Professor Dena Lyras is Interim Director of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University in Australia and a globally recognised leader in microbiology and infectious diseases. Her research focuses on enteric pathogens, using genetic, molecular, and infection models to define how microbes interact with the host to drive disease. Her work has delivered major advances in understanding pathogenesis and has directly influenced the development of improved diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. She leads a highly collaborative research program studying gut infections, antimicrobial resistance, mobile DNA, and microbial interactions in complex host environments, with a strong focus on microbial evolution and the development of non‑antibiotic strategies to restore microbial ecosystems. Her research is highly translational, leading to patents, industry partnerships, and therapeutics advancing to clinical development. She was awarded an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship and currently holds an ARC Laureate Fellowship.