Burnet Institute's video: Brendan Crabb 2019 GSK Award for Research Excellence

Burnet Institute Director and CEO Professor Brendan Crabb AC has been acknowledged for his ground breaking malaria research with the prestigious 2019 GSK Award for Research Excellence. Professor Crabb was presented with the award at Research Australia’s Health and Medical Research Awards 2019 in Melbourne for his research to better understand the DNA of the malaria parasite, which has transformed how scientists explore malaria prevention and treatments globally. Professor Crabb was involved in the technical breakthrough of DNA ‘transfection’ of the malaria parasite enabling scientists to manipulate the genome of the malaria parasite. By tweaking the parasite’s DNA, scientists can discover which mutations are responsible for drug resistance and what parts can be targeted by new medicines and vaccines. Malaria is one of the leading causes of death and disease burden globally. It was responsible for over 430, 000 deaths in 2017 and 1,200 children die every day of the disease. The GSK Award for Research Excellence is one of the most prestigious awards available to the Australian medical research community. It has been awarded since 1980 to recognise outstanding achievements in medical research with potential importance to human health. Burnet Institute is an Australian, unaligned, not-for-profit, independent organisation that links medical research with practical action to help solve devastating health problems. This sets us apart from other organisations. Find out more at https://burnet.edu.au/