Prof. Jillian Cornish

University of Auckland | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Professor Cornish leads the Bone/Joint Research Laboratory in Department of Medicine, establishing many in vitro and in vivo models in cell and molecular biology to discover international patented novel growth-active factors. She has attracted numerous national and international collaborators as well as funding. She has established a national centre of excellence of translational research and enabled a regenerative medicine programme in skeletal as well as cardiac valve tissue engineering working closely with clinicians and scientists supported by grants nationally and internationally. In 2019, Dr Cornish initiated a collaboration with Orthopaedic Engineers in University of Utah being awarded a USA Department of Defense grant to study biofilm implant-related infections.

Dr Cornish is responsible for the strategic development of the lab, staff management and development. She facilitates the education and academic development of colleagues: basic scientists, academic endocrinologists and orthopaedic surgeons having supervised many BScHons, BMedSci, Masters & >30 Doctoral students. In addition, she has principal academic leadership role in animal research throughout FMHS.

Her innovative research has influenced the commercial community, contributing to Fonterra and Tatua dairy companies establishing major lactoferrin plants for markets particularly in Asia. Dr Cornish’s work has also influenced policy decisions within NZ in osteoporosis management and education.

She has received many prestigious awards, including in 2021 being made a Life Member of Australia and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society (ANZBMS), 2019 a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand as well as a Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research, 2018 Nancy Sirett Achievement Award (New Zealand Society of Endocrinology), 2014 Paula Stern Achievement Award, (American Society of Bone and Mineral Research) and 2014 Career Achievement Award, ANZBMS. In 2010 she was made a Founding Fellow Faculty of Science, in the Royal College of Pathologists in Australasia. She has served on editorial boards and the boards of the International Bone and Mineral Society, International Society of Bone Morphometry. Dr Cornish is currently on the councils of Osteoporosis New Zealand, and ANZBMS and past president of ANZBMS.

Dr Cornish’s h-index is 49 with >8700 citations on Scopus and an i10-index of 127.