Sebastian van Hal obtained his medical degree from The University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1995. After working extensively in Africa and Europe, he moved to Australia and completed his training in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. His research interests include the study of the consequences and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, especially in Staphylococcus aureus. He is a Staff Specialist at the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and a Conjoint Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney.