Infection & Immunity

Research in the School is focussed on mechanisms of infection and immunity and the development of new ways to control and treat infectious diseases. Current research programs include the molecular analysis of bacterial and viral infections as well as understanding the development and function of the immune system.

Groups / Projects	Research Lead	Dept / Centre
A new function of the cytokine BAFF in dendritic cell maturation: Implications for immunity and cancers	Professor Fabienne Mackay \| Dr Beatriz Garcillan	Microbiology and Immunology
A universal vaccine against influenza A	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
Antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity - a neglected anti-HIV iImmune response!	Professor Stephen Kent, Dr Amy Chung, Dr Matt Parsons	Microbiology and Immunology
Antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens	Professor Ben Howden	Microbiology and Immunology
Application of genomics to public health and clinical microbiology	Professor Ben Howden	Microbiology and Immunology
Ascher laboratory: Structural biology and bioinformatics	Dr David Ascher	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Australian bite and sting trends: Australian Venomous Injury Project (AVIP)	Dr Ronelle Welton	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Australian Venom Research Unit	Dr David Williams	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Autophagy and Norovirus replication	Professor Jason Mackenzie	Microbiology and Immunology
Bedoui laboratory: Innate and adaptive interactions in immunity to infection	Associate Professor Sammy Bedoui	Microbiology and Immunology
Biolpolymer-based vaccine delivery systems	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
Bo&MeRanG Research Projects	Dr Marie Greyer
Bogoyevitch laboratory: Regulatory biology	Associate Professor Marie Bogoyevitch	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Brooks laboratory: Innate immunity; anti-viral immunity	Professor Andrew Brooks	Microbiology and Immunology
Brown laboratory: Immunology; virology; vaccinology	Professor Lorena (Lori) Brown	Microbiology and Immunology
Carbone laboratory: Immune response to herpes simplex virus	Professor Francis (Frank) Carbone	Microbiology and Immunology
Cell surface receptors for attachment and entry of influenza virus into cells of the innate immune system	Associate Professor Patrick Reading	Microbiology and Immunology
Chronic immune activation during treated HIV disease	Professor Damian Purcell	Microbiology and Immunology
Combined influenza-AIDS vaccines and mucosal vaccinations	Professor Stephen Kent	Microbiology and Immunology
Correlates of severe and fatal influenza disease in high-risk groups	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
Coulson laboratory: Rotavirus pathogenesis and immunity	Associate Professor Barbara Coulson	Microbiology and Immunology
Crack laboratory: Neuropharmacology	Associate Professor Peter Crack	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Deciphering the relative contributions of different dendritic cells to killer T cell responses	Associate Professor Sammy Bedoui	Microbiology and Immunology
Delineating how CD4 T cells ‘help’ establishing effective killer T cell responses	Associate Professor Sammy Bedoui	Microbiology and Immunology
Dendritic cell maturation following different microbial stimulation	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
Design, development and testing of HIV vaccines	Professor Damian Purcell	Microbiology and Immunology
Developing new therapies for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus	Professor Fabienne Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
Development of a self-adjuvanting vaccine for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
Development of new types of antimicrobial agents	Professor Roy Robins-Browne	Microbiology and Immunology
Discovering and characterizing new genes involved in innate immunity, tissue injury and fibrosis	Professor Christine Wells	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Edgington-Mitchell laboratory: Protease Pathophysiology	Dr Laura Edgington-Mitchell	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Elucidating the beneficial and harmful elements of the BAFF/APRIL system in multiple sclerosis	Professor Fabienne Mackay \| Dr Beatriz Garcillan	Microbiology and Immunology
Enterococcus faecium	Professor Ben Howden	Microbiology and Immunology
Furness laboratory: Digestive physiology and nutrition	Professor John Furness	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Gebhardt laboratory: Adaptive immune responses to virus infections	Associate Professor Thomas Gebhardt	Microbiology and Immunology
