Leann Tilley
May 2019 in Heidelberg
Born
Edenhope, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne, University of Sydney
Awards
  • 2010 Bancroft-Mackerras Medal from the Australian Society for Parasitology
  • Beckman Coulter Discovery Award of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • 2015 Georgina Sweet Fellowship[1]
  • 2016 Eureka Award for Infectious Diseases Research
  • 2017 Bob Robertson Award of the Australian Society for Biophysics
Scientific career
FieldsParasitology, biochemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of Melbourne

Leann Tilley is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne.

Education and awards

Leann Tilley was born in Edenhope, Victoria, and attended Marian College in Ararat.[2] Following a BSc (hons) in biochemistry at the University of Melbourne, she obtained her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Sydney. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the College de France in Paris, and the University of Melbourne, before joining La Trobe University. In 2011 she moved to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Melbourne.[3]

Professor Tilley was awarded an Australian Research Council Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship (2016-2020) to measure and model malaria parasites.[1] This includes a role as an ambassador for women in science. Tilley's work has been recognised by the award of the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, University of Melbourne (2016), an Australian Research Council Australian Professorial Fellowship (2011-2015), the Bancroft-Mackerras Medal from the Australian Society for Parasitology[4] and the Beckman Coulter Discovery Award of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.[5] Her team was awarded the 2016 Eureka Award for Infectious Diseases Research. She was awarded the Bob Robertson Award of the Australian Society for Biophysics in 2017.

Research

Tilley's research focuses on the use of molecular approaches and imaging techniques to study the malaria parasite and its interactions with its host in an effort to develop novel therapies. Her scientific contributions have been in four main areas: 1) Establishing Imaging Facilities and Technologies. For example, Tilley has pioneered the application of methods such as Super-Resolution Optical Microscopy to studies of the malaria parasite. 2) Antimalarial Drug Action. For example, Tilley investigates the molecular basis of the resistance that is currently emerging to the antimalarial drug, artemisinin,[6][7] with a view to extending the use of a drug that saves millions of lives, 3) Studying the unusual trafficking path that brings P. falciparum virulence proteins to the host red blood cell surface,[8][9] and 4) Determining the molecular basis of the amazing shape-changing properties of the sexual stage gametocyte.

She served as Deputy Director (2005-2012) and Director (2013-2014) of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science (CXS).[10]

References

  1. 1 2 "University congratulates new ARC Laureate Fellows". University of Melbourne. 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "Interview with Dr Tilley". VCE Biology Students' website. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Tilley laboratory: Measuring and modelling malaria parasites to develop new antimalarials". 13 December 2018.
  4. ↑ http://www.ozemalar.org/news/news_tilley_august2010.html Leann Tilley, La Trobe University, is the 2010 recipient of The Bancroft-Mackerras Medal (2010)
  5. ↑ "2011 Beckman Coulter Discovery Science Awardee: Leann Tilley". Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014. The 2011 Beckman Coulter Discovery Science Award: Leann Tilley
  6. ↑ Klonis, N; Xie, SC; McCaw, JM; Crespo-Ortiz, MP; Zaloumis, SG; Simpson, JA; Tilley, L (March 2013). "Altered temporal response of malaria parasites determines differential sensitivity to artemisinin". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 110 (13): 5157–62. Bibcode:2013PNAS..110.5157K. doi:10.1073/pnas.1217452110. PMC 3612604. PMID 23431146.
  7. ↑ Dogovski, C; Xie, S; Burgio, G; Bridgford, J; Mok, S; McCaw, J; Chotivanich, K; Kenny, S; Gnadig, N; Straimer, J; Bozdech, Z; Fidock, D; Simpson, J; Dondorp, A; Foote, S; Klonis, N; Tilley, L (2015). "Targeting the cell stress response of Plasmodium falciparum to overcome artemisinin resistance". PLOS Biology. 13 (4): e1002132. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002132. PMC 4406523. PMID 25901609.
  8. ↑ Batinovic S, McHugh E, Chisholm SA, Matthews K, Liu B, Dumont L, Charnaud SC, Schneider MP, Gilson PR, de Koning-Ward TF, Dixon MW, Tilley L (July 2017). "An exported protein-interacting complex involved in the trafficking of virulence determinants in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes". Nat Commun. 8: 16044. Bibcode:2017NatCo...816044B. doi:10.1038/ncomms16044. PMC 5508133. PMID 28691708.
  9. ↑ McHugh E, Batinovic S, Hanssen E, McMillan PJ, Kenny S, Griffin MD, Crawford S, Trenholme KR, Gardiner DL, Dixon MW, Tilley L (December 2015). "A repeat sequence domain of the ring-exported protein-1 of Plasmodium falciparum controls export machinery architecture and virulence protein trafficking". Mol Microbiol. 98 (6): 1101–1114. doi:10.1111/mmi.13201. PMC 4987487. PMID 26304012.
  10. ↑ "ARC Centre of Excellence in Coherent X-ray Science (CXS)". Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
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