Prof Begoña Heras is the Head of the Structural Biology and Bacterial Pathogenesis laboratory and the Leader of Infection and Immunity Theme at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS). She holds a BSc in Organic Chemistry from The University of Zaragoza (Spain) and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from The University of Navarra (Spain). Her research integrates structural biology, protein chemistry and biophysics to study complex protein machineries that play central roles in bacterial diseases. Her work has been published in leading international journals including, Nature Communications, PNAS, Nature Rev Microbiol, mBio and J Biol Chem. She has demonstrated consistent performance on gaining grants from national competitive bodies, industry, and philanthropic agencies.