Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
Darren Pickering
- Senior Research Officer
- darren.pickering@jcu.edu.au
Stephan Karl
- Principal Research Fellow, Malaria and Vector Biology
- stephan.karl@jcu.edu.au
Melanie Koinari
- Research Officer
- melanie.koinari@jcu.edu.au
Denise Doolan
- Adjunct Professor
- denise.doolan@jcu.edu.au
Collaboration on TB vaccines with RMIT
This project is a collaboration with Dr. Sampa Sarkar, a Research Fellow at RMIT University. She has developed a lipid-based delivery system that enhances the stability and targeted pulmonary delivery of subunit vaccine candidates. These lipid particles demonstrate excellent aerosol stability and have shown encouraging results in preclinical studies of tuberculosis. Access to TB animal models remains a significant limitation in progressing this research within Australia.
This collaboration will test their vaccine candidate in our established in vivo TB model at JCU.
Decoding immune heterogeneity in Tuberculosis: Insights from a unique pediatric cohort from Northern Queensland
Harindra Sathkumara Mudiyanselage - Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
31 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2026
The ARC is seeking to award research grants of approximately $20,000 per grant in 2025/2026. Grants will be awarded for researchers and scholars undertaking research activities in basic science, clinical and public health research relating to the following themes: (i) infectious lung diseases due to M. tuberculosis or other respiratory pathogens, or (ii) chronic respiratory diseases related to environmental factors such as tobacco or bushfire smoke exposure.
We are applying for this opportunity to obtain $20k in extra funds to perform additional proteomic and metabolomic analyses on samples collected from our human BCG vaccination cohort.
Curing arthritis using novel compounds from jellyfish venom (Old ID 27568)
This research aims to determine if a specific fraction of the venom from the box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri, relieves the symptoms in induced rheumatoid arthritic mice by either i) decreasing the severity of the damage in joints of mice, i.e. curing the disease or ii) decreases the pain associated with the disease but does not decrease the underlying disease.
Tuberculosis modelling in the Asia-Pacific region (Old ID 22325)
This project aims to model disease transmission dynamics by quantifying key epidemiological drivers of TB transmission in the Asia Pacific region. It will take into account geospatial characteristics of the region and population vulnerabilities to tuberculosis. These include factors that lead to reactivation of TB: smoking, diabetes, HIV, malnutrition and factors that lead to transmission; household crowding, population density and late presentation to health services. This project has potential sites of data in the region including through work with JCU researchers in collaboration with PNG IMR in sites across Papua New Guinea and in other Pacific Nations.
Establishing a rodent model of rheumatic heart disease to evaluate hookworm-derived frontline proteins NaAIP1 and AcFAR2 as therapeutic candidates
This project aims to establish a robust rodent model of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) to investigate pathological cardiac inflammation and provide a platform for therapeutic evaluation. Using this model, we will assess the efficacy and mechanisms of hookworm-derived immunomodulatory proteins as novel therapeutic candidates for RHD.
Building Capacity for Evidence Based Sustainable Vector Surveillance and Control in the Pacific. (Old ID 26524)
This proposal will build the capacity of country-led programs for Aedes and anopheline borne disease control across Pacific Island countries to implement sustainable best practice surveillance and response plans based on a foundation of improved capacity and community engagement.
Autumn Technical Support to Enhance Allocative Efficiency of Country Tuberculosis Program (Old ID 22410)
Over late 2015 and all of 2016, develop transmission dynamic models of Tuberculosis and explore cost and impact of different program strategies. Apply to 3 Countries.
Development of a T cell malaria vaccine (Old ID 28983)
This application seeks to enhance the preclinical package to translate novel Plasmodium falciparum T cell reactive antigens discovered from rational genome-based screening towards clinical testing, to deliver a multi-antigen T-cell based vaccine for malaria ready for clinical trials.
PNG National Malaria Control Program Long-lasting Insecticidal Net Quality Assurance Support (Old ID 28980)
The project will provide long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) quality assurance (QA) support to the PNG National Malaria Control Program.
Discovery of novel biomarkers for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection related cancers - HL and NK/T lymphomas (Old ID 26515)
There is a large body of evidence indicating that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) actively contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple tumours. We hypothesize that the antibody response to EBV is altered in infection-related cancers. We are comprehensively assessing the antibody response to EBV in individuals with and without cancer (cases and controls) using our proprietary EBV proteome array, to identify an antibody signature which predicts cancer risk. The ultimate goal is an immunodiagnostic test to identify individuals in the general population who are at high risk of developing infection-related cancers. Extending previous studies, we will probe defined samples from Hodgkin Lymphoma and NK/T cell study provided by colleageus at NIH/NCI to define IgA and IgG antibody repertoires.
Prior immunity helps to explain wave-like behaviour of pandemic influenza in 1918-9
- 2010
- BioMed Central Ltd
- Researchers:Emma McBryde
Influenza: accounting for prior immunity
- 2009
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Researchers:Emma McBryde
Title:
Small fish, small pond: The reality of biomedical early career research in regional Australia
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