Greg Cook

Professor Greg Cook serves as Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), leading research in microbial physiology and antimicrobial resistance. Previously, he held positions as Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor and Head of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and directed the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery. His research focuses on bacterial energetics, drug discovery, and combatting antimicrobial resistance. Cook’s work spans basic to translational science, collaborating with academia, industry, and government. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and has received multiple awards including the University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal and Distinguished Orator Award from the New Zealand Microbiological Society.

Education:

• D.Phil (University of Waikato)
• M.Sc. (Hons) (University of Waikato)
• B.Sc. (Biological Sciences) (University of Waikato)

Research Interests: Molecular microbiology, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, drug discovery for bacterial pathogens, and microbial physiology. His laboratory explores metabolic pathways in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and develops novel inhibitors targeting greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant animals and soils.

Publications: Recent work emphasizes CRISPR-based pathway analysis in tuberculosis, structural biology of bacterial energy systems, and combination therapies for antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Awards:

• Fellow of the Royal Society New Zealand (FRSNZ)
• University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal (2014)
• James Cook Fellowship (2012-2014)
• Marvin P. Bryant Memorial Lecturer (2017)

Collaborations: Leads international initiatives including the China-New Zealand Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, bridging research between QUT and Chinese Academy of Sciences.