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Levon is a molecular and cell biologist with longstanding interests in blood vessel pathology.  This means his research spans cardiovascular disease, inflammation, ocular disease and cancer. He has pioneered the development of novel strategies targeting immediate-early genes in multiple experimental vascular proliferative disorders, and successfully directed the bench-to-bedside transition of novel drugs through first-in-human, first-in-class clinical trials.

Levon began his undergraduate studies in science at UNSW in 1982 (majoring in biochemistry and microbiology) and graduated with first class honours in biochemistry in 1986. He became interested in vascular biology at Prince Henry Hospital with the support of a National Heart Foundation Vacation Scholarship then commenced predoctoral studies in Medicine at St George Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital, gaining valuable training in molecular biology at CSIRO and immunology at the Garvan Institute. After obtaining his PhD in 1993, Levon was awarded a NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship and trained in vascular pathobiology at Harvard Medical School where he was appointed Instructor. He returned to UNSW in 1996 and established an independent research group in the Centre for Vascular Research (CVR), one of UNSW’s largest research centres. A NHMRC RD Wright Fellowship and a series of NHMRC Research Fellowships followed. Levon was appointed to Professor in 2004 and Director of CVR in 2009. In this role, Levon oversaw the design, construction and CVR’s relocation to Level 3 of the Lowy Cancer Research Building.