Biography
Marshall Lightowlers is Principal Research Fellow with the National Health and Medical Research Council and Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at The University of Melbourne. Professor Lightowlers’ research career has focused on the immunology and molecular biology of taeniid cestode parasites. He was a member of a team of scientists which developed the first recombinant vaccine against a parasitic disease. Subsequently he has sought to development similar vaccines against infection with the larval stages of cestode parasites causing zoonotic infections in humans. This led to the development of highly effective, recombinant vaccines against cysticercosis in cattle and pigs caused by Taenia saginata and Taenia solium, respectively. In collaboration with researchers at Wallaceville New Zealand, he and his colleagues also produced a recombinant vaccine against infection with hydatid disease. The effectiveness of these vaccines makes them unique in helminth parasitology and they provide valuable models for the development of vaccines against other eukaryotic parasites. Professor Lightowlers’ vaccines against Taenia solium and Echinococcus granulosus are undergoing further development and optimization in preparation for their practical use. Application of the vaccines will be expected to reduce the transmission of these parasites and thereby reduce the number of new human cases of hydatid disease and neurocysticercosis. In October 2008 Professor Lightowlers’ vaccine against Taenia solium received more than $4M support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Global Alliance for Livestock Vaccines and Medicines (GALVmed). Professor Lightowlers has served as President of the Australian Society for Parasitology and has been awarded the society’s Bancroft-Mackerras Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Science of Parasitology.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other
Awards
Qualifications
| Title |
Institution |
Date Awarded |
Abbreviation |
| Bachelor of Science, Honours (First Class) |
The University of Western Australia |
01-Dec-1974 |
|
| Doctor of Philosophy |
The University of Western Australia |
01-Dec-1978 |
|
Other Awards
| Award Type |
Awarding Body |
Comments |
Date Awarded |
| Medal |
Australian Society for Parasitology |
Bancroft-Mackerras Medal |
01-Jul-1998 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title |
Role |
Funding Source |
Scheme |
Award Date |
| NHMRC01/05-LIGHTOWLERS |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Project Grants |
01/01/2001 |
| Immunological prevention of cysticercosis and hydatid disease |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Project Grants |
01/01/2005 |
| OPTIMISATION AND FIELD TESTING OF A PRACTICAL VACCINE AGAINST TAENIA SOLIUM CYSTICERCOSIS IN PIGS |
Chief Investigator |
WELLCOME TRUST |
Welcomme Trust Animal Health in Developing World Initiative |
01/04/2005 |
| Evaluation of the EG95 vaccine against hydatid infection in macropodid marsupials |
Chief Investigator |
AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL |
Linkage Projects |
01/01/2006 |
| Research Fellowship |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Research Fellowship |
01/01/2006 |
| Development of practical vaccines to break the life-cycles of the parasites causing cysticercosis and hydatid disease |
Chief Investigator |
NHMRC |
Project Grants |
01/01/2010 |
Contracts
| Title |
Role |
Funding Source |
Award Date |
| NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF T.SOLIM AENIASIS -SUBCONTRACT |
Chief Investigator |
JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH |
17/10/2003 |
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.
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