R. Pestka awarding Scott Read the 2016 Sidney & Joan Pestka Postgraduate Award
Postgraduate Award Scott Read
Postdoctoral Fellow Storr Liver Centre University of Sydney Australia
Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada, Scott completed his master’s degree is Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Following the emergence of West Nile virus in North America, Scott’s master’s focused on gaining a molecular understanding of virus:pathogen protein interactions in mosquitoes; the vector for West Nile virus, and an annoying pest throughout Winnipeg summers.
Following guidance from his supervisor Dr. Steve Whyard, Scott travelled to Sydney, Australia in 2009 to undertake a PhD at the Storr Liver Centre at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney. Scott’s PhD focused on understanding the molecular basis of hepatitis C virus treatment failure and its association with insulin resistance. Under Drs. Mark Douglas and Jacob George, Scott demonstrated that PPARα agonists sensitized hepatocytes to interferons by modulating negative regulators of interferon signaling, including the receptor tyrosine kinase, AXL.
Following the identification of polymorphisms in the interferon lambda 3/4 gene locus by the Storr Liver group and others, Scott became deeply interested in interferon lambda biology.
Following his PhD, Scott moved into a post-doctoral position in the liver immunology group of Dr. Golo Ahlenstiel at Storr Liver Centre. He is now focused on understanding how genetic and environmental factors can drive interferon lambda mediated inflammation and fibrosis in hepatic and gastrointestinal tissues.
