Iain BH Wilson

Iain BH Wilson is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Biochemistry within the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). With a PhD from the University of Oxford (1992) and habilitation completed in 2001, he has established himself as a leading researcher in glycobiology, specializing in the glycosylation patterns of invertebrates, nematodes, and parasites. His work bridges biochemistry, molecular biology, and parasitology, with a particular focus on N-glycosylation pathways.

Wilson's research interests encompass glycobiology, glycomics, N-glycosylation, parasite glycobiology, mass spectrometry of glycans, and carbohydrate microarrays. His laboratory investigates the structural and functional aspects of glycans in model organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans and various parasites, revealing evolutionary conserved and specialized glycosylation pathways. His work has particular relevance for understanding host-parasite interactions and developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches targeting glycan-mediated processes.

Analysis of Wilson's recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a consistent research trajectory focusing on N-glycan structures in nematodes and parasites, enzyme characterization (particularly hexosaminidases), and the immunological recognition of unusual glycans. His work employs advanced mass spectrometry techniques, structural biology approaches, and glycan array technologies to unravel complex glycosylation patterns that challenge traditional mammalian-centric views of glycan biology.

Scientific Awards:

• MCP/ASBMB Award Lectureship (2024)
• GlycoThera Award (2011)
• Novartis Prize for Chemistry (2007)
• Neose Glycoscience Research Award (1999)

Wilson has supervised numerous graduate students whose theses focus on various aspects of glycobiology, including glycomics of Dictyostelium discoideum, glycosylation of Acanthamoeba castellanii, and immunomodulatory glycans in non-mammalian systems. His research has been consistently funded by major organizations including the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), European Commission, and the City of Vienna. He has served on editorial boards for prestigious journals including Journal of Biological Chemistry and Glycobiology, and has organized international workshops on comparative glycobiology.