Dr Ellie Torbati
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Ellie Torbati is as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Connor Laboratory and the RNA platform. Dr Torbati completed her PhD at Otago University in the Biochemistry and Pharmacology departments, under the supervision of Kurt Krause, Chris Brown, and Lyn Wise. Her PhD project focused on the structural, functional, and bioinformatic analysis of the smallpox virus chemokine binding protein.
Research interests
“After completing my PhD, I worked as a postdoc for Prof. James Ussher at Otago University, where I contributed to various projects, including COVID-related researches. I also collaborated as a VAANZ member on vaccine research on MMR vaccines.
“Following that, I transitioned into industry, gaining valuable experience before returning to academia to learn new skills and apply my expertise in more research focused environment.
“I’ve always been fascinated by viruses, the immune system, and vaccine development at all levels, from molecular mechanisms to immune responses. My involvement in vaccine development began in 2010 when I worked on the HCV vaccine development during my master’s program.
“I really enjoy my job and the satisfaction of seeing the impact of my research makes it even more rewarding.”