Project: Development of a malaria-specific mRNA vaccine
Heath Group
Malaria is a global health problem that causes approximately 400,000 deaths every year, and is in need of an effective vaccine. This project will focus on assessing the efficacy of an mRNA vaccine to generate malaria-specific tissue-resident memory (Trm) cells in the liver. Memory T cell responses to mRNA vaccines encoding various malaria proteins expressed during the liver stage of infection will be measured by flow cytometry, ELIspot and IVIS techniques. The protective capacity of vaccines found to elicit strong Trm cell responses will be assessed by challenging mice with malaria parasites.
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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.