Dr. Mark Polizzotto

Biography

Mark Polizzotto is an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales and leads the Clinical Hub Interventional Research (CHOIR) group at the Kirby Institute. He is a Senior Staff Haematologist at the Canberra Region Cancer Centre, Canberra Hospital. His clinical trial research intersects with immunity, infection, and cancer, focusing on developing new therapies to prevent and treat malignancies, particularly infection-related cancers. Mark's significant contributions to the field have included work on HIV-associated cancers that have influenced guidelines globally. He has co-led the development of an oral immunomodulator for Kaposi sarcoma, resulting in new drug approval. Additionally, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, he was invited by the U.S. National Institutes of Health to lead international randomized trials for COVID-19 immunotherapies. His work in therapeutic development has contributed to new therapy registrations and influenced treatment guidelines both in Australia and internationally, marking significant advancements in translational science and understanding of the pathogenesis of key viral malignancies related to HIV infection. Published in prominent journals including Blood, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and the New England Journal of Medicine, Mark has also coordinated numerous international randomized trials for infections such as HIV and influenza in collaboration with global health organizations.

Research Interests