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Research Groups
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Kedzierska Group
Professor Katherine Kedzierska’s team researches immunity to viral infections, especially the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. Her work spans basic research from mouse experiments to human immunity through to clinical settings, with particular focus on understanding universal CD8+ T cell immunity to respiratory viruses. Her studies aim to identify key correlates of severe and fatal respiratory disease in high-risk groups including children, the elderly, Australian First Nations people, pregnant women and patients with co-morbidities.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology, Influenza
Current Projects
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Defining immune responses to emerging and re-emerging viral infections
Respiratory viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are constant threats to global health. Drawing on their pioneering studies, cutting-edge technologies and powerful clinical cohorts, Katherine’s group has been at the forefront of global research to provide urgently needed knowledge on immune responses underlying recovery or susceptibility to severe/fatal disease from respiratory viruses, with a focus on protective killer T cells. Katherine’s group was the first in the world to publish on immune responses preceding recovery from COVID-19. Their findings provided the immunological blueprint to the global research community on immune responses in COVID-19. Their data and assays were utilised by researchers worldwide (1183 citations) and these in-depth immunological protocols developed for COVID-19 were used to evaluate COVID-19 vaccines, including the University of Queensland and Doherty Institute vaccine candidates, and COVID-19 vaccines in high-risk groups, including First Nations people, patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. The Kedzierska Lab’s pioneering COVID-19 work was based on a decade of research on immunity to emerging and re-emerging viral infections, together with well-established ‘ready to go’ protocols for understanding immunity to newly-emerging potentially pandemic viruses, with a rapid access to diverse patient cohorts.
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To identify correlates of severe and fatal respiratory virus disease in high-risk groups
Enhanced susceptibility and exacerbated disease severity to respiratory viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 can reflect over-activation of the innate immune system, impaired humoral and cellular immunity, and can be influenced by host genetic factors (HLA or IFITM3). Understanding the immune perturbations that lead to severe disease in high-risk groups will provide insight into how immune interventions might minimise the incidence of severe disease. Katherine’s group studies the contributions of virological, immunological, clinical, molecular and host factors to susceptibility, clinical severity and outcome for different high-risk groups: (i) young children and the elderly (with Professor Katie Flanagan from Launceston General Hospital and Dr Jane Crowe from Deepdene Surgery); (ii) Australian First Nations people (with Professor Jane Davies from Menzies and Professor Adrian Miller from Central Queensland University); (iii) pregnant women (with Susan Walker from the Mercy Hospital/UoM); and (iv) high-risk groups hospitalised through FluCAN (with Professor Allen Cheng and Associate Professor Tom Kotsimbos from the Alfred Hospital) and Shanghai Public Clinical Hospital at Fudan University in China (with Professor Xu). As part of their multidisciplinary approach, the Kedzierska Lab uses murine models to further define mechanisms and biomarkers underpinning severe and fatal disease from viral infections. Furthermore, their work also examines the efficacy of virus-specific immune responses to vaccination in high-risk groups, including Australian First Nations people and patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases (with Professor Benjamin Teh from The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre). These finding provide key information for vaccine development and delivery to protect these high-risk groups.
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To define ‘universal’ influenza-specific CD8+ T-cell responses across different human leukocyte antigens (HLAs)
Although CD8+ T cells confer broadly cross-reactive or ‘universal’ immunity to distinct influenza viruses and can limit influenza-induced mortality, the overall efficacy of human influenza A virus-specific CD8+ T cells directed at any conserved and/or variable epitopes remains unclear. Here, Katherine’s group aims to (i) understand influenza-specific CD8+ T cell immunity across different HLAs; (ii) determine the efficacy of immunodominant CD8+ T cell responses in humans; (iii) evaluate the conservation of immunogenic epitopes in birds, pigs and humans through analysis of viral evolutionary history; and (iv) understand immunity to clinically important but understudied influenza B viruses. This work has key implications for the design of universal broadly protective influenza vaccines not requiring annual reformulation. As the Kedzierska Lab have shown that current inactivated influenza vaccines do not induce CD8+ T cell immunity, their research also focuses on how to elicit protective CD8+ T cell immunity by vaccination.
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The impact of co-infection on immune responses to influenza
Infectious diseases are often studied in isolation, by measuring parameters in an individual with a known infection or in an experimentally infected animal. However, the reality is that people can have more than one infection, perhaps in sequence or concurrently, and that each may affect the other, often having a negative effect on human health. The Kedzierska Lab is interested in understanding how co-infection of influenza with other viruses can affect disease outcome. Arboviruses (vector-borne RNA viruses transmitted by arthropods such as ticks or mosquitos), have been responsible for epidemics with a high burden of neurological disease (e.g. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), West Nile, tickborne, encephalitis and Zika viruses). Considering that many neurotropic arboviral infections are asymptomatic, but the virus appears to persist in the brain for the life of the host, there remain many key questions about the effect that these virus infections have on the development of the immune response to a second virus infection and the potential to exacerbate disease severity. Work in the Kedzierska Lab dissects the immunological, virological and immunopathological changes that occur during co-infection with two viral pathogens.
