Rosemary Cater

Dr. Rosemary Cater is a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland. Her research focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of nutrient transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using structural biology techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). She leads the Cater Lab, which investigates transporters like FLVCR2 and MFSD2A to design neurotherapeutics capable of bypassing BBB restrictions.

Education: BSc (Advanced) and Honours in Biochemistry/Pharmacology (University of Sydney), PhD in Pharmacology (University of Sydney, advised by Professors Renae Ryan and Robert Vandenberg). She previously held a postdoctoral position at Columbia University under Associate Professor Filippo Mancia.

Research Interests: Structural biology of membrane proteins, BBB transport mechanisms, drug delivery systems, and rare disease protein structures. Her work bridges biophysics, pharmacology, and structural biology to address neurological disorders.

Awards: Blavatnik Regional Award Finalist (2022), Robin Anders Young Investigator Award (2020), Simons Society Junior Fellowship (2018).

Lab Projects: Current PhD opportunities include studying rare disease proteins, BBB nutrient transporters, and brain angiogenesis. The lab collaborates on advanced cryo-EM facilities at UQ.

Labs/Teams: Collaborations with the UQ Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis. Key team members include Dr. Farrah Blades (Postdoctoral Research Fellow).