Alastair Stewart

Dr Stewart read the Natural Sciences Tripos at the University of Cambridge (Girton College), obtaining his BA in 2007 and MA in 2009. Following this, he moved to Sydney to work as a research assistant in Dr. Daniela Stock’s (FAA) laboratory to gain more extensive research experience. During this time he was introduced to Molecular Machines and subsequently embarked on a PhD examining the structure and function of ATP synthase at the University of New South Wales, graduating in 2012.

His research has provided novel insight into the function of molecules important to disease (ATP synthase and chaperonins), and he has received many awards for his research and science communication including a NHMRC Early Career Fellowship 2015, a Young Tall Poppy science award 2014, a SCANZ’s Rising Star 2014 and ASB’s Best Early Career Researcher 2011.

Dr Stewart’s group is dedicated to elucidating the fundamental mechanisms that govern essential biological processes involved in disease, such as energy conversion and protein folding. In order to perform this he uses a myriad of experimental methods; such as X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy and intact mass spectrometry. Only by seeing the machinery of life at the atomic scale can we begin to understand life and disease.