Dr Michelle Dunstone received her PhD at St Vincent's Institute (University of Melbourne). During her PhD studies and postdoctoral studies Michelle studied proteins of the human immune system using crystallography and bioinformatics. Michelle was appointed an NHMRC Peter Doherty fellow in 2006 and is currently an NHMRC Career Development Fellow at Monash University. Michelle has combined her structural and biophysical skills to focus on a family of pore forming proteins; the MACPF/CDC superfamily. Using a combination of crystallography, single particle cryo-electron microscopy and biophysical assays, Michelle has begun to map the structural transition of MACPF toxins from their soluble monomeric state to their membrane inserted polymeric state.