Molecular Immunopathology Unit
Research in this laboratory is also related to Nervous system, senses & movement.
Head of laboratory:
Senior researchers:
Research students are Jenny Miu, Silvia Weiser, Leia Hee, James McQuillan, Erin Nelson and Melanie Wilson.
This unit is located in new, high quality laboratory facilities in the Medical Foundation Building, the centre of genomics research on the central campus of the University of Sydney.
Malaria is a major world health concern, with several hundred million cases of the disease occurring each year, resulting in around two million deaths, many of them being children and pregnant women in Africa. Research conducted in this unit is concerned with identifying the mechanisms through which the malaria parasite causes illness in its host. Much of this work is concerned with determining the role of the host immune response in the development of complications associated with infection. There is particular interest in the expression and roles of cytokines and chemokines, as these coordinate and control aspects of inflammation and the immune response that appear to be involved in the immunopathology of malaria. We are particularly involved in studying the brain and lung complications of malaria.
Another research theme of particular interest is the biochemistry of severe malaria, including glucose metabolism and the role of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism. Some of this work is done with experimental models, some with cultured cell systems and some with material obtained post-mortem from victims of malaria. This unit is interested in gene expression and have cutting edge equipment to carry out such investigations.
This unit collaborates with several other laboratories, including those of Georges Grau, Tailoi Chan-Ling, Roland Stocker, David Cook and Warwick Britton at the University of Sydney; Caroline Rae and Brett Garner at University of New South Wales; Gareth Turner and Isabelle Medana in Oxford; Laurent Renia in Paris; Jacob Golenser in Jerusalem; Terrie Taylor in Malawi. Furthermore, this unit recently commenced a project on bacterial meningitis, in collaboration with Stephan Christen in Berne.
The work conducted by this unit is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Australian Research Council, the Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund and the Rebecca L Cooper Foundation.
