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Brendan Crabb

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Brendan Scott Crabb AC (born 13 September 1966) is an Australian immunologist, research scientist and Director and chief executive officer of the Burnet Institute, based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1]

Background and early career

Educated in Papua New Guinea and Australia, Crabb received a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Melbourne in the Department of Microbiology. In 1992, he completed his PhD in virology at the School of Veterinary Science also at the University of Melbourne. His PhD project, which explored proteins of equine herpes, led to a diagnostic test which could distinguish horses infected by the lethal equine herpes virus-1 and the less damaging equine herpes virus-4.[2]

Research focus

Currently, his main research focus is on the identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention in malaria and the development of a malaria vaccine. More broadly, his interests mirror the mission of the Burnet Institute - to improve the health of poor and vulnerable communities through research, education and public health.

In 2009, Crabb and his research team identified the export protein translocon in malaria. This discovery was published in Nature and solved the mystery of how proteins with an export motif are trafficked out of the infected parasite and into the cytosol of the red blood cell host. This finding has broad impact in biology and also has considerable importance as a major new drug target in malaria.[3]

Together with his principle collaborator Alan Cowman, Crabb is also well known for his development of molecular genetic systems in human malaria, having described the first gene knockout in the causative agent Plasmodium falciparum in a paper published in the journal Cell.[4]

Crabb was appointed Director and CEO of Burnet Institute in 2007,[5][6] a position previously held by Ian Gust AO, John Mills,[7] Steve Wesselingh, now Executive Director of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute,[8] Ian McKenzie and Mark Hogarth.

Special appointments

Crabb was President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) from 2012 to October 2014.[9][10] He is Chair of the PATH/Malaria Vaccine Initiative and Vaccine Science Portfolio Advisory Council (VSPAC), USA.[11] He was also Chair of the Gordon Conference on Malaria in Tuscany, Italy in August 2013.[12]

He holds honorary Professorial appointments at Monash University, Melbourne University and La Trobe Universities in Australia.[13]

Crabb was previously Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Parasitology (2006–2009), International Fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA (2000–2008) and Senior Principal Research Fellow in the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (appointed 2008).[14]

  • 2013 Member, Health Exports Advisory Committee
  • 2013 Chair, Alfred Medical Research & Education Precinct Council [15]
  • 2012-14 President of the Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) [9]
  • 2006–09 Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Parasitology[16]
  • 2000–08 International Research Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA [17]
  • 2007–08 NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
  • 2004–07 NHMRC Principal Research Fellow
  • 2003–04 NHMRC Senior Research Fellow

Awards and honours

  • 2015 Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to medical science as a prominent researcher of infectious diseases, particularly malaria, and their impact on population health in developing nations, as an advocate, mentor and administrator, and through fostering medical research nationally and internationally.[18]
  • 2009 Bancroft –Mackerras Medal, Australian Society for Parasitology [19]
  • 2007 Melbourne Top 100 Most Influential People, The Age Magazine
  • 2006 David Syme Research Prize, The University of Melbourne
  • 2001 Melbourne Achiever Award, Committee for Melbourne [20]
  • 2000 & 2005 International Scholar Award, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
  • 1999 Young Tall Poppy Award (Victoria), Australian Institute of Political Science [21]

References

  1. ^ "Department of Microbiology and Immunology". Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. University of Melbourne. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Leading role for former Veterinary Science PhD student". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  3. ^ Crabb, Brendan; Tania D. de Koning Ward; Paul R Gilson; Justin A. Boddey; Melanie Rug; Brian J. Smith; Anthony T. Papenfuss; Paul R. Sanders; Rachel J. Lundie; Alexander G. Maier; Alan F. Cowman (18 June 2009). "A newly discovered protein export machine in malaria parasites". Nature. 459 (7249): 945–949. doi:10.1038/nature08104. PMC 2725363. PMID 19536257. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  4. ^ Crabb, Brendan; Brian M. Cooke; John C. Reeder; Ross F. Waller; Sonia R. Caruana; Kathleen M. Davern; Mark E. Wickham; Graham V. Brown; Ross L. Coppel; Alan F. Cowman (18 April 1997). "Targeted Gene Disruption Shows That Knobs Enable Malaria-Infected Red Cells to Cytoadhere under Physiological Shear Stress". Cell. 89 (2): 287–296. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80207-X. PMID 9108483. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Prof Brendan Crabb to head Burnet Institute, Australia". BioSpectrum. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  6. ^ Fannin, Penny. "Professor Brendan Crabb appointed Director and CEO of the Burnet Institute". Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Prof John Mills". GBS Venture Partners. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Professor Steve Wesselingh". South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  9. ^ a b "AAMRI President". AAMRI. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Professor Doug Hilton to lead peak medical research advocacy body". Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Vaccine Science Portfolio Advisory Council". Malaria Vaccine Initiative. Malaria Vaccine Initiative. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  12. ^ "Malaria". The Malaria Gordon Research Conference. Gordon Research Conferences. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  13. ^ "Parasitology". Faculty of 1000. Faculty of 1000. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  14. ^ "HHMI Alumni International Scholars". Howard Hughes Medical Insititute. Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  15. ^ "AMREP Council".
  16. ^ "Brendan Crabb". F1000Prime. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  17. ^ "HHMI Alumni International Scholars". Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  18. ^ "Companion (AC) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (pdf). Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2015. p. 2. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  19. ^ "ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology" (PDF). ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  20. ^ "The Melbourne Achiever Awards". Committee for Melbourne. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  21. ^ "Past VIC Tall Poppy Winners". Australian Institute of Policy and Science. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
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