Brendan McMorran

Associate Professor Brendan McMorran is a faculty member at The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR), Australian National University (ANU). He leads the McMorran Group focusing on platelet biology and host responses to malaria. His academic roles include Associate Director, HDR (Higher Degree Research) and Group Leader in the Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases.

Education: BSc (Hons) and PhD from University of Otago (New Zealand), followed by postdoctoral research at University of Queensland and Menzies Research Institute. Previously held positions at Macquarie University before joining ANU in 2014.

Research interests center on understanding malaria survival mechanisms, particularly platelet-mediated parasite killing, and developing host-directed therapies. Key projects include genetic causes of renal disease in Indigenous Australians and roles of platelets in regulating red blood cell turnover.

Notable contributions include identifying platelets' role in killing malaria parasites, discovering defense peptides from Platelet Factor 4, and investigating host genetics in malaria resistance. Supported by NHMRC and ARC funding.