Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
Brian Cooke
- Adjunct Professor
- brian.cooke@jcu.edu.au
Amanda Murphy
- Senior Research Fellow
- amanda.murphy@jcu.edu.au
Tessa Knox
- Principal Research Fellow
- tessa.knox@jcu.edu.au
Justin Sexton
- Adjunct Research Fellow
- justin.sexton1@jcu.edu.au
Adeshina Adekunle
- Adjunct Research Fellow
- adeshina.adekunle@jcu.edu.au
Brogan Amos
- Adjunct Research Fellow
- brogan.amos@jcu.edu.au
Rachael Ryan
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- rachael.ryan1@jcu.edu.au
Emma McBryde
- Adjunct Professor
- emma.mcbryde@jcu.edu.au
Juergen Reichardt
- Adjunct Professor
- juergen.reichardt@jcu.edu.au
Tanya Russell
- Principal Research Fellow
- tanya.russell@my.jcu.edu.au
Understanding immunogenicity, safety, and protective efficacy of next-generation vaccines for tuberculosis.
Andreas Kupz
01 Jun 2025 - 01 Jul 2026
Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, causing 1.5 million deaths annually. TB is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is transmitted via aerosols from infectious individuals. The rise of multidrug-resistant TB, highlights the worldwide urgent need for effective vaccines to control this disease. Currently, the only licensed TB vaccine for human use, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), provides limited protection, particularly in adults. This project focuses on improving next-generation TB vaccines by addressing key safety concerns, providing a foundation to evaluate their safety, immunogenicity and efficacy and laying the groundwork for their potential use in clinical settings.
Understanding immunogenicity, safety, and protective efficacy of next-generation vaccines for tuberculosis.
Andreas Kupz
01 Jun 2025 - 01 Jul 2026
Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, causing 1.5 million deaths annually. TB is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is transmitted via aerosols from infectious individuals. The rise of multidrug-resistant TB, highlights the worldwide urgent need for effective vaccines to control this disease. Currently, the only licensed TB vaccine for human use, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), provides limited protection, particularly in adults. This project focuses on improving next-generation TB vaccines by addressing key safety concerns, providing a foundation to evaluate their safety, immunogenicity and efficacy and laying the groundwork for their potential use in clinical settings.
Optimization of a multi-epitope self-assembling and self-adjuvanting TB nanoparticle vaccine
Andreas Kupz
01 Jun 2025 - 31 May 2026
We have developed a self-assembling and self-adjuvanting peptide-based nanovaccine that significantly improves the immunity and efficacy of BCG in a mouse model of TB when used as a booster vaccine. This peptide-based nanovaccine platform has multiple benefits, is cold-chain and adjuvant independent and offers great translational potential. In this project we aim to further develop the vaccine by increasing its immunogenicity and protective efficacy through the incorporation of additional epitopes and host binding peptides. This study could improve future front-line management of TB in Far North Queensland and beyond, with the ultimate goal to benefit human health globally.
Long-acting antimalarials for malaria chemovaccination NHMRC Ideas Grant - GNT2036883
Andreas Kupz
01 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2028
Associate Investigator
Hookworm peptide therapeutic for oral treatment of IBD (Old ID 26317)
Alex Loukas
01 Jan 2020 - 30 Jun 2022
We intend to develop an orally delivered peptide that can modulate the immune system and be developed as a therapeutic for inflammatory bowel disease. We have identified a peptide, derived from a hookworm protein, that alleviates the clinical symptoms of experimental colitis when orally administered to mice. The peptide has bioactivity with human cells ex vivo and displays desirable drug-like properties. The aim of this project is to acquire further data on the mechanism of action and formulation conditions to facilitate formal product development prior to licensing and clinical trials.
A rationally designed vaccine for tuberculosis (Old ID 26852)
Andreas Kupz
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2025
Tuberculosis kills more people than any other infectious disease, and approximately one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Reactivation of latent tuberculosis is associated with immunosuppressive conditions, most notably AIDS and type 2 diabetes. This project aims to investigate correlates of protection against tuberculosis in these immunosuppressive conditions by using innovative mouse models and human samples and to develop a new TB vaccine.
