Professor Brendan Crabb is a research scientist with a special interest in infectious diseases, especially those caused by parasites and viruses. He has spent most of his research career at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research in Melbourne.
The major focus of his laboratory has been the investigation of molecular, immunological and epidemiological aspects of the major cause of human malaria, the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which remains one of the world’s most important pathogens. The primary driver for his research is the development of a malaria vaccine and the identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention.
Professor Crabb is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the world’s leading parasitology research journal the International Journal for Parasitology. He holds Professorial appointments at The University of Melbourne and La Trobe University, and until his appointment at Director of the Burnet Institute in 2008 was a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the National Health & Medical Research Council and an International Research Fellow of the US-based Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Professor Crabb has a strong interest in education, he was formerly a lecturer in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne and is currently involved in educational and curriculum development activities for high school students and teachers. He has a long-standing involvement in building the capacity of malaria researchers around the world, especially in countries where this disease is endemic.