Mikayla Hoad

Dr Mikayla Hoad

Structural Biologist

Gulbali Institute

Biography

Dr. Mikayla Hoad completed a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Science (Honours I) at Charles Sturt University. She then pursued a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, awarded in 2024, under the supervision of Professor Jade Forwood at the same institution.

Her doctoral research focused on elucidating the structural mechanisms by which various virus capsid proteins interact with host nuclear import machinery—a critical step in the viral life cycle. Notably, she investigated adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), which are widely utilized as gene therapy vectors, as well as highly pathogenic viruses such as Hendra and Nipah viruses, polyomaviruses, parvoviruses, and human herpesvirus 8. Her work combined advanced structural biology techniques with functional assays to uncover novel insights into virus-host interactions.

Following her PhD, Dr. Hoad has continued her research in Professor Forwood’s laboratory, focusing on the structural and molecular mechanisms underlying virus-host interactions. Her ongoing work aims to inform the development of antiviral therapies and improve the efficacy of gene therapy vectors.

Research
  • Biosecurity
  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Nuclear Transport
  • Host-virus interactions
Publications
Full publications list on CRO

Recent Publications

  • Kobe, B., Nanson, J. D., Hoad, M., Blumenthal, A., Gambin, Y., Sierecki, E., Stacey, K. J., Ve, T., & Halfmann, R. (2025). Signalling by co-operative higher-order assembly formation: linking evidence at molecular and cellular levels. The Biochemical journal, 482(5), 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1042/BCJ20220094
  • Hoad, M., Nematollahzadeh, S., Petersen, G. F., Roby, J. A., Alvisi, G., & Forwood, J. K. (2025). Structural basis for nuclear import of adeno-associated virus serotype 6 capsid protein. Journal of virology, 99(1), e0134524. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01345-24
  • Hoad, M., Roby, J. A., & Forwood, J. K. (2024). Structural basis for nuclear import of bat adeno-associated virus capsid protein. The Journal of general virology, 105(3), 001960. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001960
  • Cross, E. M., Akbari, N., Ghassabian, H., Hoad, M., Pavan, S., Ariawan, D., Donnelly, C. M., Lavezzo, E., Petersen, G. F., Forwood, J. K., & Alvisi, G. (2024). A functional and structural comparative analysis of large tumor antigens reveals evolution of different importin α-dependent nuclear localization signals. Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society, 33(2), e4876. https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.4876
  • Alvisi, G., Manaresi, E., Cross, E. M., Hoad, M., Akbari, N., Pavan, S., Ariawan, D., Bua, G., Petersen, G. F., Forwood, J., & Gallinella, G. (2023). Importin α/β-dependent nuclear transport of human parvovirus B19 nonstructural protein 1 is essential for viral replication. Antiviral research, 213, 105588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105588