Meet the team

Professor Hartland, Director and CEO of Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne and Head of the Department of Molecular and Translational Science at Monash University, is a renowned Australian microbiologist. Her research has primarily focused on elucidating the tactics employed by pathogenic bacteria to elude host immune detection. With a significant body of work, her interests lie in the innate immune response to infections, particularly inflammation, cell death signalling, and microbial strategies to evade cell intrinsic immunity. Professor Hartland’s extensive work is reflected in her 160+ publications, which have appeared in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Microbiology, and PNAS.

Professor Hartland’s academic journey commenced with a BSc (Hons) degree majoring in microbiology and biochemistry, followed by a PhD in microbiology from the University of Melbourne. She furthered her career with a Royal Society/NHMRC Howard Florey Fellowship at the Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College London, and Lecturer/Senior Lecturer positions at Monash University, Australia. She was an inaugural Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the University of Melbourne and subsequently held key leadership positions, including Head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Deputy Director of the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, and Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor Research Partnerships and External Relations at the University of Melbourne.

Associate Professor Michael Gantier, leading the Nucleic Acids and Innate Immunity laboratory at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, focuses on elucidating how nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) influence immune responses. Trained as a biological engineer in Compiegne, France, he pursued his PhD in Medicine and Therapeutics at University College Dublin, delving into emerging RNA interference technology under Prof. Seamas Donnelly. Joining Prof. Bryan Williams’ laboratory in 2006, he uncovered structural determinants of RNAs dictating their ability to activate or inhibit immune responses via Toll Like Receptors, an area further advanced in his independent work from 2015. Recently, his team unveiled how damaged cells engage immune responses, with implications for infection, immunity, and cancer, through the cGAS-STING pathway.

Recognized with an ARC Future Fellowship and numerous NHMRC project grants, he leads a prolific research group at Hudson Institute and serves as Associate Editor for esteemed journals such as Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids and Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research. Notably, his team’s discovery of idronoxil as a potent inhibitor of TBK1, effectively blocking STING and MAVS signaling, has paved the way for the NOXCOVID trial. With over 70 peer-reviewed publications and inventorship on 5 PCT patents, he has garnered several prestigious international and national awards, including the Milstein Young Investigator award from the International Cytokine and Interferon Society (2010) and the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society Young Investigator award (2014).

Professor Paul Hertzog BSc (Hons), PhD is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow and a Research Professor at Monash University. Recognized for his contributions in immune response research, he co-founded the Lorne Infection and Immunity conference and the Victorian Infection and Immunity Network (VIIN). Notably, his discovery of interferon epsilon’s regulatory role led to the formation of a spin-out company in 2020, focusing on ovarian cancer immunotherapy.

Dr Joseph Pereira BSc (Hons), PhD, MAICD serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Hudson Institute, overseeing various platforms including RNAte, Cell Therapies and Genomics. With a diverse background spanning over 15 years in operations management across biopharmaceutical, medical research, university, clinical service, and not-for-profit sectors, his expertise lies in the scientific processes and operational requirements crucial for the institute’s functioning. Having worked in various capacities in the UK and Australia, such as at Arana Therapeutics, Cellbank Australia, APCR Prostate Cancer Centre, QIMR Berghofer, and the University of Melbourne, Dr. Pereira has overseen accreditation processes to industry-standard certifications like ISO: 9001, GMP (TGA), and ISO: 15189 (NATA).

Mr. Rob Merriel serves as the Chief Commercialisation Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Hudson Institute. With a focus on managing and commercializing intellectual property (IP) portfolios, engaging with venture capital, and identifying industry engagement opportunities, Mr. Merriel brings extensive experience in the commercialization of medical research. He plays a vital role in advancing health outcomes through effective IP management and commercialization.

Dr. Esther Ling leads the RNAte Platform at Hudson Institute, overseeing its general management, operational excellence and business development. With a background spanning nearly 12 years in pharmaceutical and medical diagnostic device companies, she excels in product development, technical processes, scale up and technology transfer. Dr. Ling’s experience in quality risk management and lean six sigma methodologies has contributed significantly to improving product and technical development. She has diverse scientific educational background includes a BSc (Hons) in Biotechnology, a Master’s in Bioinformatics, and Phylogenetic Sciences and a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics.