Tuberculosis | Current projects
The interaction between the host and pathogen genetics in susceptibility to tuberculosis
To develop effective therapies for tuberculosis (TB) it is crucial to fully understand disease pathogenesis and why only some individuals are susceptible to disease. We hypothesize that both human and pathogen genetic variation contributes to the outcome of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). We are using an integrative genomics approach, incorporating human GWAS and genomic pathogen sequencing, to analyse human genotypes in relation to the infecting M.tb genotype. Our work will provide insights into TB pathogenesis and a new approach to studying infectious disease genomics. Identifying novel aspects of host and pathogen biology that are associated with TB will open new opportunities in basic and translational research, vaccines and drug development.
Principal Investigator
Dr Sarah Dunstan
+61 3 9035 4870
sarah.dunstan@unimelb.edu.au