Marshall Lightowlers

Who is Marshall Lightowlers?

Professor Marshall Lightowlers began his career in the field of parasitology during a post-doctoral appointment at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science in Adelaide where he undertook research on ovine sarcocystosis. In 1981 he began a post-doctoral position at The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre and began a research career focusing on the immunology and molecular biology of taeniid cestode parasites. His initial research at the University of Melbourne investigated the immunochemistry of antigens of Taenia taeniaeformis and Echinococcus granulosus. Subsequently he was a member of a team of scientists that developed a vaccine against Taenia ovis infection in sheep, the first recombinant vaccine against a parasitic disease. In 1989 Lightowlers took over leadership of the molecular parasitology research laboratories at the University of Melbourne and began applying the lessons learnt in the T. ovis research to the development of similar vaccines against infection with the larval stages of other cestode parasites. This led to the development of highly effective, recombinant vaccines against cysticercosis in cattle due to Taenia saginata and in pigs due to Taenia solium. In collaboration with Dr David Heath in New Zealand, he and his colleagues also produced a recombinant vaccine against hydatid disease in sheep. This vaccine has proven successful in experimental trials carried out in Argentina, China, New Zealand and Australia and is being manufactured for commercial application. These vaccines remain uniquely effective in the field of parasitology. In 1990 Lightowlers was appointed a Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council and subsequently promoted to Principal Research Fellow and Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Melbourne University. He has published more than one hundred articles in internationally refereed journals and books. Recognition of his scientific standing is evident from his numerous invited contributions to national and international scientific meetings and invited review publications and his receipt of substantial, competitive research funding. He had been a member of the World Health Organisation's Informal Working Groups on Echinococcosis since 1988 and is currently coordinator of the group evaluating vaccines. A major feature of Lightowler’s career has been his dedication to training highly successful postgraduate students, staff and sabbatical visitors in the discipline of parasitology. Lightowlers has been an active member of the Australian Society for Parasitology, serving as the society's President in 1995/6, Honorary Secretary, and as a council member representing Victoria. In 1998 the society awarded Lightowlers the Bancroft-Mackerras Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the science of parasitology.