Rossjohn Laboratory

Our Members

Prof. Jamie Rossjohn

FAA FAHMS FLSW FMedSci

Professor Jamie Rossjohn’s research is centered on an understanding immunity. He is currently an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow (2017-2021) and previously a NHMRC Australia Fellow (2011-2016) and ARC Federation Fellow (2007-11). He is the Head of the Infection and Immunity Program of the Biomedicine Discovery Institute. Prof. Rossjohn is known for his contributions to the understanding the molecular basis underpinning immunity. He has used structural biology to explain pre-T- cell receptor (TCR) self-association in T-cell development, and how the TCR specifically recognises polymorphic Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules in the context of viral immunity and aberrant T- cell reactivity.

He has unearthed structural mechanisms of HLA polymorphism impacting on drug and food hypersensitivities, as well as Natural Killer cell receptor recognition. He has pioneered our molecular understanding of lipid-based immunity by T cells, revealing that it can differ fundamentally from peptide-mediated adaptive immunity.

Recently he has provided a structural basis of how vitamin B metabolites can be presented and recognised by the immune system, revealing a new class of antigen. Collectively, he has published > 400 papers and mentored numerous researchers towards obtaining higher degrees and nationally competitive fellowships.

Major Fellowships

1995 Royal Society Postdoctoral Fellowship.
1998 Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (3 years).
2000 R.D. Wright NHMRC Research Fellowship (4 years).
2001 Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellowship in Biomedical Science.
2006 Australian Research Council Professorial Fellowship.
2006 Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship.
2011 NHMRC Australia Fellowship.
2014 Elected as a Fellow into the Australian Academy of Science.
2015 Elected as a Fellow into the Learned Society of Wales.
2016 ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship.
2017 Elected as a Fellow into the Academy of Medical Sciences.
2017 Elected as a Fellow into the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Awards

2001 Ramaciotti New Investigator Award.
2003 Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Roche medallist.
2004 Science Ministers Prize: Life Scientist of the Year.
2007 Australian Academy of Science Gottschalk medal.
2007 Commonwealth Health Ministers Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.
2011 Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation Recognition Prize (jointly with Prof. McCluskey).
2011 Australian Museum – Eureka Finalist for Infectious Diseases Research (jointly with A/Prof. Beddoe & Prof. Paton).
2011 NHMRC Recognition Award for the Top ranked Program Grant in 2010.
2012 Ramaciotti Biomedical Research Award (jointly with Profs. Whisstock, Smith & Lawrence).
2013 Leiden University Medical Centre Boerhaave Medal.
2013 Australian Museum – University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Scientific Research (jointly with Dr. Kjer-Nielsen & Prof. McCluskey).
2014 NHMRC Research Excellence Award for the Top ranked Project Grant in 2013.
2015 GSK Research excellence (jointly with McCluskey)
2016 Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation (jointly with McCluskey)
2017 Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) Award for Research Excellence 2017 (presented at ConBio/FAOBMB meeting, Kobe, Japan Dec 2017).
2018 The ASBMB Lemberg Medal (presented at ComBio meeting, Sydney, Australia Sept 2018).
2018 Monash University 2018 Vice-Chancellor’s Diversity and Inclusion Award (jointly with La Gruta, Watson, Tandori, Rajan & Constantin)
2018 Winner of RSV Medal for Research Excellence in Biomedical and Health Sciences (jointly with Burkitt)
2018-19 Clarivates/Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher
2019 Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion Finalist (jointly with Watson, Tandori & Jacques)