The Univeristy of Melbourne The Royal Melbourne Hopspital

A joint venture between The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Julio Carrera Montoya

Dr Julio Carrera Montoya

+61 3 8344 9943 | julio.carreramontoya@unimelb.edu.au

Position:
Research Officer
Theme(s):
Immunology, Viral Infectious Diseases
Discipline(s):
Discovery Research
Unit(s):
The University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology (DMI)
Lab Group(s):
Mackenzie Group, Torresi Group

Julio Carrera Montoya is an early career postdoctoral scientist at the Doherty Institute. His PhD was awarded in early 2022 under the supervision of Professor Cameron Simmons and Professor Jason Mackenzie at the University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute. Julio has years of experience in biomedical research, focused on vaccine development and the generation of molecular tools for the study and control of flaviviruses (ZIKV, DENV, JEV, MVEV, KUNV) and SARS-CoV-2. Julio´s expertise includes the design, generation and characterisation of vaccine candidates using different platforms and their efficacy testing in murine models. Julio’s work also include hands-on processing and imaging by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fly and mosquito models in APC3 for the study of intracellular symbiotic bacteria (Wolbachia) that control the replication of flaviviruses in vivo and an industry-driven research agreement for the characterisation of a broad-spectrum antivirals.

  • Key Achievements
      • Full tuition scholarship. MSc in Microbiology. 2012- 2014. San Francisco de Quito University.
      • Presidential scholarship. 2013 - 2014. San Francisco de Quito University.
      • Melbourne Research Scholarship. 2016-2020. The University of Melbourne.
      • Major Barlett Scholarship, 2019. The University of Melbourne.
      • Millis-Jackson Scholarship, 2019. The University of Melbourne
      • Best talk in Vaccines and antivirals. 2022. Australasian Virology Society (AVS11).
      • The Equity in Science (EQiS) award. 2023. The University of Melbourne.
      • Department of Microbiology and Immunology Collaborative Awards. 2023. The University of Melbourne.
    Publications
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    Research Groups
    • Mackenzie Group

      We investigate the intracellular replication of Flaviviruses and Noroviruses, to understand how replication influences cellular functions and immune dysfunction. In particular the influences viral replication imparts on metabolic and stress pathways that ultimately lead to immune regulation and dysfunction. 


      Lab Team

      Mackenzie Group

      • Laboratory Head
      • Dr Susann Liebscher
      • Dr Soroush Sarvestani
      • Ben Cotton
        PhD Student
      • Turgut Aktepe
        PhD Student
      • Adam Lopez-Denman
        PhD Student
      • Svenja Fritzlar
        PhD Student
      • David Chao
        Honours Student
      • Stef van der Krieken
    • Torresi Group

      Joe’s group is focused on hepatitis virology including work on hepatitis C vaccines and neutralising antibody responses and hepatitis B and C pathogenesis. In addition, his group conducts clinical research in travel medicine including dengue and other arboviral infections.


      Lab Team

      Torresi Group

      • Senior research officer
      • Dr Ruth Chin
      • Ms Linda Earnest Silveira
      • Ms Shessy Torres