Gleeson laboratory: Membrane trafficking and protein sorting in health and disease and development of new therapeutics	Professor Paul Gleeson	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Godfrey laboratory: The development and function of unconventional T cells	Professor Dale Godfrey	Microbiology and Immunology
Gooley laboratory: Structural biology of disease	Associate Professor Paul Gooley	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Gut health: an intersection of food, environment, animal production and global health	Professor John B Furness	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Hargreaves laboratory: Exercise physiology	Professor Mark Hargreaves	Physiology
Harrap laboratory: Genetic physiology	Professor Stephen Harrap	Physiology
Heat Shock Protein therapy for muscle wasting	Professor Gordon Lynch	Physiology
Heath laboratory: CD8 T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, self tolerance and immunity	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
High fat diets, gut health and diabetes	Dr Rachel McQuade	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Holt laboratory: Pathogen genomics and bioinformatics	A/Prof Kathryn Holt	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
How is the immunological T cell memory generated?	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
Howden laboratory: Molecular epidemiology, genomics and pathogenesis of antimicrobial resistant bacteria	Professor Ben Howden	Microbiology and Immunology
Identifying the mechanisms of immune cell development in peripheral tissues	Dr Laura Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
Imaging effector and memory T cell responses in the skin following Herpes Simplex Virus-1 infection	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
Imaging the priming of CD8 Killer T cell responses to Herpes Simplex Virus-1 skin infection	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
Improved vaccines by targeting to dendritic cells	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
Influenza A virus PB1-F2 Protein: a putative virulence factor and initiator of inflammation	Dr Julie McAuley	Microbiology and Immunology
Influenza–specific ADCC: Role in a universal flu vaccine?	Professor Stephen Kent	Microbiology and Immunology
Innate T cell recognition and development	Dr Daniel Pellicci	Microbiology and Immunology
Innovative approaches to prepare synthetic, partially synthetic and natural product-based vaccines	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
Intraepithelial T cells in anti-viral immunity	Professor Francis (Frank) Carbone	Microbiology and Immunology
Intravital imaging of T cell responses in the brain during cerebral malaria infection	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
Investigation of HSV latency and reactivation	Professor Francis (Frank) Carbone	Microbiology and Immunology
Jackson laboratory: Synthetic vaccine design	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
Kedzierska laboratory: Immunity to pandemic and newly emerged influenza viruses	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
Kent laboratory: HIV vaccines; immune responses to HIV-1; immunotherapy	Professor Stephen Kent	Microbiology and Immunology
Klebsiella pneumoniae	Professor Dick Strugnell	Microbiology and Immunology
Koopman laboratory: Clinical nutrition and muscle metabolism	Dr René Koopman	Physiology
Lawson laboratory: Neurodegenerative disease caused by prions	Associate Professor Vicki Lawson	Microbiology and Immunology
Lew laboratory: Theoretical and empirical pharmacology	Dr Michael Lew	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Lipopeptide-based adjuvanting systems	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
Lung Disease Research Laboratory	Professor Gary P Anderson	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Lung Health Research Centre		Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Lymphoid stromal cell responses to infection	Associate Professor Scott Mueller	Microbiology and Immunology
Mackay (F) laboratory: B lymphocytes, BAFF, autoimmunity and cancer	Professor Fabienne Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
Mackay (L) laboratory: Tissue-resident memory T cells; lymphocyte differentiation; peripheral immunity	Dr Laura Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
Mackenzie laboratory: Intracellular virus replication and innate immunity	Professor Jason Mackenzie	Microbiology and Immunology
Malaria and Tissue Resident Memory T cells (TRM) in the liver	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
