Dr Michael Walker

Dr Walker began his career with a PhD in theoretical physics from the Australian National University and a Master of Advanced Studies in mathematics from the University of Cambridge. After a brief position modelling ion transport through cell membranes, he held teaching and research positions in South Korea for two years before further pursuing his particle physics research at the University of Chiba in Japan as a JSPS fellow. This was followed by a position in Montpellier, France with a project called Virtual Plants, where he modelled the allocation of hormone transporter proteins in the developing meristem and its affect on tissue development. Upon returning to Australia he completed an MPhil in bioinformatics, applying machine learning and Bayesian network theory to the etiology of childhood asthma. This was followed by a year at La Trobe University with the molecular modelling group where he added nonlinear machine-learning methods and as neural networks and support vector machines to their molecular modelling package BioPPSy, and modelled part of the protein network responsible for apoptosis in order to understand the molecular mechanism of the anti-cancer drug ABT-737.