Science, Technology and Engineering

Dougan & Truscott Laboratory

Department of Biochemistry

Biosketch - David Dougan

After finishing a first class Honours degree in Biochemistry at La Trobe University, David moved to C.S.I.R.O. (Parkville) to study antibody-antigen interactions. In 1999, after a short stint on a "running scholarship" in Bruce Kemps lab, he moved to Freiburg in southern Germany where he began as a postdoc in the Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Albert-Ludwig's University. It was here that he developed his interest in AAA+ proteins and more specifically their modulation by adaptor proteins began. Luckily the Black Forest also happened to be a great place for mountain biking, X-country skiing and testing fine german beer. After three years in Freiburg he moved to the ZMBH (Center for Molecular Biology Heidelberg) set in the picturesque town of Heidelberg where he took up a new appointment as a project leader in Prof. Bukau's lab continuing his work on adaptor proteins.

In 2004, he was awarded a QEII Fellowship by the Australian Research Council and returned to Australia to set up a joint lab with Dr. Kaye Truscott where he has continued his work on AAA+ proteins and their modulation by specific adaptor proteins, but with a new twist. Currently his work is supported by the Australian Research Council, the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundation, and the ANZ Medical Research and Technology in Victoria.

Selected recent publications

• Erbse et al., (2006). Nature 439, 753-6. Recommended by the Faculty of 1000.
• Kirstein et al., (2006). EMBO J. 25, 1481-91.
• Weibezahn et. al., (2004). Cell 119, 653-65. Previewed by Art Horwich in Cell and by James Shorter and Susan Linquist in Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. Recommended by the Faculty of 1000.
• Dougan et al., (2003). Mol. Cell 12, 373-380.
• Schlothauer et al., (2003). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 2306-2311. Recommended by the Faculty of 1000.
• Zeth et al., (2002). Nature Struct. Biol. 9, 906-911.
• Dougan et al., (2002). FEBS Letters 529, 6-10.
• Dougan et al., (2002). Mol. Cell 9, 973-983. Rated a Must Read rating by the Faculty of 1000.

Honours & Awards

• Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship.
• Lorne Young Investigators Award
• Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Establishment Award
• Biology of Molecular Chaperones (Tomar, Portugal) Poster Award.
• Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fellowship.