Bacterial Virulence: the superbug’s Achilles’ heel?

Associate Professor Makrina Totsika is a Vice-Chancellor’s Principal Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Originally from Greece, Makrina completed a 4-year Wellcome Trust PhD in bacterial genetics at the University of Edinburgh before relocating to Australia in 2007.

She has authored 73 scientific articles, reviews and editorials and has been awarded several grants and fellowships from the ARC, NHMRC and philanthropic foundations.

Her work is at the forefront of anti-virulence drug research and development, which are promising to offer effective and superior therapeutics for common bacterial infections that are no longer treatable with antibiotics.

Makrina is also a frequent science communicator and winner of the 2016 Young Tall Poppy of the Year award and 2018 Frank Fenner award by the Australian Society for Microbiology.