Christopher obtained his PhD in Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Queensland, Australia. He then spent six years as a postdoctoral researcher studying membrane transport proteins at the University of Oxford, UK. In 2008, he moved to the Research Centre for Infectious Disease, University of Adelaide, to initiate a research program investigating membrane transporters and the chemical biology of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In 2012, he established an independent research group at Adelaide and, in 2015, was appointed to Deputy Director of the Centre. In 2018, he relocated his laboratory to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
Metal ions are essential to all forms of life. Research in the McDevitt laboratory uses multi-disciplinary approaches to understand the roles of transition metals in the biology of bacterial pathogens and how they influence host-pathogen interactions. This has delivered major advances in knowledge in the fields of microbiology, biochemistry and chemical biology. Christopher’s research achievements have been recognised with an EPA Cephalosporin Junior Research Fellowship at Linacre College, University of Oxford (2007-8), School and Faculty research awards at the University of Adelaide (2011, 2017) and Deputy Directorship of the Research for Infectious Diseases, University of Adelaide (2014-18).