2010 Boomerang Award: Lauren Ely

Stanford University

Lauren Ely was first introduced to the world of research during her Bachelor of Science Honours year in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne. Under the supervision of Dr Tony Hughes and Dr Philip Thompson (Monash University), Lauren studied the role of phosphodiesterase inhibitors in platelet aggregation. These experiments included a series of small molecule-protein docking studies that initiated Lauren’s interest in structural biology.

In 2002, Lauren joined the newly established protein crystallography group of Dr Jamie Rossjohn in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Monash Univeristy for her PhD studies. She was awarded an NHMRC Dora Lush Postgraduate Research Scholarship to study the structural basis of T-cell receptor alloreactivity. During her studies in the Rossjohn lab, Lauren investigated the interaction between T-cell receptors and major histocompatibility complex molecules using both X-ray crystallography and a range of biophysical techniques to measure the binding kinetics and thermodynamics of complex formation. Many aspects of Lauren’s project involved collaboration with Dr James McCluskey’s laboratory in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. Through these interactions, Lauren developed an ongoing interest in immunology.

In 2006, Lauren was awarded an NHMRC CJ Martin overseas fellowship to undertake postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr Christopher Garcia at Stanford University. During her time in the Garcia lab, Lauren has focused on structural and biochemical studies looking at a number of different immune receptor complexes. Of particular note, she has studied the interactions of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 17 (IL-17) and its receptors. Lauren has recently determined the first IL-17 cytokine-receptor complex structure and through a series of binding studies, established a mechanism for ternary complex formation. She is looking forward to presenting her work on the IL-17 complex at the OzBio2010 in Melbourne and meeting with Australian researchers in her field.

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This page last modified: April 1, 2010.