Michael Epis
Biobank Manager
Michael completed his BSc (Hons) in Biotechnology at Murdoch University with Honours in Molecular Biology in 2001 with Dr. Jacqueline Bentel (RPH – Royal Perth Hospital).
Between 2002 – 2017, Michael was involved in and leading projects spanning RNA Biology, gene regulation, hormone resistance and microRNAs (miRNAs) in an array of cancers, with specific focus on Prostate Cancer, with Professor Peter Leedman at the WAIMR/Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (RPH Medical Research Foundation; SCGH – Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital). Since 2018, Michael has managed the WA DNA Bank (University of WA – RPH Medical Research Foundation), which holds a significant number of bio samples across up to 16 research groups in WA.
Additionally to this, providing nucleic acid services including sample collection, nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) extraction from patient samples, long term bio banking and storage of nucleic acids and biological samples for contributing researchers and supply and service of samples for these studies. Concurrently, Michael joined the COVID-19 Research Response (CRR) team in March 2020 (Perkins South – Fiona Stanley Hospital) to setup, collect and manage bio specimens from COVID-19 patients within tertiary hospitals across Perth, WA for the CRR Bio Bank, headed by Professor Toby Richards.
As of July 2020, Michael has joined Professor Toby Richards’ Research group (UWA Medical School) as the Bio sample Repository Manager for the University of WA