The Team
Rhys Grinter
- Lab Head
Rhys heads the Grinter lab at Monash University in the Biomedicine Discovery Institute.
Originally from South Australia, Rhys earned his PhD from the University of Glasgow. He relocated to Monash University in 2015 working as a research fellow in labs Prof. Trevor Lithgow and A/Prof. Chris Greening, before founding the independent Grinter lab in 2021.
Rhys has diverse interests in the molecular physiology of bacteria and has strong experience in applying a combination of structural biology, molecular cell biology and chemical biology to resolve important questions in this area.
When not working he enjoys SCUBA diving, Cycling, and teaching his 4-year-old daughter how to swim.
Ashleigh Kropp
- PhD Candidate
Ash is a PhD student in the Grinter lab primarily working on elucidating the structure and function of the hydrogenases in Mycobacterium smegmatis. She completed her undergraduate, Honours, and Masters of Philosophy degrees at the University of Melbourne/WEHI, writing her thesis on the structural and functional role of specific human kinases that are involved in numerous cancers. In late 2019, Ash joined the Greening lab at Monash as a research assistant and then began her PhD in the Grinter lab in February 2022. Outside of work, Ash loves yoga and hiking, trashy reality TV and being with her friends.
Daniel Fox
- PhD Candidate
Daniel is a PhD student in the Grinter Lab and researches the biochemical and structural basis of iron piracy in the clinically important human pathogens Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. He grew up in Canberra and previously completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons.) at the Australian National University looking at host-pathogen interactions before starting at the BDI in late 2021. In his spare time he likes to volunteer on the student microbiology committee, read, go op-shopping, enjoy a good coffee, babysit Ash’s cat Moro and making the most of what Melbourne has to offer.
Fabian Munder
- PhD Candidate
Fabian is a PhD student in the Grinter lab investigating the function and structure of membrane proteins. He completed his undergraduate and Master of Molecular Plant Science at the University of Hamburg/EMBL Hamburg in Germany, writing his thesis on the peroxisomal protein import machinery. Fabian joined the Grinter lab in late-2021 working on members of the PE/PPE protein family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with a focus on their role in nutrient transport across the mycomembrane. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, bouldering and reading fantasy/sci-fi books.
Imogen Samuels
- PhD Candidate
Imogen is a PhD student who joined the Grinter Lab in mid-2023, investigating the cytotoxic mechanism behind lectin-like bacteriocins in gram-negative bacteria. She completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) at The University of Otago in Dunedin, exploring chemical-genetic interactions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that altered TB drug potency. In her spare time, Imogen enjoys snowboarding, visiting art galleries and exploring new coffee roasters with friends.
David is interested in how mycobacteria are able to leverage their flexible energy metabolism in order to persist during oxygen and carbon starvation. He is primarily focused on trace gas oxidation and anaerobic respiration and is studying these processes at the physiological and biochemical level. In his spare time, David plays guitar and listens to increasingly niche podcasts.
Luis Jimenez
- Research Officer/Lab Manager
Luis is a Laboratory Manager and Research Assistant in the Grinter Lab, contributing to an array of projects. He completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) at Monash University, writing his thesis on host-pathogen interactions between Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and dengue virus. He has since worked in a number of labs as a research assistant, contributing to projects ranging in focus from ecological evolution, to environmental microbiology and biochemistry, until he joined the Grinter lab in early 2023. In his spare time Luis enjoys photography, drawing, learning and teaching Spanish, bouldering and hiking