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