Meet Our Talent
Meet Sarah Londrigan
A/Prof Sarah Londrigan completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD research at the University of Melbourne in 2002, where she identified novel cell surface receptors for rotavirus entry during infection of host cells. Her postdoctoral research from 2002 to 2008 at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) involved creating immuno-modulatory adenoviruses that generated local immunosuppression during islet transplantation to treat Type I diabetes.
Since then, Sarah's research has focused on pathways that influenza, and other respiratory viruses, use to infect host cells. Specifically, she is investigating how airway immune cells control viral replication to prevent severe infection. Her current projects include investigating why particular respiratory viruses are highly pathogenic, leading to very severe disease.
After re-joining the Department in 2008, teaming up with Professors Andrew Brooks and Patrick Reading, I have expanded my research interests in virus-host interactions, focusing on influenza virus. My group’s research program is working to understand the role of innate immunity in controlling influenza and other respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2. In particular, we study macrophages and their ability to restrict virus infection.
Sarah also coordinates two Masters of Biomedical Science coursework subjects (1) Frontier Technologies is a showcase of cutting-edge technologies delivered by experts at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection & Immunity and (2) Containment or Chaos a practical subject that helps students to understand all of the regulatory requirements and safety processes that underpin research using pathogenic micro-organsims.