McCluskey laboratory: Role of MAIT cells in health and disease	Professor James McCluskey	Microbiology and Immunology
McConville laboratory: Molecular microbiology	Professor Malcolm McConville	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Mechanisms underlying early generation of human T cell memory	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
Memory T cell responses in the lung during virus infection	Dr Linda Wakim	Microbiology and Immunology
Mintern laboratory: Vaccine biology	Dr Justine Mintern	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Modulation of intestinal inflammation through nerve stimulation	Dr Martin Stebbing	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Mueller laboratory: Adaptive immune responses to infection, lymphoid stromal cells, and imaging the immune system	Associate Professor Scott Mueller	Microbiology and Immunology
Munsie laboratory: Ethical, legal and social implications of stem cell research	Associate Professor Megan Munsie	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Mycobacterium ulcerans	Professor TIm Stinear	Microbiology and Immunology
Nanoparticle HIV vaccines	Professor Stephen Kent	Microbiology and Immunology
Nanoparticle Modulation of Mast Cell Function	Dr Graham Mackay	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Nerve pathways responding to and controlling inflammation in the intestine	Dr Martin Stebbing	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Nervous regulation of T cell migration and anti-viral Immunity	Associate Professor Scott Mueller	Microbiology and Immunology
Newton laboratory: Virulence strategies of intracellular bacterial pathogens	Dr Hayley Newton	Microbiology and Immunology
NK cell receptor biology	Professor Andrew Brooks	Microbiology and Immunology
NKT cells, MAIT cells, CD1-restricted T cells and HIV	Professor Stephen Kent	Microbiology and Immunology
Non-classical MHC and Class 1-like molecules	Professor Andrew Brooks	Microbiology and Immunology
Norovirus replication and innate immunity	Professor Jason Mackenzie	Microbiology and Immunology
Novel Mast Cell-Derived Mediators	Dr Graham Mackay	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Nutrition: The control of gut hormone release by nutrients	Professor John B Furness	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Parker Laboratory: Structural biology and computational drug design	Professor Michael Parker	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Passive antibody immunity for use in combination microbicides	Professor Damian Purcell	Microbiology and Immunology
Pathogenesis of chronic lung disease	Dr Michelle Hansen	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Priming of T cell responses to viral infection	Associate Professor Scott Mueller	Microbiology and Immunology
Purcell laboratory: Viral RNA elements, regulation of HIV replication, HIV antibody vaccine	Professor Damian Purcell	Microbiology and Immunology
Ralph laboratory: Drug targets and gene regulation in Plasmodium falciparum	Dr Stuart Ralph	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Reading laboratory: Innate immune detection and response to respiratory virus infections	Associate Professor Patrick Reading	Microbiology and Immunology
Regulation of Mast Cell Activation	Dr Graham Mackay	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Regulation of telomerase activity in B cells	Dr Asolina Braun	Microbiology and Immunology
Restoring immunocompetency in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia	Professor Fabienne Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
RNA mediated control of HIV-1 gene expression	Professor Damian Purcell	Microbiology and Immunology
Robins-Browne laboratory: Medical bacteriology, pathogenesis, bacterial genetics, therapeutics	Professor Roy Robins-Browne	Microbiology and Immunology
Role of cellular lipids during Flavivirus replication	Professor Jason Mackenzie	Microbiology and Immunology
Role of innate signals in inducing protective T cell immunity	Associate Professor Sammy Bedoui	Microbiology and Immunology
Rotavirus induction and evasion of innate immunity	Associate Professor Barbara Coulson	Microbiology and Immunology
Rotavirus modulation of type 1 diabetes development	Associate Professor Barbara Coulson	Microbiology and Immunology
Rotavirus-cell binding and entry	Associate Professor Barbara Coulson	Microbiology and Immunology
Rouiller laboratory: Understanding how molecular machines function through cryo-electron microscopy	Isabelle	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Salmonella Typhimurium	Professor Dick Strugnell	Microbiology and Immunology