Supporting Participatory Evidence generation to Control Transmissible diseases in our Region Using Modelling (SPECTRUM) (Old ID 26936)
Emma McBryde
01 Jan 2019 - 31 Dec 2024
SPECTRUM is a centre for research excellence in decision science and includes chief investigators from the University of Melbourne, Australian National University and University of Adelaide. It focusses on data synthesis for policy decision making, particularly in relation to pandemic planning, emerging infectious diseases and other infectious dieases threats.
Novel therapeutics for diabetes sourced from Northern Australian biota. (Old ID 27321)
Alex Loukas
01 Jul 2021 - 30 Jun 2022
The aim of this project is to develop lead diabetes drug candidates from hookworm saliva and build a package for multinational commercial investment. The project aims to deliver the following outcomes: 1. Screen a synthetic hookworm library (consisting of hundreds of hookworm proteins) for anti-inflammatory activity and express lead candidates using pharmaceutical industry standard techniques. 2. Assess efficacy of leads in mouse models of diet-induced T2D. 3. Understand the mechanism of lead drug action and prioritize candidates for progression into clinical development. 4. Set the scene for a burgeoning biotech industry in Northern Australia that is differentiated from those in the south, and indeed globally, by capitalizing on the unique biodiversity of the region and the therapeutic opportunities it presents.
Advancing Immune Discovery in Northern Australia with Spectral Flow Cytometry
Andreas Kupz
01 Nov 2025 - 01 May 2027
JCU respectfully seeks support from the Ian Potter Foundation to purchase the Cytek Aurora Spectral Flow Cytometer. This instrument is used for identifying, and conducting detailed analyses of single cells. The Cytek Aurora will replace JCU’s current, outdated flow cytometry instrument in Cairns: the FACSCanto II 3-laser eight-colour Flow Cytometer. This equipment is 15 years old and no longer meets JCU’s needs.
Combating antibiotic-resistant infections using a health system approach (Old ID 23169)
Emma McBryde
03 Jul 2017 - 02 Jul 2020
The march of antibiotic resistance across the globe is leading to what many are calling the “post-antibiotic era”. This puts a massive, preventable burden both on patients and Queensland’s health system, costing millions of dollars each year. North Queensland is geographically vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases, located at the tropical Indo- Pacific gateway, with the highest rates of resistant tuberculosis, and incursions of dengue virus, for example. This project will generate an evidence base for cost and risks of infectious diseases in North Queensland; by linking several health system datasets, to synthesise prospective and retrospective cohorts. Professorial and Infectious Diseases Units at TTH are co-investigators of the project investing personnel to perform the research. Further, TTH infection control and executive policy-makers are the target end-user for translation of the research.
Phylodynamic Inference of Bacterial Outbreak Parameters Using Nanopore Sequencing
- 2022
- Oxford University Press
- Researchers:Emma McBrydePaul Horwood
Zoonotic malaria transmission and land use change in Southeast Asia: what is known about the vectors
- 2022
- BioMed Central
- Researchers:Tanya RussellTom Burkot
Inducing metamorphosis in the irukandji jellyfish Carukia barnesi
- 2022
- Nature Publishing Group
- Researchers:Jamie Seymour
Title:
New Investigator Award at the 41st Australasian Society for Immunology International Conference
Start Date:
01 Jan 2011
Start Date:
01 Jan 2010
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01 Jan 2010
Title:
First Poster Prize at Victorian Infection and Immunity Network Postgraduate Student Symposium
Start Date:
01 Jan 2009
Start Date:
01 Jan 2009
Start Date:
01 Jan 2009
Start Date:
01 Jan 2008
Start Date:
01 Jan 2009
End Date:
01 Jan 2010
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Title:
National Science Week
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2024