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Associate Professor Trevor Lithgow

Project : Molecular machines that drive microbial pathogens.

Current institution : The University of Melbourne .

Host institution : Monash University .

Primary research field : Biochemistry and cell biology.

Associate Professor Lithgow leads an interdisciplinary research program at the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute. He is an international leader in protein targeting and membrane assembly, and his lab is working towards understanding the molecular machine that transfers proteins into mitochondria.

The main aims of A/Professor Lithgow's research program are to: capitalise on biochemical techniques and bioinformatics developed by his laboratory; apply these techniques to learn more about the structure, function and assembly of the molecular machines in bacteria; and better understand how the human immune system can cope with microbial invaders. The work will involve research in genetics, microbiology, computer science and molecular biology, and will link research groups in Australia with key international laboratories.

A/Professor Lithgow completed his PhD in biochemistry at La Trobe University before undertaking a Research Fellowship in 1993, funded by the international Human Frontiers Science Program, at the University of Basel in Switzerland . His lab at the Bio21 Institute collaborates with about 20 others, locally and internationally.

A/Professor Lithgow was awarded the Victor Chang Medal in 2002, and the La Trobe University David Myers Medal and The University of Melbourne David Syme Prize in 2005.