Professor Brendan Crabb has made a number of discoveries of major significance relating to our understanding of human malaria, a field in which he is a major internationally recognised figure. He was primarily responsible for the discovery of the malaria translocon, a protein machine that constitutes perhaps the leading new drug target in malaria. He also pioneered genetic technologies in human malaria, describing the first gene knockout in this organism. He has made a significant broader contribution to health and medical research, most notably through his leadership of the Burnet Institute and the Association of Australia Medical Research Institutes.