Matt Higgins Appointed as Inaugural EP Abraham Professor of Structural Biology

We are delighted to share that our very own Professor Matt Higgins has been appointed as the inaugural EP Abraham Professor of Structural Biology, thanks to generous support from the Edward Penley Abraham Research Fund and the EPA Cephalosporin Fund. In this newly endowed Chair position, Matt will use his expertise in structural biology to address important unresolved biological and medical issues, while also providing strategic leadership and guidance to foster growth in the field.

Matt’s research strives to comprehend how parasites interact with their human hosts through a combination of advanced structural and molecular biology techniques. His significant discoveries have shed light on the molecular mechanisms utilized by parasites to infect their human hosts, as well as how the immune system is evaded. With these crucial findings, Matt’s group seeks to improve and create therapeutic agents to battle human diseases such as African sleeping sickness and Malaria. Recently, Matt was awarded the prestigious C. A. Wright Medal from the British Society for Parasitology in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution to the discipline of parasitology’. To learn more, you may visit the Higgins Lab website.

In his new role as EP Abraham Professor of Structural Biology, Matt will continue to direct the Wellcome Structural Biology D.Phil programme and will manage the academic leadership of the Cryo-EM Facility.

Since April 2021, Oxford University's KAVLI Institute for Nanoscience Discovery is proudly serving as a hub for research groups from seven different departments spanning both the medical and physical sciences, including Professor Matthew Higgins's from the Department of Biochemistry.