Elisa Hill

Professor Elisa Hill is a distinguished academic at RMIT University where she serves as a Professor in the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences within the College of Science. She leads the Gut-Brain Axis Laboratory and holds the significant position of Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at RMIT University. Her career spans prestigious institutions including The University of Melbourne and research collaborations in Paris, France.

Professor Hill earned her PhD in Neuroscience from The University of Melbourne in 2002. She subsequently undertook a CNRS postdoctoral position in Paris studying cortical neuronal diversity. Returning to Melbourne in 2006 as an NHMRC Howard Florey Centenary Fellow, she joined Prof Steve Petrou's laboratory to investigate neuronal networks in genetic mouse models of epilepsy. In 2009, she imported the Neuroligin-3R451C mouse model of autism to Australia, establishing herself as a pioneer in gut-brain axis research.

Her research program focuses on three interconnected areas: identifying causes of gut dysfunction in transgenic mouse models of neurological disease, determining how neurons communicate with the lymphoid system and inflammation, and understanding interactions between the nervous system and bacteria. Professor Hill has demonstrated that gene variations associated with autism alter neuron populations in the mouse enteric nervous system, affecting gut motility, permeability, microbiome composition, and behavior. Her laboratory has developed sophisticated capabilities including video-imaging assays for gut motility, immunofluorescence for neuronal and immune cell analysis, and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology for neuronal activity profiling.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on the gut-brain axis in autism, with particular attention to the Neuroligin-3R451C mouse model. Her work spans neuroimmunology, gastrointestinal physiology, microbiome interactions, and behavioral neuroscience, demonstrating an increasingly interdisciplinary approach that integrates molecular, cellular, and systems-level perspectives. A notable trend is the expansion of her research into translational applications, including biomaterial development for urogynaecological health.

• NHMMRC Howard Florey Centenary Fellowship
• ARC Future Fellowship
• RMIT Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Fellowship

Professor Hill actively supervises numerous PhD students including Vic Lin, Yuansong Li, and Mohammed Al Alamoudi, among others. Her research has been supported by major funding bodies including NHMRC, US Department of Defense CDMRP, CNRS, ARC, and RMIT. She leads the Gut-Brain Axis Laboratory, which collaborates extensively with researchers across institutions, particularly with Prof Ashley Franks at La Trobe University. The laboratory employs a multidisciplinary team with expertise in neuroscience, microbiology, immunology, and gastrointestinal physiology, utilizing advanced techniques to investigate the complex interactions between the nervous system, immune system, and gut microbiome.