Naresh Verma

Assoc. Prof. Naresh Verma holds a faculty position in the Division of Biomedical Science & Biochemistry at the Australian National University (ANU). He completed his PhD in Microbiology at the University of Sydney, followed by postdoctoral research at the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Stanford University (USA). His research focuses on bacterial and bacteriophage genetics, with a particular emphasis on vaccine development and Shigella flexneri pathogenesis.

Key research interests include O-antigen modification, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and the functional roles of bacterial proteins in virulence. He leads projects on Shigella vaccines, bacteriophage genomics, and the molecular basis of serotype conversion. Notable achievements include his fellowship with the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM, 2005).

Recent work includes collaborations on antimicrobial surface coatings and investigations into efflux transporters and O-acetylation enzymes. He has supervised research projects funded by grants such as the Structural and Functional Analysis of Glucosyltransferases (2011–2015) and Shigella Vaccines Based on Inulin Adjuvants (2006–2008).

• Awards: Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM)
• Grants/Projects: 11 funded projects including vaccine development and bacterial genomics
• Labs/Teams: Active collaborations in microbial pathogenesis and nanomaterial applications