A new scientific head and a free showcase for EMBL Australia

EMBL Australia, an Australian offshoot of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, has announced Professor James Whisstock as its new scientific head.

Professor Whisstock is a highly regarded research scientist based at Monash University. His laboratory includes expertise in structural biology (including X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy), biochemistry, bioinformatics and molecular genetics. He and his team use these techniques to address questions in the fields of infection and immunity, blood coagulation, developmental biology and cancer.

The EMBL Australia Secretariat described Professor Whisstock as “an outstanding scientific leader and highly credentialed ambassador for EMBL Australia within the EMBL global network”.

The association has also announced that it will be holding an EMBL Australia showcase in Canberra on 5 July. The free public event will give early-career researchers the opportunity to hear how the EMBL Australia researchers are contributing to Australia’s research output and to hear internationally recognised stars.

The host of the event will be Professor Simon Foote, director, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, with special guest Professor Matthias Hentze, EMBL director, coming from Heidelberg.

For more information on the event, visit the EMBL Australia website or contact Silvio Tiziani on silvio.tiziani@emblaustralia.org.