Biography
Dr Michelle Baker is a Principal Research Scientist the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness with a focus on infectious diseases and immunology. She has a PhD from the University of Queensland and postdoctoral training at the University of New Mexico in the US. In 2008, she joined CSIRO to establish a bat immunology research group focused on uncovering the mechanisms that allow bats, natural hosts of numerous emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases affecting humans, to coexist with viruses without developing clinical disease. Her research has made significant progress in characterizing the immune system of the model bat species, the Australian black flying fox and the responses of bats and susceptible model species to infection with highly pathogenic viruses including the paramyxovirus, Hendra virus and the filovirus, Ebola virus. She also initiated and led the development of human respiratory ex vivo models at CSIRO, positioning the organisation at the forefront of therapeutic testing using non-animal models during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond research, she has held several leadership roles at CSIRO, including leading the development of CSIRO’s Infectious Disease Resilience Mission which strengthened collaboration across CSIRO and with our external partners. From 2018 to 2024, she was seconded as a Senior Advisor to DFAT’s Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, where she provided infectious disease expertise and gained valuable policy experience. This secondment fostered a significant partnership, enabling CSIRO to contribute its expertise to strengthening health security in the region.