Nicholas A. Gherardin

Dr. Gherardin completed his Bachelor of Biomedicine with Honours at the University of Melbourne where he developed a strong interest in the function of the immune system. Dr. Gherardin subsequently completed a PhD between the Peter Doherty Institute and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre where he studied the fundamental biology of MAIT cells and applied his findings to the setting of cancer. During his research, Dr. Gherardin gained expertise in molecular engineering, protein biochemistry, cellular biology and translational immunology. He also gained detailed knowledge on the function of MAIT cells along with other unconventional T cell subsets, contributing to many seminal publications, including first author, in leading academic journals including Immunity and Nature Immunology. Dr. Gherardin’s diverse training in basic and translational immunology instilled in him a unique, holistic overview of the biology of unconventional T cells which are emerging as high potential targets for therapeutic manipulation. As an early-career researcher, Dr. Gherardin works closely with mentor and lab head, Professor Dale Godfrey, and plays an important role as a senior member of the Godfrey Lab. Dr. Gherardin’s research program encompasses various aspects of unconventional T cell biology including their fundamental biology and their roles in disease including cancers and infectious diseases. Dr. Gherardin plans to continue his work with Professor Godfrey as he transitions through his early-mid career, and has long term ambitions to run his own independent research program with a focus on unconventional T cells.