Lab Team
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Laboratory Head
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Senior Research Fellow
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Senior Research Fellow
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Senior Research Fellow
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Senior Research Fellow
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Senior Research Fellow
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Research Fellow
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Research Officer
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Lily AllenResearch Assistant
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Jennifer HabelPhD Candidate
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Wuji ZhangPhD Candidate
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Isabelle FooPhD Candidate
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Howard HuangPhD Candidate
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Deborah GebregzabherHonours Student
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Dr Ryan ThwaitesVisiting Researcher from Imperial College London
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PhD Candidate
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Chung group
The Chung group is interested in understanding the biophysical and functional properties of antibodies that are associated with protection against a range of infectious diseases, which will provide important insights to improve antibody-based vaccines and therapies.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology
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Electron Microscopy and Structural Virology Laboratory
The Electron Microscopy and Structural Virology Laboratory (EMSV) is engaged in the development and integration of advanced imaging and 3-dimensional reconstruction methods for the diagnosis, reference and research of infectious diseases.
Other work areas include:Public Health
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Fazakerley Group
The Fazakerley lab main interest is in the pathogenesis of infections with RNA viruses, in particular arboviruses and virus infections of the central nervous system. Our main focus is to understand arbovirus encephalitis and arbovirus persistence in mammalian systems and the response to these viruses of arthropod cells and mosquitoes.
Other work areas include:Bacterial and Parasitic Infections, Emerging Infections
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Kallies Group
The Kallies laboratory studies the molecular control of T-cell differentiation and function in the context of chronic disease, including infection and cancer.
Other work areas include:Immunology
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Lewin Group
The focus of the Lewin group is to understand why HIV infection persists on antiretroviral therapy and to develop new strategies to eliminate latency. The lab also researches factors that drive liver disease in HIV-hepatitis B virus co-infection. The lab is also actively involved in COVID in relation to pathogenesis, the use of primary tissue models, and developing therapeutics using gene editing strategies.
Other work areas include:Immunology
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McVernon Group
Jodie McVernon’s group uses established and emerging biostatistical, epidemiologic and modelling methods to address infectious diseases questions of public health relevance. We bring a suite of collaborators from animal health and ecology to provide a ‘One Health’ perspective on emerging human pathogens.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Antimicrobial Resistance, Public Health
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Purcell Lab
Professor Damian Purcell’s research group investigates the HIV-1 and HTLV-1 human retroviruses that cause AIDS and leukaemia/inflammatory pathogenesis respectively. The lab studies their genetic structure and gene expression with a focus on defining the mechanisms that control viral persistence and pathogenesis. The molecular interplay of viral and host factors during viral infection and the innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection are examined. These molecular insights are used to develop new antiviral and curative therapeutics, preventive prophylactic vaccines and passive antibody microbicides and therapeutics. Some of these patented discoveries have been commercialised and we are assisting with clinical trials.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology, Bacterial and Parasitic Infections, HIV
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Reading Group
Patrick’s group investigates how the body first detects and responds to respiratory viruses. They investigate viral attachment factors, cellular receptors and entry pathways, virus-induced activation of host genes and the mechanisms by which intracellular host proteins can block virus replication.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology, Influenza
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Sullivan Group
Sheena’s epidemiology group at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza undertakes research into understanding influenza vaccine effectiveness and the validity of the methods used to estimate it. The group also provides technical assistance to partners in the Western Pacific Region of the WHO.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology, Influenza
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Tong Group
Steve’s group conducts clinical trials to optimise the treatment of infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other bacterial pathogens. He also investigates the epidemiology and genomics of streptococcal infections, hepatitis B, influenza, and antimicrobial resistance in Australian Indigenous communities.
Other work areas include:Staphylococcus aureus, Immunology, Antimicrobial Resistance, Bacterial and Parasitic Infections, Public Health
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Torresi Group
Joe’s group is focused on hepatitis virology including work on hepatitis C vaccines and neutralising antibody responses and hepatitis B and C pathogenesis. In addition, his group conducts clinical research in travel medicine including dengue and other arboviral infections.
Other work areas include:COVID-19
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Vaccine Research Group
Based at the Doherty Institute, the Vaccine Research Group works in partnership with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI, Infection and Immunity Theme). Our research enables us to advise policy makers on the optimal use of vaccines in national immunisation schedules, in pandemic influenza preparedness and response, and in vaccine safety. Our work provides practical bridges (translation) between theory and the real-world delivery of vaccine programs.
Now recruiting volunteers
- Get prepared for winter: volunteer to receive a new type of covid vaccine
Healthy adult volunteers needed to participate in a study using Australia’s first self-amplifying mRNA covid vaccinations.
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Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology
- Get prepared for winter: volunteer to receive a new type of covid vaccine
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Valkenburg Lab
The Valkenburg laboratory investigates viral immunity to emerging viruses with pandemic potential: influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2. Our work spans randomised control vaccine trials, observational studies of infected patients and animal models to decipher immune correlates to drive novel translational outcomes for specific diagnostics, targeted therapeutics and next generation vaccines for public health impact.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Immunology, Public Health, Influenza
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Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory (VIDRL)
The Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) is a leading Australian infectious diseases reference laboratory at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (the Doherty). VIDRL provides laboratory services for the Department of Health Victoria, Victorian hospitals and clinics, the Commonwealth Department of Health, and the World Health Organisation.
Other work areas include:COVID-19, Public Health
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Vincan Group
Elizabeth’s group investigates novel ways to block cancer growth with a focus on the gastrointestinal tract – stomach, bowel and liver. A cell-cell communication pathway called Wnt is hyperactive in these cancers. Their research shows inhibiting Wnt has potent anti-cancer effects.
Other work areas include:Bacterial and Parasitic Infections, Emerging Infections
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