Hilton migrated to Australia with his family in 1970 and grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Warrandyte. He was educated at Warrandyte Primary School and East Doncaster High School, where he recalls being inspired by “a wonderful biology teacher”.
Hilton spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow studying the erythropoietin receptor with Professor Harvey Lodish at the Whitehead Institute, MIT, USA. In 1993 Hilton returned to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute where he continued his research into cytokine signalling, with discoveries including the interleukin-11 receptor, the interleukin-13 receptor, and the Suppressors of Cytokine Signalling proteins. In recent years, together with Professor Warren Alexander and Dr Benjamin Kile, Hilton has established a new program using large-scale mouse genetics and genomics to identify regulators of blood cell formation, with a view to determining targets for the development of new medicines. He has been the head of the Institute's Division of Molecular Medicine since it began in 2006, and is a professor in the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science.
Other positions
From 1997 to 2001, Hilton served as Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Cellular Growth Factors, during which he initiated the Australian . He is also a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the biotechnology company MuriGen Therapeutics. He currently serves on the Board of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Medical Research Advisory Committee, the Victorian Cancer Agency Plan Implementation Committee, the Victorian Life Sciences Computational Initiative Steering Committee, the Board of the Bio21 Cluster, and the Board of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand.
Directorship of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
On 1 July 2009, Hilton became the sixth Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. At the time of appointment, Hilton believed that the Institute's success requires:
continuing its cornerstone research into cancer, blood cells, immunology, autoimmunity and infectious diseases, and enhancing this research with technological and investigative innovations including structural biology, chemistry, high-throughput screening, and mathematics and computational science.
expanding the translational research conducted by the Institute and considering, in collaboration with indigenous communities and other organisations, ways in which the research strengths of the Institute can be constructively utilised to improve indigenous health in Australia.
enhancing the institute's links with the University of Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and other leading centres of excellence in medical research and education, and continuing to pursue collaborations with the private sector.
2011 — Seymour & Vivian Milstein Award for Excellence in Interferon and Cytokine Research, International Cytokine Society and the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research
2011 — Research Australia Leadership and Innovation Award
2016 — Officer in the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical research and education, particularly in the field of haematology, as a molecular biologist and author, to gender equity, and as a mentor of young scientists.
