Rate My Professor Richard Burke

Dr. Richard Burke is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences within the Faculty of Science at Monash University. He currently serves as Education Director for the school and Head of the Ion Transport and Metabolism Research Group. Burke obtained his Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Melbourne in 1994 and his PhD from the University of Zurich in 1998. After completing his doctorate, he was a Research Fellow at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research from 2000 to 2002, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Melbourne from 2002 to 2006. In 2006, he joined Monash University as a Lecturer in Genetics, progressing to Senior Lecturer.

Burke's research specializes in the molecular genetics of Drosophila melanogaster, with a focus on heavy metal homeostasis, invertebrate developmental biology, and animal models of human neurodegenerative diseases. His group employs Drosophila as a model to study the genetics of heavy metal metabolism, investigating metal ion regulation at the cellular, organ, and whole-body levels. Techniques include genetic manipulation of metal transport genes, high-energy X-ray imaging at the Australian Synchrotron to detect metal distributions, and analysis of pathogenesis in metal homeostasis disorders. Notable publications include 'A comparison of spermatogenesis between flies and men—conserved processes of male gamete production' (Human Reproduction Update, 2025, co-authored with Houston et al.), 'Dietary Zinc Limitation Dictates Lifespan and Reproduction Trade-Offs of Drosophila Mothers' (Aging Cell, 2025), 'Drosophila ClC-c Is a Homolog of Human CLC-5 and a New Model for Dent Disease Type 1' (Kidney360, 2024), and 'A basic framework to explain splice-site choice in eukaryotes' (Nature Communications, 2025). He has produced over 60 research outputs and serves as Principal Investigator for NHMRC-funded projects, including the Australian Drosophila Biomedical Research Support Facility. In 2025, Burke contributed to a team that received the Faculty of Science Dean's Award for Innovation in Learning and Teaching.