Dr Clarke has a keen interest in molecular virology, particularly the roles of viruses in host interaction, suppression of the immune system and cancer induction. He completed his PhD at the University of Queensland (UQ)’s Diamantina Institute in 2007, which focused on the molecular strategies used by Herpes Simplex virus to evade the innate immune system. He then undertook postdoctoral studies at UQ to examine the role of the Koala Retrovirus in inducing opportunistic infections and cancer in koalas around Australia. In 2012, he began working as a Research Fellow in Prof Nigel McMillan’s lab at Griffith University and has been involved in developing new molecular therapies for acute viral respiratory disease and viral-driven cancer.