Dr Sai Seto is a Lecturer in Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Western Australia. He has a long-standing interest in drug discovery and pharmacology research, with a focus on identifying new therapeutic strategies for complex human diseases, particularly vascular, metabolic, inflammatory and women’s health conditions.

Dr Seto completed his Bachelor of Science with Honours in Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, and obtained his PhD in Pharmacology from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He undertook postdoctoral research training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and James Cook University, Australia, where he was awarded an NHMRC Training Fellowship and a National Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship to investigate new therapies for abdominal aortic aneurysm and vascular disease.

Prior to joining UWA, Dr Seto held research and academic appointments at Western Sydney University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He was a Cardiac Health Institute Research Fellow at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, where he investigated the mechanisms of action of herbal medicines used in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. He later served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Associate Director of the Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Dr Seto has received approximately AUD 2.4 million in research support from competitive funding bodies and government schemes and industry partners, including the NHMRC, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the University Grants Committee of the Hong Kong Government, and the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Government. 

His research has been published in leading international journals of his fields including Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, Phytomedicine, British Journal of Pharmacology and Inflammation Research.

He was awarded the National Heart Foundation Exchange and Collaboration Award for his work on sclerostin and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and received a Bronze Medal at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions for his work on a Chinese medicine-based medical device to manage dementia. 

His current research focuses on (1) the non-skeletal effects of sclerostin  and (2) herbal medicine for women’s health conditions, including mastitis and postmenopausal symptoms.