Research Focus
Stem cell transplantation is considered the “gold standard” procedure for the treatment of blood cancers (including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma) in both adults and children. Globally, over 9,000 patients per year undergo this high-risk, life-saving therapy.
However, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs in 50-70% of patients, of which 20% will develop severe GVHD that is untreatable. Unfortunately, additional complications such as infection and cancer relapse are common.
Research conducted by the Transplantation Immunology Laboratory focuses on improving our understanding of the pathophysiology of complications following stem cell transplantation. Using unique pre-clinical models combined with innovative technologies, the group aims to define the immunological mechanisms that underpin these complex disease processes, with the view of translating the basic research findings into clinical practice.
Gallery
Research Projects
Current Research Projects
Harnessing the gut microbiome to improve stem cell transplantation
Understanding infectious respiratory complications after stem cell transplantation
Identifying novel MAIT cell expansion strategies to mitigate graft-versus-host disease
Research Team
Dr Marcela Montes de Oca
Stuart Olver
Sophie Hamann
Ashmitha Muthuramalingam
Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre
- Queensland Health (Metro North Health)
Publications
Collaborations
State
- Dr Seweryn Bialasiewicz, University of Queensland
- Professor Philip Hugenholtz, University of Queensland
- Associate Professor Esteban Marcellin, University of Queensland
- Professor Benjamin Schulz, University of Queensland
- Professor Ranjeny Thomas, University of Queensland/ Translational Research Institute
- Professor Mark Morrison, University of Queensland/ Translational Research Institute
- Associate Professor Glen Kennedy, RBWH
- Dr Ashleigh Scott, RBWH
- Associate Professor Andrea Henden, RBWH
- Dr Krispin Hajkowicz, RBWH
- Professor Andrew Clouston, Envoi Pathology
- Associate Professor Sumaira Hasnain, Mater Research Institute/Translational Research Institute
- Professor Kirsten Spann, Queensland University of Technology
National
- Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti, Monash University
- Dr Iona Schuster, Monash University
- Associate Professor Ashraful Haque, Peter Doherty Institute and University of Melbourne
International
- Professor Geoff Hill, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- Dr Motoko Koyama, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- Professor William Agace, Lund University
Alumni
- Chun You Lim
- Maximillian Lacour
- Yashaswini Janardhanan
- Rachel Kuns
- Meng-Chun Chen
- Harry Ling
- Alika Collinge
- Thijmen Van Weert