Associate Professor Justin Wong

Associate Professor Justin Wong leads the Epigenetics and RNA Biology Laboratory in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney. Prior to this appointment, he was a Faculty Member and Head of a research program at the Centenary Institute from 2018 to 2023.

Justin completed his PhD in cancer epigenetics at the University of New South Wales, followed by postdoctoral training in RNA biology at the Centenary Institute. He established his own research program in 2018 and has since led studies exploring how RNA, the molecule that carries instructions from genes to make proteins, is processed and modified in healthy cells and in disease. His laboratory now focuses on defining how aberrant RNA modifications and processing contribute to inflammatory responses and cancer.

Justin has made seminal contributions to advancing our understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms and RNA-processing pathways regulate gene expression across diverse human diseases, particularly cancer. In recognition of these achievements, he was awarded the prestigious Ruth Stephens Gani Medal by the Australian Academy of Science. A passionate advocate for RNA research in Australia, Justin served as President of the Australian RNA Biology and Biotechnology Association in 2025. His long-term vision is to bridge fundamental RNA biology with clinical translation to enable the development of novel therapeutics.

‍