Grant Hansman

I received my PhD from the University of Tokyo in 2005 and have over 20 years of international research experience in Japan, the USA, and Germany. My work focuses on norovirus biology, and I’m proud to be recognised internationally in this field. I’ve published 99 peer-reviewed manuscripts, with a Google Scholar h-index of 46 and more than 6,800 citations. According to SciVal, I ranked 16th globally and 2nd in Europe for the topics of Gastroenteritis, Caliciviridae, and Norovirus between 2014 and 2023.

My research spans several disciplines, including molecular epidemiology, antigenic mapping, neutralisation studies, structural virology, and cross-reactivity analysis. Between 2012 and 2022, I independently secured over AUD$8 million in competitive research funding for norovirus-related projects. I’ve built and led an internationally competitive research program that has significantly advanced our understanding of norovirus-host interactions, particularly in relation to co-factor binding, and I’ve pioneered the use of Nanobody-based tools for both diagnostics and therapeutics.

I’ve led multiple independent research programs focused on norovirus genetics, antigenicity, and diagnostic development, including the generation and characterisation of novel reagents such as P domains, monoclonal antibodies, and Nanobodies. To date, I’ve published over 120 norovirus capsid structures determined by X-ray crystallography and 14 by cryo-EM, placing my group among the global leaders in norovirus structural biology. These structural insights have been instrumental in guiding the development of next-generation diagnostics and antiviral candidates.

Despite my leadership responsibilities, I remain highly engaged in hands-on experimental research. I spend around 70% of my time in the laboratory, designing, conducting, and analysing virological and structural experiments.