Microbiome sciences at Monash University
The Microbiome at Monash Symposium is a one-day event dedicated to bringing together reserchers from across the university who share an interest in microbiome sciences. Its mission is to showcase ongoing research and foster interdisciplinary dialogue, catalysing new collaborations that will strengthen Monash’s leadership in microbiome discovery and innovation now and into the future.
Organising committee
Keynote Speakers
Australian Institute of Marine Sciences
School of BioSciences, the University of Melbourne
Madeleine van Oppen is a world-leading marine molecular ecologist recognised for pioneering the field of assisted evolution of corals, a transformative approach aimed at enhancing coral resilience to climate change-driven heatwaves and bleaching events. Her research focuses on microbial symbioses, coral adaptation, and reef restoration, with innovations in bioengineering technqiues that accelerate coral acclimatisation and adaptation. Van Oppen’s work has been pivotal in shaping global coral conservation efforts and is widely used by research institutions worldwide. Her research has led to over 290 peer-reviewed articles, books and book chpaters.
Monash University
Department of Immunology and Pathology
Nicola Harris was born in New Zealand where she completed her undergraduate studies and PhD thesis. In 2002 she moved to Switzerland as a postdoctoral fellow where she worked with Hans Hengartner and the Nobel Laureate Rolf Zinkernagel at the Institute for Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich. In July 2005 she joined the ETH Zurich as an Assistant Professor and in August 2009 she gained a position as an Assistant Professor at the Swiss Vaccine Research Institute (SVRI) housed at the Global Health Institute, Department of Life Sciences, EPFL. In 2012 she was awarded a prestigious ERC starting grant, en route to being a tenured Professor at the EPFL. In 2018 she came to the Department of Immunology at Monash, became an NHMRC senior research fellow and co-leads the Mucosal Immunology Research Group. Her team particularly focuses on understanding the immunological, microbiological and physiological mechanisms underpinning health and disease of the airways and gastrointestinal tract.
Inivted Speakers
