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Professor Location: Department of Microbiology, Building 76, level 1, Room 153, Monash University, Clayton |
BSc, Honours in Zoology and Biochemistry, 1982, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
MSc, Molecular Virology, 1984, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer research and University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
PhD (Faculty Award for Excellence), Molecular Virology, 1989, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer research and University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Post-docs and research staff employment in the US, Scotland and France.
Director of Research, Inserm, 2001; Director of Inserm Unit 609, located at the Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology (University of Glasgow, 2011-2009) and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne 9EPFL, 2009-2011). On secondment from Inserm since October 2011.
Head of the Department of Microbiology since November 2011.
The research programme of our team is aimed at defining the role of protein phosphorylation in the life cycle of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The long term objectives are (i) to elucidate the organisation and function of phosphosignalling pathways controlling proliferation and development of the parasite in the human host, and (ii) to identify protein kinase inhibitors that can represent leads for antimalarial drug discovery. The laboratory has brought internationally recognised contributions to the field of signal transduction, cell cycle control, and kinomics in malaria parasites, and has extensive expertise in protein kinase biochemistry and reverse genetics. We recently identified the complement of protein kinases that are essential for parasite survival in the human blood, as well as kinases from the host red blood cell that are activated by infection with the parasite, and whose activity is required for parasite proliferation. We are now focusing our attention on the cellular function of essential parasite and host erythrocyte kinases. Active collaborations have been established with pharmacology and structural biology laboratories with the purpose of developing drug discovery activities based on inhibition of these essential host and parasite signaling protein kinases.
