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Professor Andrew Pask is Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology in the School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Melbourne, where he heads the Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research (TIGRR) Laboratory. He earned his PhD from La Trobe University in 1999 for his thesis on the evolution of genes in the sex determining pathway, a Bachelor's Degree with Honours from La Trobe University, and a Graduate Diploma from the University of Melbourne. Following postdoctoral research at the University of Melbourne and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, Pask established his independent research program at the University of Melbourne. His academic interests center on evolutionary developmental biology, reproductive biology, endocrinology, and conservation genetics, particularly in marsupials including the fat-tailed dunnart, marsupial mole, and extinct thylacine.
Pask's research has significantly influenced the fields of mammalian evolution and de-extinction science. He led the chromosome-scale genome assembly of the thylacine, providing insights into its evolution and demography. Key publications include 'Genome analysis of the platypus reveals unique signatures of evolution' (2008), 'The genetic and environmental factors underlying hypospadias' (2016), 'Retrotransposon silencing by DNA methylation can drive mammalian genomic imprinting' (2007), 'Genome of the Tasmanian tiger provides insights into the evolution and demography of an extinct marsupial carnivore' (2018), and 'Widespread cis-regulatory convergence between the extinct Tasmanian tiger and gray wolf' (2019). His lab explores convergent skull evolution between thylacines and wolves, endocrine disruptors like atrazine causing reproductive abnormalities, gonadal differentiation, penis development disorders such as hypospadias, and stem cell technologies for wildlife conservation. In August 2025, Pask was appointed Chief Biology Officer at Colossal Biosciences, overseeing developmental biology strategies for de-extinction programs including the thylacine project.
Discover the University of Melbourne's genetic engineering breakthrough creating cane toad-resistant quolls, saving endangered marsupials via CRISPR-edited ATP1A1 gene for bufotoxin resistance.
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