Dr Hamish McWilliam
(03) 9035 7698 | hamish.mcwilliam@unimelb.edu.au
- Position:
- Research Fellow
- Theme(s):
- Immunology, Bacterial and Parasitic Infections
- Discipline(s):
- Discovery Research
- Unit(s):
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology (DMI)
- Lab Group(s):
- Villadangos Group
Hamish is a Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the Doherty Institute. He currently leads a team within the laboratory of Prof. Jose Villadangos, where he investigates how the human immune system detects bacterial pathogens by a protein called ‘MR1’. Similar to a molecular alarm system our cells are equipped with, MR1 gets ‘triggered’ when it detects bacteria-specific molecules, which then alerts the immune system of the bacterial invasion. Hamish uses cell biology and biochemical techniques to understand this fundamental detection system, in order to develop immune-boosting treatments.
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Key Achievements
Publications
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Hamish is an early career researcher and has made pivotal advances in understanding how MR1 operates on the molecular level. He has been recognised and supported by several key grants and prestigious awards; he has been the recipient of a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the ARC, a VESKI Victoria Fellowship which enabled him to travel to Rockefeller University (USA) to learn chemical biology tools, an AMP Tomorrow Maker award, and MDHS Faculty Research Fellowship.
Research GroupsLoading ORCID data…-
Villadangos Group
Jose’s group combines immunology, biochemistry and cell biology to study how the adaptive immune system detects pathogens and cancer, a process called Antigen Presentation. Their research is applicable to vaccine development, treatment of critically ill patients and the fight against cancer.
Lab Team
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Alan Ching
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Lauren Cox
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Jesse CroweHonours Student
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Claire Dumont
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Giuseppe Infusini
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Haiyin Liu
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Hamish McWilliamResearch Officer
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Justine Mintern
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Zehua TianPhD Student
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Shirin Valikhani
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Vivian Vuong
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Matthew Zorkau
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