Christina Spry

Christina Spry is a Lecturer and Group Leader at the Australian National University (ANU), based in the Division of Biomedical Science & Biochemistry within the Research School of Biology. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from ANU (2009) and has conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on antimicrobial drug discovery targeting malaria (Plasmodium parasites) and tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). She leads the Infectious Diseases Drug Discovery Group, employing strategies like fragment-based drug discovery and drug repurposing.

• Education:
  • BSc(Hons) in Chemistry & Biology, ANU
  • PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ANU
• Research Interests:
  • Validating novel drug targets in pathogenic microbes
  • Identifying drug leads against malaria and TB
  • Fragment-based drug design and drug repurposing

Her recent work includes discovering antiplasmodial compounds, studying resistance mechanisms in Plasmodium falciparum, and validating Mycobacterium tuberculosis targets like Phosphopantetheine Adenylyltransferase. Articles highlight drug screening, enzyme inhibition, and structural biology techniques. Awards include an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2011–2015). She supervises research students and leads projects funded by NHMRC and equipment grants. Collaborative networks involve institutions globally, focusing on drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases.

Key projects include developing electron transport chain inhibitors for apicomplexan parasites, CRISPR-based validation of TB targets, and creating defined growth media for Giardia research. Her lab integrates protein biochemistry, structural biology, and cellular assays to holistically target microbial pathogens.