Faculty of Science

I completed a PhD in Molecular Virology (UCL) studying drug resistant strains of HIV-1. Post doctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Andrew Lever at the Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge focussed on RNA packaging in lentiviruses, in particular simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and the development of chimaeric vector s based on SIV and HIV-2 for efficient gene delivery. I also developed an interest in complexing viral vectors with biomaterials and gene delivery in animal models of CNS injury (Spinal cord and demyelination).

I moved to the National University Ireland in Galway in 2003 to establish a gene therapy group at the newly formed regenerative medicine institute (REMEDI) focussing of process development for purification of adenoviral vectors and also to direct the establishment of a manufacturing facility for clinical grade viral vector material. In 2006 I moved to the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) at the University of Sydney to work with Professor Simon Hawke on lentiviral vector mediated RNAi knockdown of prion protein in a mouse model of creurtzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) and development of novel PET reporter genes for non-invasive in vivo imaging of gene delivery.

In 2009 I moved to the Wagga Wagga campus of CSU as a lecturer in Microbiology.

Teaching

Current subjects taught

• MCR101: Introductory Microbiology
• BMS339: Virology, Mycology and Parasitology
• FSC200: Introduction to Forensic Science
• SCI300: Perspectives in Biotechnology
• BMS323: Microbiology and Immunology

Current Research

Research projects currently ongoing in my laboratory include

• Characterisation of Equine Mesenchymal stem cells (In collaboration with Dr Jane Quinn and Prof Bryan Hilbert, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, CSU).
• Development of non -integrating lentiviral vectors for gene modification of stem cells.
• Molecular characterisation of equine adenovirus (In collaboration with Dr Thiru Vanniasinkam and Dr Heather Cavanagh).

Publications

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez