Prof Jonathan Karpelowsky

Professor Jonathan Karpelowsky is an internationally recognised Paediatric Surgical Oncologist and leading clinician-scientist with over 20 years of experience managing complex and rare paediatric cancers, including sarcomas, liver tumours, thoracic tumours, germ cell tumours, and metastatic solid tumours. He holds a Chair in Paediatric Surgery at the University of Sydney and serves as Senior Surgical Oncologist at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW), where he also co-leads the Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (AMDL) at the Children’s Cancer Research Unit.
One of Australia’s most published paediatric surgeons, Professor Karpelowsky has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, and invited reviews in leading oncology, surgical, and translational research journals. His translational research focuses on liquid biopsy technologies (ctDNA, CTCs), sarcoma molecular monitoring, and precision diagnostics, establishing his institution as a national hub for paediatric oncology biomarker development. He has secured several million dollars in competitive research funding from bodies including the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Cancer Institute NSW, Tour de Cure, and the RACS Foundation for Surgery.
In 2022, Professor Karpelowsky was awarded the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship — the highest research honour of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons — in recognition of his pioneering work in liquid biopsy and sarcoma molecular diagnostics.
A respected global leader in paediatric oncology, he holds active roles in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Liver Tumour Committee, the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Steering Committee for Oceania, is secretary for the International Pediatric Surgical Oncology Group (IPSO), and contributes as a surgical expert to the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. He has contributed to international clinical guidelines for rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms tumour, and liver tumours, and is a frequent keynote and plenary speaker at major international oncology meetings.
Professor Karpelowsky is deeply committed to surgical education and mentorship, supervising PhD, MPhil, Masters, and Honours candidates, and has served as Chair of the RACS Board of Paediatric Surgery and Chair of the Section of Academic Surgery.