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Dr Alex McAuley

https://people.csiro.au/M/A/Alex-Mcauley

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Biography

I am Senior Research Scientist and Team Leader with over a decade of experience with emerging infectious diseases, particularly viruses requiring the highest levels of biological containment (PC3 and PC4).

After packing my belongings in a couple of boxes and travelling across the Atlantic, I undertook my PhD at the University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston, TX), working on the molecular virology of flaviviruses such as West Nile virus and Japanese encephalitis virus. It was here at UTMB that I first used the PC4 "space suits" as seen in such films as Contagion and Outbreak, and I decided that that was what I wanted to do with my life.

After completing my PhD, I moved to the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL; now Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, ACDP), focussing my molecular virology expertise on filoviruses such as Ebola and Marburg viruses.

As with most people, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic came as a bit of a surprise, and resulted in a change of focus again - testing vaccines and therapies for use against COVID-19.

These days I spend my time trying to develop new vaccine and therapeutic platforms that can be rapidly adapted to existing and emerging threats in the future, as well as low-cost, field-deployable diagnostic approaches for the surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases.

Achievements and Awards

  • 2020-2020

    CSIRO Chairman's Medal
    CSIRO

Professional Areas

Fields of Research

Current

Former

Current Roles

  • Research Scientist
    Developing and Testing Novel Vaccine and Antiviral Therapy Platforms

Academic Qualifications

  • 2016

    Doctor of Philosophy (Virology)
    University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston, TX, USA

  • 2009

    Master of Biology (Molecular and Cellular Biology)
    University of Bath; Bath, UK

Professional Experiences

  • 2016-2019

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (previously Australian Animal Health Laboratory)

Grants

  • 2023-2026

    MagVAX: A Novel, Rapidly-Adaptable Vaccine Platform for Emerging Infectious Diseases (Immune Resilience FSP)

  • 2021-2023

    SUMOPAC: Vector and Pathogen Surveillance for Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific (Fonds Pacifique)

Publications

We have publications by Dr Alex McAuley