Our division focuses on discovering new medicines through studies of the three-dimensional structure of large biological molecules that are either targets for drugs or potential therapeutic agents.

We aim to understand how crucial biological pathways are controlled by individual molecules and the ‘partners’ they interact with.

Particular interests include:

• cell growth and survival
• blood cell generation
• immune responses
• blood sugar regulation 
• development of cancer

The detailed maps of targets we generate provide the ‘blueprints’ for creating and optimising small molecules that alter these processes and have the potential to become new drugs.
 

Health impact

Cancers: leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myeloproliferative disorders

Immune health and infection: allergy, autoinflammatory diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, malaria, scabies, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes

Development and ageing: Alzheimer’s disease, epigenetics, FSHD, heart disease and stroke, neurodegenerative disorders

Division news

• Team behind new cancer drug wins Clunies Ross Award
• Discovery a game-changer for improving diabetes treatments
• Structure of protein pair provides blueprint for future drugs
• 'Mix and match' assembly instructions guide immune cell attacks
• Structural biology leader appointed Companion of the Order of Australia

Division heads

Associate Professor Matthew Call

Professor Peter Czabotar

Lab heads

Associate Professor Jeff Babon

Associate Professor Melissa Call

Professor Peter Colman (Honorary)

Dr Alisa Glukhova

Dr Jacqui Gulbis

Dr Nadia Kershaw

Professor Mike Lawrence (Honorary)

Dr Shabih Shakeel

Division coordinator

Amanda Voudouris