Subir Sarker

Dr. Subir Sarker is Senior Lecturer in Microbiology in the Discipline of Biomedical Sciences & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University, Melbourne. Dr. Sarker’s academic training reflects transdisciplinary interests spanning molecular virology and structural biology (PhD, Charles Sturt University, Australia, 2015), molecular virology and pathology (PGT, Institute of Experimental Zooprophylactic of Sardinia, Italy, 2012), molecular pathology (MSc, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh, 2009) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2007).

Prior to joining JCU in 2023, Dr Sarker accumulated over 16 years of professional experience across Australia, Italy, and Bangladesh. He began his career in 2009 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), where he led a team to strengthen biosecurity in Bangladesh as part of the Stamping Out Pandemic Avian Influenza (STOP AI) initiative. In 2010, he transitioned to academia as a Lecturer at the University of Rajshahi, one of the 2^nd largest public universities in Bangladesh, where he was later promoted to Assistant Professor.

Dr Sarker is a recognised molecular virologist/microbiologist with an exceptional research trajectory in Australia since 2012, supported by several prestigious fellowships that underscore his academic excellence. His eight years of research fellowships include the Endeavour Research Fellowship, funded by the Australian Government's Department of Education and Training, and the Life Science Fellowship, supported by La Trobe University. His exemplary achievements were further recognised with an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellowship. In acknowledgment of his significant contributions to microbiology, Dr. Sarker has been awarded the Fellowship of the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM) in 2023, the highest honour conferred by the organisation.

Dr. Sarker has an impressive scientific portfolio, comprising over 135 peer-reviewed publications, including two books. His pioneering revelation on how single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) plays a critical role in viral assembly at an atomic, a groundbreaking insight unveiled from his research. This seminal work, published in Nature Communications, has laid the groundwork for a potential antiviral treatment or vaccine targeting a highly lethal viral infection in avian species. Furthermore, this discovery has been instrumental in securing several competitive grants, including the "ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award" and the "Threatened Species Recovery Fund."

Dr. Sarker’s national and international reputation is further demonstrated by his roles as a Committee Member of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses and an Editorial Board Member for five prestigious academic journals: Scientific Reports, Frontiers in Microbiology, Viruses, BMC Veterinary Research, and Poultry. Additionally, he serves as an expert reviewer for several funding agencies, including the Australian Research Council.