I received my BSc with Hons from the Department of Microbiology at UQ in 1980. I then joined QIMR as a research associate and later enrolled as a PhD student through James Cook University of Nth Queensland, studying the antigenic structure of mosquito-borne flaviviruses and developing novel methods for their detection and diagnosis. After receiving my PhD in 1989, I spent 5 years at UWA working with Prof John Mackenzie studying the structure and function of viral proteins, and developing recombinant viral vaccines and rapid diagnostics for mosquito-borne viruses. I joined UQ as an NHMRC Senior Research Officer in 1995 and continued to work in the area of mosquito-borne viruses. I am currently Professor of Virology at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and founding member of the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre at UQ.