You are here

Professor Roy Robins-Browne

Professor Roy Robins-Browne began his research career after studying medicine, specialising in pathology, in South Africa. He migrated to Australia in 1982 to take up a position as Reader in Microbiology at the University of Melbourne. Professor Robins-Browne has worked as a clinical microbiologist in hospitals in South Africa and Australia. He was Director of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Royal Children's Hospital and was the inaugural Professor/Director of Microbiological Research at the Royal Children's Hospital and the University of Melbourne.

Professor Robins-Browne currently holds one of two Chairs of Microbiology and Immunology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the University of Melbourne. He is also an honorary research professor of medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

Professor Robins-Browne has had a long career of research into antimicrobial chemotherapy and the pathogenesis of bacteria that cause gastroenteritis, particularly E. coli . He has authored or co-authored more than 250 peer-reviewed articles on these topics. Professor Robins-Browne is also a major contributor to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and learning in medical microbiology at the University of Melbourne.

Other Affiliations:

Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne

Awards:

1994: Fellowship, Royal College of Pathologists (UK)

2012: Honorary Life Fellowship, College of Pathologists of South Africa

2014: Rubbo Orator and Medal, Australian Society for Microbiology

Research:

Professor Robins-Browne's current research is focused on how some specific strains of E. coli can cause disease. Most recently, this research has involved examining how the genes which code for proteins that allow E. coli to cause diarrhoea are activated. His team is currently investigating if the activation process can be inhibited by small molecules that could be developed into drugs. If so, these drugs could be used to treat or prevent infections as a substitute for traditional antibiotics.

Professor Robins-Browne's research team is also looking at is specific varieties of E. coli whose association with disease is uncertain, because they have no known specific markers of virulence. This research involves comparing the genetic make-up of E. coli strains isolated from children with and without diarrhoea, to determine if there are any genes that are specifically associated with disease.

He also collaborates extensively with other researchers on various projects in Australia and overseas. These collaborations include several researchers at the MCRI, the University of Melbourne and the University of Maryland.