Professor James Whisstock is a former ARC Laureate Fellow, ARC Federation Fellow and NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow. His discoveries include elucidating the mechanism of function of perforin-like pore forming immune effectors. These molecules are responsible for mammalian immune cell- and complement-mediated cytolysis and are key for destroying virally-infected cells, malignant cells, and pathogenic bacteria. Conversely the unwanted activity of perforin-like proteins can damage healthy tissue in inflammatory and auto-immune diseases. Armed with these insights, Professor Whisstock is translating his discoveries and developing new immunomodulatory drugs. He mentors a large team of talented young researchers who are inspired by his achievements. His previous leadership roles have included Scientific Head of EMBL Australia and Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging.