Project: Dissecting the protective contributions of antibody Fc effector functions against infection and disease progression
Kent group
Antibodies, by virtue of the Fc domain, can mediate several protective immune responses by engaging Fc receptors on innate immune cells (e.g. natural killer cells, macrophages). These include antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC; killing of infected cells) and antibody-dependent phagocytosis (ADP; engulfment of virions). While neutralising antibodies can provide sterilising immunity against infection acquisition, they only comprise a small proportion of the antiviral antibody response. It is therefore critical to understand the contribution of non-neutralising antibodies and antibody Fc effector functions to protection against infection and disease progression.
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Kent group
2 vacancies
Dr Marios Koutsakos and the Juno, Wheatley and Kent groups have an interest in understanding how the immune response can be harnessed in the control of infectious pathogens including SARS-CoV2, HIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and influenza. This includes understanding B cell responses, T-follicular helper cell responses and non-conventional T cell responses and how they are impacted by infection and vaccination.
Kent group Current Projects
Research degrees at the Doherty Institute are administered by the University of Melbourne.