Background

Fiona completed her PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, with Professor Jake Baum in 2015. Her research focused on investigating the way in which Plasmodium parasites move, both into the red blood cell during the process of invasion, and through the mosquito midgut during the process of transmission.

After her PhD, Fiona completed a 4 year post-doctoral position at Imperial College London and Cambridge University with Dr Andrew Blagborough. During this time, her research focus shifted to incorporate a more translational emphasis, with the overall aim of identifying and developing anti-malarial transmission blocking vaccines.

There is currently a huge gap between demand and supply of preventative and control instruments for malaria. Fiona’s key interests involve the discovery of multiple new anti-malarial vaccine antigen candidates, the establishment of new delivery systems, and the design of multiple pre-clinical and clinical studies to assess vaccine effectiveness.

Qualifications

• 2011-2015: Doctorate of Philosophy, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. “Dissecting the Molecular Basis of Malaria Parasite Movement and Host Cell Traversal in the Mosquito Midgut”
• 2007-2008: Honours in Biochemistry, La Trobe University. “Studies of Haemoglobin Uptake and Degradation in Plasmodium falciparum Infected Erythrocytes”
• 2002-2007: Bachelor of Biological Sciences, La Trobe University.

Appointments

• 2020 – ongoing: Honorary Appointment, Department of Infectious
• Diseases, University of Melbourne Australia
• 2020 – ongoing: Honorary Appointment, Department of
• Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne Australia
• 2021: Co-convener of Burnet Institute Department of Life Science Seminar Series
• 2020: Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination
• 2020: Australian Academy of Science STEM Women
• 2018 – ongoing: Human Infection Challenge Network for Vaccine Development
• 2014 – ongoing: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• 2013 – ongoing: Australian Society for Parasitology
• 2018 – 2019: Imperial College Malaria Network
• 2018 – 2019: Imperial College Representative Network for DoLS
• 2017 – 2019: Imperial College DoLS Post-doctoral representative

Awards

• 2024: Lady Potter, Burnet Emerging Leader Fellowship
• 2022: Jim and Margaret Beever Fellowship
• 2022: Perpetual IMPACT Philanthropy Grant
• 2022: Medical Research Council Investigator Grant
• 2022: Australian Regional Immunisation Alliance Grant
• 2022: Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination Seed Grant
• 2021: Funding Research Enhancing Data to Accelerate
• 2021: The Australian Centre for the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases Grant
• 2020: The Australian Centre for the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases Grant
• 2020: Burnet Institute Ideas Jam
• 2020: Burnet Institute Lab Leaps
• 2020: Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination
• Seed Grant
• 2019: Junior Research Grant Isaac Newton Trust/Wellcome Trust ISSF/University of Cambridge
• 2018: Imperial Joint Translation Fund Award MRC/NIHRBRC/NHS/Wellcome/ESPRC
• 2017: Imperial College PDFC Rep Team Award
• 2017: Imperial College DoLS Travel Award
• 2016: Imperial College Confidence in Concept Award Imperial/ICR/NIHR BRC/NHS/MRC
• 2014: Young Investigator Award American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• 2014: OzEMalaR Travel Award
• 2014: Australian Society for Parasitology Travel Award
• 2013: Graduate of the Year Finalist, Melbourne University
• 2010: OzEMalaR Travel award

Positions

• 2019: Research Associate, University of Cambridge. “Examining Fertilisation of the Plasmodium Female Gamete, and the Development of Novel Anti-Malarial Vaccines Targeting the Macrogamete"
• 2015-2019: Research Associate, Imperial College London. “Dissecting the Molecular Basis for Gamete Recognition in the Malaria Parasite, and its Targeting to Block Transmission”
• 2008-2011: Research Technician, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research