Ebony Monson

Dr Ebony Monson is a postdoctoral researcher in the antiviral innate immunology laboratory (headed by Prof. Karla Helbig) at La Trobe University. Ebony graduated with honours through the Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology (La Trobe University) in 2016, receiving first-class honours, and has since completed her Ph.D. (Feb 2021) in the field of virology with a focus on immune responses to viruses by cells; uncovering novel mechanisms by which our bodies respond to viral infections which she hopes will contribute to new antiviral treatments. In 2022 she was awarded the Australasian Virology Society "Rising Star" Award; a prestigious award for an outstanding virology early career researcher who has made important contributions to the virology discipline and who demonstrates a strong potential to become a future leader in virology research. Dr Monson also has a special interest in science communication and science outreach. She has participated in "Pint of Science", the Monash BDI "Pen Pal" program, and more recently co-runs "Nerd Nite", a not-for-profit science communication event in Melbourne.