Dr. Arun Everest-Dass is a Research Leader and Advanced Queensland Industry Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Glycomics. He heads the mass spectrometry imaging program at the Institute, developing novel techniques to image and map glycans from tissues and cells. The surfaces of all cells are densely coated with complex sugars called glycans, which include glycoproteins, glycolipids, and glycosaminoglycans. These glycans are involved in crucial cellular processes such as development, cell proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis. Notably, glycan alterations are often associated with disease states; for instance, cancer cells frequently exhibit differently expressed glycans compared to normal cells, holding diagnostic and prognostic potential.

The study of glycans has historically lagged behind that of genes and proteins due to a lack of effective tools. However, recent advancements, particularly in mass spectrometry, have opened new frontiers in glycomics. These technological improvements have enabled the exploration of glycan changes, the development of novel diagnostics for precision medicine, and a deeper understanding of glycan-mediated biological processes. Dr. Everest-Dass is at the forefront of this field, pioneering new mass spectrometry methods for glycomics, proteomics, and glycoproteomics.

An internationally recognized expert in structural glycochemistry, glycobiology, and mass spectrometry, Dr. Everest-Dass is among the few researchers in Australia specializing in mass spectrometry imaging with a glycomics focus. He is engaged in several national and international collaborative projects related to cancer, neurological diseases, and microbial pathogenesis.