Research
Anderson - Plant innate immunity proteins
Our group works on protection of humans and crops from pathogens. We do this by studying natural defences of plants, and the biology of the pathogens themselves.
Chen - T cell immunology
Our group specialises in CD8+ T cell biology and antigen processing and presentation, particularly in relation to the development of cross-protective immune responses to the influenza virus.
Cutts - Cellular responses to anticancer drugs
Our group develops new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. We examine the mechanism of action of available anticancer drugs and work to restrict the killing properties to cancerous cell types.
Dougan - Protein homeostasis in health and disease
Our group studies AAA+ proteases, responsible for general and regulated protein turn over in bacteria and in some organelles of eukaryotes.
Fairlie - Apoptosis, autophagy, cancer, drug development and peptides
Our group use a combination of biochemistry, cell biology, structural biology and medicinal chemistry approaches to understand the precise molecular mechanisms that control apoptosis.
Foley - Use of single domain antibodies as therapeutics in fibrosis and other chronic diseases
Our group uses single domain antibodies that have been developed from sharks to identify novel therapeutics against a number of chronic diseases.
Greening - Extracellular vesicles, exosomes, cancer biology and uterine biology
Our group uses an integrated systems biology approach to understand extracellular communication in the context of the tumour microenvironment and uterine development.
Hart - Molecular regulation of stem cells and cancer
Our group studies the key genes and molecular pathways that regulate stem cells during normal growth and development. We are working to identify how these genes are re-activated in the adult to cause cancer.
Hawkins - Cell death regulation in cancer and viral infection
Our group examines apoptotic regulation in normal cells, cancerous cells and virally-infected cells. We use this knowledge to explore better and safer therapies for cancer and viral diseases.
Heras - Bacterial virulence factors: structure and function
Our group studies the molecular mechanisms underlying Gram-negative bacterial infections to develop antibacterial drugs that are not susceptible to existing resistance mechanisms.
Hill - Neurodegenerative diseases, extracellular vesicles and noncoding RNAs
Our group uses a combination of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology to investigate neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Prion and Parkinson's diseases.
Hoogenraad - Development of therapeutic antibodies against cachexia
Our group specialises in cancer cachexia, a complication of cancer that is responsible for around 25% of cancer deaths.
Hulett - Inflammation and tumour progression
Our group studies the molecular basis of tumour progression and inflammatory disease to develop novel anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Humbert - Cancer biology, cell polarity and tissue architecture
Our group is interested in how cell asymmetry and tissue organisation can regulate cancer initiation, progression and metastasis
Kvansakul - Structural biology of cell death and host-pathogen interactions
Our group examines how viruses hijack cellular defence systems to ensure their own proliferation and survival.
Lee - Apoptosis, autophagy, cancer, cell biology, biochemistry, structural biology, drug discovery
Our group examines the molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate decisions dictated by the processes of apoptosis and autophagy.
Lee - Structural biology in gene regulation and DNA damage repair pathway
Our group characterises the macromolecular complexes in the nucleus to understand their roles in gene regulation and DNA damage repair pathway.
Maher - Metallobiology
Our group studies protein-based metallo-regulatory systems – from the metal transporters embedded in the cell membranes to the metalloproteins and enzymes which utilize transition metals for activity.
Mathivanan - Exosomes, secretome and systems biology
Our group explores the role of extracellular matrix components (soluble secreted proteins and extracellular vesicles) in cancer and intercellular communication.
Murphy - Skeletal muscle biochemistry
Our group studies the various aspects of skeletal muscle biochemistry in health and disease, using exercise and disease models in humans, as well as animal models.
Orian - Neurodegenerative diseases
Our group uses proof-of-concept to identify pathological and molecular mechanisms of disease. We also evaluate candidate MS drugs.
Parker - Cancer microenvironment and metastasis
Our group studies the mechanisms of cancer cell spread (metastasis) to distant tissues and organs.
Perugini - Rational inhibitor design targeting drug-resistant bacteria, noxious weeds, and common age-related diseases
Our group studies the structure, function, regulation and inhibition of essential oligomeric enzymes such as dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS), from the lysine biosynthesis pathway of bacteria.
Poon - Apoptotic cell disassembly and clearance
Our group studies the machinery that control how dying cells can disassemble into smaller pieces, and the importance of cell disassembly in disease settings, to identify new drugs to control this process.
Puthalakath - Regulation of apoptosis by Bcl-2 family proteins
Our group researches the molecular basis of apoptosis regulation during heart failure, sepsis and in chemo resistance.
Richardson - Cell polarity, cell signalling and cancer
Our group uses the vinegar fly, Drosophila, to model cancer with the vision of understanding how regulators of cell shape (polarity) and the cell skeleton (actin cytoskeleton) impact on cell signalling and cancer development.
Simpson - Cancer secretome, extracellular communication, exosome and extracellular vesicle biology
Our group utilizes an integrated proteomic/genomic strategy to understand the role of the extracellular environment in cancer progression.
Soares da Costa - Antibiotic and herbicide discovery
Our group focuses on the development and characterisation of novel classes of antibiotics and herbicides to minimise the emergence of resistance.
Truscott - Mitochondrial protein homeostasis
Our group studies the function of mitochondrial proteins involved in the biogenesis and maintenance of mitochondria at the molecular level.
Wijeyewickrema - Proteases, inhibitors and receptors: relationship to disease states
Our group researches enzymes, called proteases, which operate at the interface between a host, such as a human being and microbes that cause disease.
Apply for research
How to apply to undertake research in the Department of Biochemistry and Genetics at La Trobe.
Honours
How to apply to undertake Honours in the Department of Biochemistry and Genetics at La Trobe.