Self-tolerance: Interactions between thymic stroma and dendritic cells	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
Simmons laboratory: Dengue; pathogenesis, epidemiology, therapeutics, entomology	Professor Cam Simmons	Microbiology and Immunology
Soluble barriers to influenza virus infection	Associate Professor Patrick Reading	Microbiology and Immunology
Staphylococcus aureus & Enterococcus faecium	Professor Tim Stinear	Microbiology and Immunology
Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis	Professor Ben Howden	Microbiology and Immunology
Stewart Laboratory: Mechanopharmacology	Professor Alastair Stewart	Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research
Stinear laboratory: Bacterial pathogenomics	Professor Tim Stinear	Microbiology and Immunology
Strugnell laboratory: Bacterial pathogenesis and host responses	Professor Dick Strugnell	Microbiology and Immunology
T cell responses in the brain during experimental cerebral malaria infection	Associate Professor Scott Mueller	Microbiology and Immunology
T cells in peripheral immunity	Professor Francis (Frank) Carbone	Microbiology and Immunology
The Cardiovascular Pharmacology of Snake Venoms From Papua New Guinea and Australia	Associate Professor Christine Wright	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
The innate immune system in the respiratory tract	Professor David Jackson	Microbiology and Immunology
The mechanisms of viral escape in murine and human influenza infection	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
The role of CD4+ T cells in viral infections	Professor Andrew Brooks	Microbiology and Immunology
The Role of CXCR7 in Tissue Fibrosis	Dr Asolina Braun	Microbiology and Immunology
The role of innate immune cells in protection and pathology during influenza virus infection	Associate Professor Patrick Reading	Microbiology and Immunology
The role of resident memory T cells in barrier immunity and autoimmune disease	Dr Laura Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
The Treatment of Papuan Taipan Envenoming in Papua New Guinea	Dr David Williams	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Tilley laboratory: Measuring and modelling malaria parasites to develop new antimalarials	Professor Leann Tilley	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Tissue-resident memory T cells in the skin	Associate Professor Scott Mueller	Microbiology and Immunology
Tracking phenotypically and functionally distinct T cell subsets via T cell repertoire diversity	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
Uncovering the interplay between innate immunity and the blood brain barrier in disorders of the CNS	Professor Christine Wells	Anatomy and Neuroscience
Understanding the interaction between microbiota and T cell immunity	Associate Professor Sammy Bedoui	Microbiology and Immunology
Understanding the regulation of tissue-resident memory T cell development	Dr Laura Mackay	Microbiology and Immunology
Understanding the role of glycine in the control of skeletal muscle mass during sepsis	Dr René Koopman	Physiology
Understanding ‘universal’ influenza-specific CD8+ T cell responses	Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska	Microbiology and Immunology
Using biochemical approaches to investigating the trafficking and mechanism of action of the antiviral molecule, IFITM3	Dr Linda Wakim	Microbiology and Immunology
Vaccination against liver-stage Plasmodium for malaria prevention	Professor William (Bill) Heath	Microbiology and Immunology
van Driel laboratory: Immune responses to pathogens	Professor Ian van Driel	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Velkov laboratory: Antiinfective pharmacology	Associate Professor Tony Velkov	Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Villadangos laboratory: Antigen presenting cells & molecules that initiate T cell immunity against pathogens and cancer	Professor Jose Villadangos	Microbiology and Immunology
Viral interactions with the innate immune system	Associate Professor Patrick Reading	Microbiology and Immunology
Visualization and formation West Nile Virus replication complexes	Professor Jason Mackenzie	Microbiology and Immunology
Wakim laboratory: Antiviral molecules, mucosal immunology, influenza virus, tissue resident memory T cells	Dr Linda Wakim	Microbiology and Immunology
Wells laboratory: Stem cell systems	Professor Christine Wells	Anatomy and Neuroscience
West Nile Virus replication and cellular stress responses	Professor Jason Mackenzie	Microbiology and Immunology
Wolbachia to stop dengue transmission in Vietnam and Indonesia	Professor Cameron Simmons	Microbiology and Immunology