Dr. Colby Zaph

Biography

Colby Zaph is a professor at Monash University, serving as the head of the Laboratory of Mucosal Immunity Inflammation within the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is a member of the Infection and Immunity Program at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute. Zaph completed his B.Sc. (Honours) in Biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1995, and obtained his Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigated memory T cell responses following infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. He then undertook postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating immunity and inflammation at mucosal sites. His significant contributions include defining the role of parasite persistence in memory T cell development and identifying the function of intestinal epithelial cells in licensing immune responses during intestinal infections. His research interests encompass epigenetic regulation of gene expression, particularly lysine methylation, and novel signaling mechanisms that influence protein localization. Zaph's work is also related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the fields of immunology, inflammation, infection, and epigenetics.

Research Interests

Experience