierley has a strong track record of industry collaboration. His collaborations with industry partners Ironwood Pharmaceuticals identified the mechanism of pain relief of a new drug (Linaclotide) in treating patients with IBS with constipation (IBS-C). Linaclotide, a guanylate cyclase-C agonist is effective in relieving abdominal pain associated with IBS-C and is available and registered for use by IBS-C patients in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Prof Brierley has active collaborations with AusHealth, GSK, Nxera, Thetis, and Escient Pharmaceuticals for testing and developing novel visceral pain treatments. Over the last 10 years he has worked with Ironwood, Takeda, Ferring, Allergan, Arena, Sosei Heptares, Nocion, Zealand, and Tioga Pharmaceuticals.
For a current list of publications see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=brierley-sm.
Key Positions:
Key Awards:
Prof Brierley is recognised by his peers as a leading international authority on the afferent pathways innervating our internal organs and how they relate to chronic visceral pain. His research comprises discovery and translational science investigating the causes and cures of chronic abdominal pain relevant to gastrointestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). These disorders are highly prevalent, affecting up to 15% of the Western population. In particular, his research focuses on the role of different afferent classes innervating tour internal organs, the channels underlying their function, the interaction of these channels with inflammatory and immune mediators, and how these processes change in acute and chronic pain. His recent research interests extends into other common causes for visceral pain including interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome and endometriosis and how ‘cross-organ sensitisation' can potentially explain co-morbidities in these patients.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Brierley, S. (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Honorary award
Brierley, S. (Chair)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
Brierley, S. (Speaker)
Activity: Invited talks and oral presentations › Oral conference presentations and other invited talks
Brierley, S. (Invited speaker)
Activity: Invited talks and oral presentations › Oral conference presentations and other invited talks
Brierley, S. (Invited speaker)
Activity: Invited talks and oral presentations › Oral conference presentations and other invited talks
Brierley, S. (Reviewer)
Activity: Publication peer-review and formal editorial roles › Publication peer-review