Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Ben examines how immune cells communicate using hormone-like molecules called cytokines. The binding of a cytokine to a target cell activates or turns on the cell, directing the cell to divide, die, move or mature to become a cell that can destroy invading microorganisms.
His future research will be aimed at identifying human populations at risk and also to identify similar genes that stabilize the host during infection.
2007