Melissa Little

Melissa Little
AC FAA FAHMS
Born (1963-12-05) 5 December 1963 (age 60)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Alma mater
Known forDeveloping the world's first kidney in a dish
Scientific career
FieldsNephrology Stem Cell Organoids
InstitutionsUniversity of Copenhagen, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Doctoral advisorPeter Smith

Melissa Helen Little is an Australian scientist and academic who has served as director of Cell Biology at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute since 2019.[1] She is also a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, and Program Leader of Stem Cells Australia.[2] In January 2022, she became CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine reNEW, an international stem cell research center based at University of Copenhagen, and a collaboration between the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia, and Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.[3]

She is internationally recognized both for her work on the systems biology of kidney development and also for her pioneering studies into potential regenerative therapies in the kidney.[4][5] In 2015, Professor Melissa Little and her team at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute produced the world’s first kidney in a dish.[6] Known today as kidney organoids, this research has become a foundation of ongoing work to find a regenerative solution for kidney disease.

  1. ^ "Professor Melissa Little | Murdoch Children's Research Institute". www.mcri.edu.au. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Pursuit University of Melbourne".
  3. ^ "New international research center to drive future stem cell-derived medicines". 17 December 2021./
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "News". www.stemcellsaustralia.edu.au. Retrieved 25 July 2019.