Principal Investigators

Associate Professor Jody Peters

Principal Investigator

Associate Professor Jody Peters

I began my career in industry with AGEN Biomedical, where I spent nearly a decade working across manufacturing, product development and research. This experience gave me a strong foundation in translating science into practical diagnostic tools.

I completed my PhD in 2010 with the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease and am now an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland. My research focuses on mosquito-borne virus discovery and the development of innovative vaccine and diagnostic platforms.

I have helped uncover and characterise multiple new mosquito-associated viruses and developed high-throughput, antigen-independent assays and monoclonal antibody panels to support virus discovery.

More recently, my work harnesses insect-specific viruses to design safe, next-generation vaccines and diagnostics for pathogenic viruses, translating fundamental virology into practical public health solutions.


Principal Investigator

Emeritus Professor Roy Hall

I completed my BSc (Hons) at The University of Queensland and began my research career working on mosquito-borne viruses, later undertaking a PhD through James Cook University.

After several years at The University of Western Australia, I returned to UQ in 1995 and am now Emeritus Professor of Virology and a founding member of the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre.

My research has focused on understanding the structure and function of flavivirus proteins and how they contribute to viral pathogenesis, with the goal of identifying targets for antivirals, vaccines and diagnostics. This work spans globally important pathogens, including Zika virus, West Nile virus and Chikungunya virus.

A parallel theme of my research is viral ecology and epidemiology, including the isolation and genetic characterisation of new arthropod-borne viruses in Australia. These studies have driven the development of improved surveillance strategies, novel diagnostic reagents and recombinant platforms for producing safe and effective vaccines.

Emeritus Professor Roy Hall

Meet the Team

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. Jessica J. Harrison

Dr. Jessica J. Harrison

ARC DECRA Fellow

Dr. Jessica J. Harrison

ARC DECRA Fellow

Jess is a molecular virologist developing innovative vaccine and diagnostic platforms for mosquito-borne viruses. She co-developed the BinJV recombinant platform and helped advance the MAVRIC virus discovery pipeline, technologies now embedded in national and international surveillance programs. Her research has been published in leading journals, including Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communications, and Science Advances. She mentors a diverse cohort of higher-degree students and manages high-containment PC2/PC3 laboratories, combining translational research with hands-on leadership.

Dr. Henry de Malmanche

Dr. Henry de Malmanche

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Henry de Malmanche

Postdoctoral Researcher

Henry is a biotechnology specialist who spends his days growing and engineering viruses (safely) using insect cell culture to help build next-gen vaccines. He likes playing around with bioprocessing and figuring out how to turn clever virology into a scalable manufacturing system to turbocharge translation of the ISVac™ platform. Outside the lab, he paints abstract art and loves to read books.

Dr. Ryan A. Johnston

Dr. Ryan A. Johnston

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Ryan A. Johnston

Postdoctoral Researcher

Bio coming soon

Postgraduate Students

Christopher Ang

Christopher Ang

PhD Candidate

Christopher Ang

PhD Candidate

Hi! I’m Chris, and I started my PhD in the Peters Lab in 2024 after working on arbovirus discovery and dengue virus reverse genetics under the supervision of Dr Setoh Yin Xiang in Singapore. I’m currently working on the BinJV ISVac™ platform in saltwater crocodiles and exploring the virus’s translational potential as a biological control agent in mosquitoes. Outside the lab, I’m a big music lover and craft beer appreciator.

Madeline Thompson

Madeline Thompson

PhD Candidate

Madeline Thompson

PhD Candidate

I began my PhD in 2025 after completing my Honour’s degree in the JHP lab. My project centres on the application of our chimeric virus technology to combat disease caused by alphaviruses – mosquito-transmitted viruses such as Ross River and Chikungunya virus. My project exists at the intersection of molecular virology and the translational sector, from the generation of chimeras to studies underpinning their authenticity and safety, ultimately establishing them as novel candidates for diagnostics and vaccines.

Visiting Researchers

Dr. Gervais Habarugira

Dr. Gervais Habarugira

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Gervais Habarugira

Postdoctoral Researcher

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Bio coming soon

Roos van Werven

Roos van Werven

Visiting Research Student

Roos van Werven

Visiting Research Student (Master of Molecular Life Sciences)

Wageningen University & Research, Jelke Fros Group

Bio coming soon

Research Assistants

Tricia Lee

Tricia Lee

Research Assistant

Tricia Lee

Research Assistant

Bio coming soon

Undergraduate Students

Ghazal Mansooribirjandi

Ghazal Mansooribirjandi

Honours Student

Ghazal Mansooribirjandi

Honours Student

Bio coming soon

Varshika Kannan

Varshika Kannan

Undergraduate Research Student

Varshika Kannan

Undergraduate Research Student (Bachelor of Biotechnology)

Bio coming soon

Mary Lobusta

Mary Lobusta

Undergraduate Research Student

Mary Lobusta

Undergraduate Research Student (Bachelor of Biomedical Science)

Bio coming soon

Calista Lynch

Calista Lynch

Undergraduate Research Student

Calista Lynch

Undergraduate Research Student (Bachelor of Science, extended major in Microbiology, Infection and Immunity)

Bio coming soon

Lab Alumni

We celebrate the contributions of our past members who have moved on to new endeavors

Dr Setoh Yin Xiang

Dr Setoh Yin Xiang

2009–2012 (PhD)

  • Medical Lead for Vaccines (Takeda Pharmaceuticals)
  • Adj. Associate Professor (The University of Queensland)
  • Adj. Assistant Professor (National University of Singapore)
Dr Mikaela Bell

Dr Mikaela Bell

2021–2024 (PhD)

  • Postdoctoral Researcher (Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Chappell Group)
Dr Gervais Habarugira

Dr Gervais Habarugira

2018–2022 (PhD)

  • CSIRO Early Research Career Fellow (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)
James Potter

James Potter

2019–2025 (Honours; Research Assistant; PhD)

  • Research Officer (UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Khromykh Lab)
Devina Paramitha

Devina Paramitha

2017–2021 (Research Assistant; Honours)

  • PhD Candidate (UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Watterson Lab)
Dylan Bowman

Dylan Bowman

2021–2023 (Honours; Research Assistant)

  • PhD Candidate (QUT Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Peter Waterhouse Group)
Mahali Morgan

Mahali Morgan

2020–2023 (Honours; Research Assistant)

  • PhD Candidate (UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Watterson Lab)
Kierren Cheng

Kierren Cheng

Summer 2025 – June 2026 (Research Student)

Wessel Willemsen

Wessel Willemsen

Visiting PhD Candidate

  • PhD Candidate (Wageningen University & Research, Jelke Fros Group)
Alyssa Peterson

Alyssa Peterson

PhD Candidate

Dr. Hong Yi (Alpha) Lau

Dr. Hong Yi (Alpha) Lau

Postdoctoral Researcher

Isabella McMahon

Isabella McMahon

Senior Research Assistant