Christopher McDevitt

Professor Christopher McDevitt is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne, affiliated with the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and the School of Biomedical Sciences. He earned his BSc (Hons) and PhD in Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Queensland. He then spent six years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, investigating membrane transport proteins. In 2008, McDevitt joined the Research Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Adelaide, where he launched a research program on membrane transporters and the chemical biology of Streptococcus pneumoniae. He established an independent research group in 2012 and served as Deputy Director of the Centre from 2015. In 2018, he relocated his laboratory to the University of Melbourne. He currently heads the McDevitt Laboratory, co-leads the Bacterial and Parasitic Infections theme at the Doherty Institute, and was appointed Research Co-Director for the School of Biomedical Sciences in 2025.

McDevitt's research elucidates the molecular basis of bacterial pathogenesis, focusing on the roles of metal ions like zinc and manganese in host-pathogen interactions. His laboratory examines metal acquisition by pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae during infection, employing microbiology, structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and AI-assisted methods to pinpoint new antimicrobial targets. Key publications include 'A molecular mechanism for bacterial susceptibility to zinc' (PLoS Pathogens, 2011), 'The TatA component of the twin-arginine protein transport system forms channel complexes of variable diameter' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2005), 'Purification and 3D structural analysis of oligomeric human multidrug transporter ABCG2' (Structure, 2006), 'Imperfect coordination chemistry facilitates metal ion release in the Psa permease' (Nature Chemical Biology, 2014), and 'ZnuA and zinc homeostasis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa' (Scientific Reports, 2015). He has secured major funding, including an ARC Future Fellowship, NHMRC Ideas Grant, NHMRC Development Grant, and over AUD 2.6 million from CARB-X to combat antimicrobial resistance. His work has advanced insights into bacterial metal homeostasis and nutritional immunity, evidenced by highly cited contributions to the field.

Professional Email: christopher.mcdevitt@unimelb.edu.au