Paul Young

Biography

I completed my PhD at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and was appointed to a lectureship in the University of London in 1986. I returned to Australia as Senior Research Fellow at the Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Centre in 1989 and joined the University of Queensland as a Senior Lecturer in 1991. I am the current President of the Australian Society for Microbiology and the President of the Asia Pacific Society for Medical Virology.

Research Interest

My research into viral replication employs molecular and structural biology and protein chemistry. My expertise includes the immunopathology of medically important viral infections including Ebola. Understanding the process of viral replication is essential for the development of improved diagnostics, vaccines and anti-viral therapeutic control strategies. Current studies are focused on three different viruses; dengue virus, a serious mosquito-borne disease in many tropical countries, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a major cause of hospitalization of children with respiratory infections and KoRV, a retrovirus of koalas which we have shown is currently invading the koala germline and is linked with high rates of cancer in this iconic species. Ongoing projects involve: Structural and molecular biology based studies on the dengue and West Nile virus proteins, NS3 (the viral protease) and E (a virus surface protein involved in cell binding and entry) and the RSV protein F (the viral fusion protein) as targets for antiviral drug design; Sub-unit and DNA based vaccines for the engue viruses and respiratory syncytial virus Developing recombinant protein based platforms for improving viral diagnostics; Elucidation of the spread and impact of KoRV in the Australian koala population. Secondary Research Areas: Medicinal Chemistry Molecular Genetics and Genomics Nanotechnology and Materials Chemistry Science Education Structural Biology and Biochemistry