Project: Determining the effector pathways used by memory T cell subsets to clear malaria parasites from the liver
Heath Group
Destruction of malaria parasites in the liver requires large numbers of malaria-specific memory CD8+ T cells. These cells are equipped with an arsenal of cytolytic (e.g. perforin and granzyme) and non-cytolytic (e.g. IFN-g and TNF) tools to kill infected hepatocytes, but it is not known how this process occurs. The contribution of these pathways in protection from liver stage malaria will be assessed using knockout mice deficient in one or more of these pathways.
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Heath Group
3 vacancies
The Heath group is interested in the immune response to pathogens, particularly to malaria, which is still a major cause of mortality worldwide. We study T cell responses with the aim of improving vaccine strategies and focus on T cell responses in the skin, the liver and lymphoid organs including the spleen. Our lab recently discovered a population of resident memory T cells within the liver that are capable of protecting against malaria infection. These and other cells are currently being studied.
Heath Group Current Projects
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Discovery of malaria vaccine peptide targets
Honours
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Gamma delta T cells, crucial for malaria immunity
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Type 2 CD4 responses form better memory
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Development of a malaria-specific mRNA vaccine
Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Investigating the role of memory T cell subsets in protection from malaria
Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Determining the effector pathways used by memory T cell subsets to clear malaria parasites from the liver
Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
Research degrees at the Doherty Institute are administered by the University of Melbourne.