Dr John Gostage trained as an anatomist at the Wales Centre for Anatomical Education (WACE) at Cardiff University (2013-2018). During this time John also initiated his research career, taking up various research positions, including a year at the University Hospital of Wales bone research labs researching extracellular vesicles in the bone microenvironment (supervised by Dr Bronwen Evans), and 6 months at the Cardiff Arthritis Centre researching ADAMTS4 allosteric inhibitors in cartilage breakdown, (supervised by Prof Clare Hughes). After graduating with a First Class Honours (Master of Biomedical Sciences and Anatomy) from Cardiff University, John gained funding through the MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA, https://www.cimauk.org) to undertake an MRes and PhD at the University of Sheffield, supervised by Prof Eugene McCloskey, Prof Ilaria Bellantuono and Dr Katarzyna Goljanek-Whysall. John explored the effect of RANKL inhibitors (OPG and Denosumab) on skeletal muscle, primarily using in vitro myogenesis models. Subsequently, after passing his MRes and PhD, John joined Prof Garry Duffy’s lab at the University of Galway, as a research associate (2023-2024). Under the supervision of Dr Ruth Levey, he worked on novel medical devices for ambient cell transport whilst also taking on teaching responsibilities.

John joined the University of Western Australia as an anatomist in early 2025, he was succesful in getting a lectureship shortly after his arrival and is actively working to establish his research group here in Perth. He is interested in musculoskeletal research, particularly bone-muscle crosstalk, sarcopenia and rare muscle diseases. He is also eager to explore extra-osseous RANK-RANKL-OPG dynamics. John has a thoughtful and informed outlook on socioeconomic problems and recognises the complex roots of inequality and the systemic barriers many communities face, here in Western Australia and globally. Rather than viewing these challenges as insurmountable, he sees them as opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable change.

Unit Coordination:
ANHB3331 (co-coordinator)
ANHB2214

Lecturing:
ANHB3331 
ANHB2214
NURS1001

Project supervision: 
ANHB3320

Anatomy Demonstrating:
ANHB2212
IMED1001
OPTM4102
ANHB3331

• OPG-RANKL-RANK signalling in skeletal muscle
• Extra-osseous roles of RANKL inhibitors 
• NFκB signalling in skeletal muscle
• Using in vitro myogenesis models to explore novel therapeutics to amleiorate muscle decline in ageing and disease 
• Sarcopenia and muscle wasting
• Osteosarcopenia
• Bone-Muscle cross-talk 

Research Assistant, University Hospital of Wales (2015-2016)

Research Assistant and Anatomy Demonstrator, Cardiff University (2017-2018)

Researcher (MRes and PhD), The University of Sheffield (2018 - 2023)

Research Associate (Postdoc), The Univeristy of Galway (2023 -2024)

• 2020 -> CIMA upskill fund: £850

SysMIC course

• 2018-2023 -> The Versus Arthritis Centre for Integrated research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA): £120,000

Funded MRes and PhD scholarship: "RANKL inhibition in the amelioration of sarcopenia: potential cross-tissue effects of musculoskeletal therapies"

• 2018 -> Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER) Summer Research Scholarship: £1,200

ADAMTS-4 allosteric inhibitors in the amelioration of cartilage degradation in vitro