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ATRACT directors

Distinguished Professor Magdalena Plebanski

Magdalena Plebanski is an internationally recognised, award-winning researcher. Her CAVA Lab focuses on developing practical, affordable vaccines and treatments for diseases like malaria and cancer. She pioneered using synthetic size-defined non-inflammatory nanoparticles in vaccines. Her insights have advanced understanding of cancer progression, particularly in leukemia and ovarian cancer, through multiple clinical trials.

Professor Ricky O’Brien

Ricky O'Brien is the Director of RMIT's Medical Imaging Facility, spearheading large-scale NHMRC Synergy and Development grants focused on innovative imaging techniques in radiotherapy. His cross-disciplinary research, encompassing clinical disciplines, biomedical engineering, physics, applied mathematics, and machine learning, has facilitated the creation of start-ups with TGA and FDA-approved medical devices for radiotherapy and trauma imaging.

Professor Melissa Churchill

Melissa Churchill is a Professor of Neurovirology in the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences where her work focusses on viral infections in the central nervous system utilising human and non-human primate models. She is a Board Member of the International Society for Neurovirology, the Melbourne HIV Cure Consortium and a founding director of the Melbourne HIV Exchange.

Scientific Advisory Board

Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos

Deputy Vice-Chancellor STEM College and Vice-President

Kurt Lackovic

Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Trials Australia

Industry Advisory Board

Professor Katie Flanagan

Clinical Professor and Senior Staff Specialist in Infectious Diseases Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

Professor Clare Scott AM

Professor of Gynaecological Cancer, University of Melbourne, Laboratory Head, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Medical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospitals

Theme leaders

Immunology and infectious diseases

Dr. Kirsty Wilson

Vaccines and Nanotechnology

Dr Kirsty Wilsonstudies the effects of vaccines on the immune system, in both human clinical trials and animal models.

Dr. Tom Angelovich

Infectious Disease and Anti-infectives

Dr Tom Angelovich is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of the Neuroinfections laboratory in the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Jennifer Boer

Immunity and Metabolism

Dr Jennifer Boer is actively fostering the use of Big Data in the CAVA Lab, by co-founding the RMIT Bioinformatics network, providing bioinformatics literacy through user group meetings, workshops and symposia, and by lecturing bioinformatics to both graduate and undergraduate students.