Justin Rustenhoven
Justin Rustenhoven | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | New Zealand |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland (BSc (Hons), PhD) |
| Known for | Brain–immune interfaces; meningeal lymphatic vessels |
| Awards | Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (2021); Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis (2017); Finalist, Eppendorf & ‘‘Science’’ Prize for Neurobiology (2021) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroimmunology; Neuroscience |
| Institutions | University of Auckland; University of Virginia; Washington University in St. Louis |
| Thesis | Contribution of brain pericytes in neuro-inflammatory responses (2017) |
| Doctoral advisor | Mike Dragunow |
Justin Rustenhoven is a New Zealand neuroimmunologist and Senior Research Fellow in Pharmacology at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research. His work has shown how immune cells stationed at the brain’s borders and within meningeal lymphatic vessels influence ageing and neurodegenerative disease. In 2021 he received a five-year Rutherford Discovery Fellowship to explore ways of restoring lymphatic drainage and cognitive function in dementia.[1]
Education
Rustenhoven completed a BSc and BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology at the University of Auckland before earning his PhD there in 2017. His doctoral research, supervised by Professor Mike Dragunow, examined how human brain pericytes orchestrate neuro-inflammatory responses and won the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis.[2]
Career
After his doctorate, Rustenhoven took up post-doctoral positions in the United States: first at the Centre for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, and then in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University in St. Louis.[3] His 2021 study in ‘‘Cell’’ characterised the dural venous sinuses as a specialised neuro-immune interface, revealing routes by which antigens drain from the cerebrospinal fluid to local antigen-presenting cells and lymphatics.[4]
On returning to New Zealand in late 2021, he joined the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Auckland as a Senior Research Fellow, where he leads a laboratory studying how meningeal immunity and lymphatic dysfunction contribute to cognitive decline.[5]
Research
Rustenhoven’s work spans cell culture, high-dimensional cytometry and in vivo imaging to map how endothelial cells, pericytes and border-associated macrophages regulate brain immunity. His laboratory is testing pharmacological and gene-therapy strategies to boost meningeal lymphatic clearance in models of Alzheimer’s disease and normal ageing.[6]
Awards and honours
Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis, University of Auckland (2017)[7]
Finalist, Eppendorf & ‘‘Science’’ Prize for Neurobiology (2021)[8]
Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, Royal Society Te Apārangi (2021)[7]
Selected publications
Rustenhoven, Justin; Drieu, Antoine; Mamuladze, Tornike; Alves de Lima, Kalil; Dykstra, Taitea; Wall, Morgan; et al. (18 February 2021). "Functional characterization of the dural sinuses as a neuroimmune interface". Cell. 184 (4): 1000–1016.e27. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.040. PMC 8487654. PMID 33508229.
Rustenhoven, Justin; Jansson, Deidre; Smyth, Leon C.; Dragunow, Mike (2017). "Brain pericytes as mediators of neuroinflammation". Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 38 (3): 291–304. doi:10.1016/j.tips.2016.12.001. PMID 28017362.
References
- ^ "Justin Rustenhoven – Rutherford Discovery Fellow". Royal Society Te Apārangi. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "2021 Finalist – Justin Rustenhoven, PhD". Eppendorf Corporate. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Biography – Justin Rustenhoven". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ Rustenhoven, Justin; Drieu, Antoine; Mamuladze, Tornike; Alves de Lima, Kalil; Dykstra, Taitea; Wall, Morgan; et al. (18 February 2021). "Functional characterization of the dural sinuses as a neuroimmune interface". Cell. 184 (4): 1000–1016.e27. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.040. PMC 8487654. PMID 33508229.
- ^ Stevenson, T. J.; Vinnell, L.; Rustenhoven, J. (10 October 2023). ""Bloody" good factors for keeping the brain young – author information". Immunity. 56 (10): 2185–2187. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2023.09.007. PMID 37820581.
- ^ "Pacific-centred higher education and dementia research: Rutherford Fellows announced". University of Auckland News. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Biography – Justin Rustenhoven". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Rustenhoven named finalist for neurobiological research award". Washington University School of Medicine News. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2025.