Dr Michael Roche recognised by NHMRC in 2014 Excellence Awards

Dr Michael Roche.
Image: Burnet Institute

Dr Michael Roche is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Monash University and the Burnet Institute where he is working to better understand the earliest steps of the HIV life cycle. His PhD focused on how the virus became resistant to a new antiviral drug, and his research earned him the prestigious Mollie Holman Medal from Monash University. The NHMRC has recognised Michael as a top researcher in the 2014 announcements of the Excellence Awards.

In 2013 Dr Michael Roche was awarded the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Michael completed his PhD thesis in 2012 in CCS's Department of Medicine, supervised by Associate Professors Paul Gorry and Melissa Churchill, Heads respectively of the Burnet Institute's Laboratories, HIV Molecular Pathogenesis and HIV in the CNS. His thesis title is: "HIV-1 Envelope protein determinants of viral tropism and antiviral drug resistance." Later in 2013 Michael was awarded the prestigious Frank Fenner NHMRC Early Career Fellowship. The Frank Fenner Early Career Fellowship is awarded to the highest ranked applicant from the Biomedical or Public Health Early Career Fellowship category whose research focus is in an area of international Public Health application, and best reflects the qualities exemplified in the late Professor Fenner’s career. Michael has continued to work with Professor Gorry and Professor Sharon Lewin on HIV-1 macrophage reservoirs. See Burnet Institute story.