Sarah Londrigan

Associate Professor Sarah Londrigan is a teaching and research academic in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Melbourne, affiliated with the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. She earned her Bachelor of Science with Honours and PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2002, during which her research identified novel cell surface receptors implicated in rotavirus entry into host cells. From 2002 to 2008, she pursued postdoctoral studies at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, where she developed immunomodulatory adenoviruses designed to generate local immunosuppression for islet transplantation in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. Returning to the University of Melbourne in 2008, she joined forces with Professors Andrew Brooks and Patrick Reading in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Currently, she holds the position of Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer in Virology, Group Leader of the Londrigan Group, and serves as a lead for the Viral Infectious Diseases theme at the Doherty Institute.

Her research examines the cellular responses to respiratory virus infections, with a particular emphasis on the pathways utilized by influenza and other respiratory viruses to infect host cells. Key investigations include the reasons behind the high pathogenicity of certain respiratory viruses leading to severe disease and the mechanisms by which airway immune cells, such as macrophages, control viral replication to avert severe infections. Among her influential publications are "Rotavirus contains integrin ligand sequences and a disintegrin-like domain that are implicated in virus entry into cells" published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 1997; "N-linked glycosylation facilitates sialic acid-independent attachment and entry of influenza A viruses into cells expressing DC-SIGN or L-SIGN" in Journal of Virology in 2011; "The fate of influenza A virus after infection of human macrophages and dendritic cells" in Journal of General Virology in 2012; "Host cell restriction factors that limit influenza A infection" in Viruses in 2017; and "The C-type lectin langerin functions as a receptor for attachment and infectious entry of influenza A virus" in Journal of Virology in 2016. Sarah Londrigan is an award-winning teacher who has designed novel digital resources, including 3D digitised anatomical specimens, for use in teaching.

Professional Email: sarahll@unimelb.edu.au