Professor Mark Walker

Professor Mark Walker

Senior Scholar Award

Media Profile

“Relatively little is known about the majority of cell surface proteins of Group A Streptococcus, the ’flesh eating bacterium’. The Northern Australian Aboriginal population has some of the highest rates of Group A Streptococcus invasive disease. Using proteomic and molecular biological techniques, we will define the surface of this bacterium and examine the interaction of these proteins with the human host, in search of panacea.”

Professor Mark Walker is one of two Australians to be awarded the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award. Professor Walker will conduct research into the ‘flesh eating disease’ known as Necrotising Fasciitis at the University of Tennessee and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

Professor Walker holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Queensland and is one of Australia’s leading researchers in recombinant DNA technology to understand microbial pathogenesis and improve the effectiveness of vaccines for infectious diseases. His research will specifically examine the interactions of Group A streptococcus (GAS) with human tissue.

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a bacterium found in the throat and skin of human beings. People may carry group A streptococci and have no symptoms of illness. Most GAS infections are relatively mild however; GAS also causes serious illnesses such as scarlet and rheumatic fevers, wound infections and pneumonia. Occasionally, GAS invades the blood, muscle and fat tissue causing serious and often life-threatening invasive group A streptococcal infections.

The ‘flesh eating disease’ known as Necrotising Fasciitis is an infection that attacks the deep layers of tissue. It is caused when an invasive strain of GAS infects an opening in the skin. For unknown reasons, the strain becomes very aggressive and releases molecules that quickly and irreparably destroy flesh and muscle. Doctors often must remove skin, large groups of muscle, or entire limbs to save a person's life.

Using a molecular genetic approach, Professor Walker seeks to discover and characterise streptococcal properties in order to identify potential vaccine antigens to combat the disease. He will analyse the cell surface of the GAS bacterium, uncovering the protein interaction between the bacterium and human host.

The Fulbright Program offers Professor Walker a unique opportunity to make significant advances in the field of Microbiology. Professor Walker’s research will have a positive impact upon public health particularly in Aboriginal Australian populations, where invasive GAS disease is a major health concern.