Dr Caroline Gargett BAppSci, MAppSci, PhD

Senior Scientist, The Ritchie Centre

NHMRC RD Wright Research Fellow

Dr Caroline Gargett obtained her PhD in 1997 and joined the Centre for Women’s Health Research at MIMR as a postdoctoral scientist to study angiogenesis. She is a Senior Scientist in The Ritchie Centre and a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) RD Wright Research Fellow.

Dr Gargett and her research group recently moved to The Ritchie Centre after previously being at the Centre for Womens Health Research. She also remains a member of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Monash University.

In 2002 Dr Gargett pioneered the Endometrial Stem Cell Group which published the first papers describing its discovery of two types of adult stem cells in the endometrium, the highly regenerative lining of the uterus. Her goal is to examine the role of endometrial stem/progenitor cells in endometriosis and endometrial cancer, as well as to use endometrial mesenchymal stem-like cells for a tissue engineering application in pelvic floor prolapse repair surgery. Her research findings are promising for the development of potential therapeutics.

Dr Gargett currently holds a Cancer Council Victoria grant investigating cancer stem cells in endometrial cancer, a NHMRC Project grant to examine the role of endometrial stem/progenitor cells in the development of endometriosis, and an Australian Stem Cell Centre Strategic Development Fund Award to work with CSIRO (Molecular Health Technologies) to develop new bio-materials to use with endometrial mesenchymal stem in a tissue engineering application for repair of pelvic floor prolapse.

Dr Gargett alone and in various collaborations has received several national and international awards for her research. Due to its clinical significance, Dr Gargett’s research featured in NHMRC’s publication “10 of the Best Research Projects 2008” and has received widespread publicity both in Australia and internationally.

Dr Gargett convenes the Human Reproduction Module in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science course at Monash University, has been an Associate Editor for Human Reproduction and has served as Secretary for the Society for Reproductive Biology.