معرفی
Professor Dena Lyras is a leading microbiologist at Monash University, holding positions as Deputy Director of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Deputy Head of the Department of Microbiology. Her research focuses on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind bacterial pathogens such as Clostridium difficile, with a particular emphasis on antibiotic resistance and host-pathogen interactions. She leads the Functional Biology of Bacterial Pathogens Laboratory and has pioneered studies on toxin secretion, sporulation, and virulence factors in pathogenic clostridia.
Professor Lyras' academic journey includes a PhD in molecular microbiology (1995) and an ARC Future Fellowship (2012). She has authored over 169 publications, with recent work addressing antimicrobial resistance surveillance, novel therapeutics, and the role of gut microbiota in disease. Her lab collaborates with industry partners like Immuron Limited to develop colostrum-based therapies for C. difficile infections. She also chairs the Australian Society for Microbiology and contributes to global initiatives like the Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance.
Her research has led to discoveries such as the role of endolysins in toxin regulation and the design of cephamycin-based antisporulation agents. Awards include the Monash Warwick Alliance Research Catalyst Fund (2019). Ongoing projects explore microbial interactions in bacterial evolution and cross-sectoral AMR surveillance strategies.
