Ryszard Maleszka (born January 14, 1949) is a Polish Australian academic and researcher. He received his MSc and PhD from the Department of Genetics at the University of Warsaw and completed his postdoctoral work at the National Research Council in Canada. He moved to Australia in 1987 after receiving a scholarship from the Australian National University in Canberra, where he established an independent laboratory in the Research School of Biological Sciences. He became emeritus professor in 2019.
Maleszka has studied the link between genes and phenotype, transitioning from genetics-based single-gene approaches to genomics, and to epigenomics. He has retained an emphasis on developmental problems and exploited relevant systems with measurable phenotypic endpoints such as yeast, Drosophila, and the honey bee.
A pioneer in insect genomics in Australia, Maleszka conducted research into epigenetic regulation of phenotypic and behavioural polymorphisms using the honey bee model. His group has researched the role of non-genetic factors play in linking environment with gene expression. Maleszka has also worked on genes involved in brain plasticity.
His works has been published in scientific journals, contributed chapters to several books, and he co-invented two patents. His work has been cited, and featured in editorial commentaries.
Selected publications Maleszka, R. (8 August 2025). "Is the concept of mammalian epigenetic clocks universal and applicable to invertebrates?" Frontiers in Genetics. 16. doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2025.1633921
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