Fields of Research

Animal immunology
Cellular immunology
Veterinary immunology
Tumour immunology
Infectious diseases
Veterinary diagnosis and diagnostics
Medical biotechnology diagnostics (incl. biosensors)
Immunology
Animal cell and molecular biology
Ecology
Veterinary epidemiology
Neurology and neuromuscular diseases
Infectious agents
Crop and pasture protection (incl. pests, diseases and weeds)
Cell development, proliferation and death
Food safety, traceability, certification and authenticity
Applied immunology (incl. antibody engineering, xenotransplantation and t-cell therapies)
Rural clinical health
Genetics
Biological oceanography
Cardiology (incl. cardiovascular diseases)
Cancer genetics
Host-parasite interactions
Oceanography
Biological control
Conservation and biodiversity
Public health
Humoural immunology and immunochemistry
Transplantation immunology
Health psychology
Innate immunity
Behavioural ecology
Cancer therapy (excl. chemotherapy and radiation therapy)
Genomics
Wildlife and habitat management

Research Objectives

Clinical health
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Terrestrial biodiversity
Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences
Veterinary diagnostics
Expanding knowledge in the health sciences
Veterinary biological preventatives
Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences
Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in terrestrial environments
Diagnosis of human diseases and conditions
Treatment of human diseases and conditions
Efficacy of medications
Disease distribution and transmission (incl. surveillance and response)
Health status (incl. wellbeing)
Sugar
Food safety
Other health
Public health (excl. specific population health)
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
Fisheries - aquaculture
Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in marine environments

Career Best Publications

A novel system to map protein interactions reveals evolutionarily conserved immune evasion pathways on transmissible cancers; Science Advances
An oral bait vaccination approach for the Tasmanian devil facial tumor diseases; Expert Review of Vaccines
NLRC5 regulates expression of MHC-I and provides a target for anti-tumor immunity in 3 transmissible cancers; Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
PD-L1 is not constitutively expressed on Tasmanian devil facial tumor cells but is strongly upregulated in response to IFN-γ and can be expressed in the tumor microenvironment; Frontiers in Immunology
Rewilding immunology; Science
Socioecological predictors of immune defences in wild spotted hyenas; Functional Ecology
Two of a kind: transmissible Schwann cell cancers in the endangered Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii); Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences

Research Publications

A human adenovirus encoding IFN-γ can transduce Tasmanian devil facial tumour cells and upregulate MHC-I; Journal of General Virology
A novel system to map protein interactions reveals evolutionarily conserved immune evasion pathways on transmissible cancers; Science Advances
An oral bait vaccination approach for the Tasmanian devil facial tumor diseases; Expert Review of Vaccines
Applied ecoimmunology: using immunological tools to improve conservation efforts in a changing world; Conservation Physiology
B7-H1 is a ubiquitous antiapoptotic receptor on cancer cells; Blood
B7-H3 enhances tumor immunity in vivo by costimulating rapid clonal expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ cytolytic T cells; Journal of Immunology
B7-H3 promotes pathogenesis of autoimmune disease and inflammation by regulating the activity of different T cell subsets; PLoS One
B7-H4–deficient mice display augmented neutrophil-mediated innate immunity; Blood
CD137 stimulation delivers an antigen-independent growth signal for T lymphocytes with memory phenotype; Blood
Characterization of Toll-like receptors 1-10 in spotted hyenas; Veterinary Research Communications: An International Journal Publishing Topical Reviews and Research Articles on All Aspects of The Veterinary Sciences
Class II transactivator induces expression of MHC-I and MHC-II in transmissible Tasmanian devil facial tumours; Open biology
Class II transactivator induces expression of MHC-I and MHC-II in transmissible Tasmanian devil facial tumours; Open Biology
Comparative analysis of immune checkpoint molecules and their potential role in the transmissible Tasmanian Devil facial tumor disease; Frontiers in Immunology
Curse of the devil: molecular insights into the emergence of transmissible cancers in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii); Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
Cytokines: Signalling improved immunotherapy?; Current Oncology Reports
Deadly disease can 'hide' from a Tasmanian devil's immune system
Development of a hyena immunology toolbox; Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology: An International Journal of Comparative Immunology
Editorial: Wild Immunology - The answers are out there; Frontiers in Immunology
Essential role of TNF family molecule LIGHT as a cytokine in the pathogenesis of hepatitis; Journal of Clinical Investigation
Evaluation of oral baits and distribution methods for Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii); Wildlife Research
Extreme competence: keystone hosts of infections; Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Generation and Testing of Fluorescent Adaptable Simple Theranostic (FAST) Proteins; Bio-protocol
Inducible IFN-γ expression for MHC-I upregulation in devil facial tumor cells; Frontiers in Immunology
Interaction between B7-H1 and PD-1 determines initiation and reversal of T-cell anergy; Blood
Markedly elevated antibody responses in wild versus captive spotted hyenas show that environmental and ecological factors are important modulators of immunity; PLoS One
Mosquito communities with trap height and urban-rural gradient in Adelaide, South Australia: implications for disease vector surveillance; Journal of Vector Ecology
NLRC5 regulates expression of MHC-I and provides a target for anti-tumor immunity in 3 transmissible cancers; Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
Papillomavirus-associated Cutaneous Papillomas in a Population of Wild Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta); Journal of Wildlife Diseases
PD-L1 is not constitutively expressed on Tasmanian devil facial tumor cells but is strongly upregulated in response to IFN-γ and can be expressed in the tumor microenvironment; Frontiers in Immunology
Post-release immune responses of Tasmanian devils vaccinated with an experimental devil facial tumour disease vaccine; Wildlife Research
Regional comparison of mosquito bloodmeals in South Australia: implications for Ross River virus ecology; Journal of Medical Entomology
Rewilding immunology; Science
Role of PD-1 and its ligand, B7-H1, in early fate decisions of CD8 T cells; Blood
RTA in a COVID-19 Environment
Saving the Devils is in the details: Tasmanian Devil facial tumor disease can be eliminated with interventions; Letters in Biomathematics
Selective targeting of the LIGHT-HVEM costimulatory system for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease; Blood
Socioecological predictors of immune defences in wild spotted hyenas; Functional Ecology
Spotted hyenas rarely die from disease: we set out to discover why
Tasmanian devil CD28 and CTLA4 capture CD80 and CD86 from adjacent cells; Developmental and Comparative Immunology
Thousands of Tasmanian devils are dying from cancer-but a new vaccine approach could help us save them
Two decades of the impact of Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD); Integrative and Comparative Biology
Two of a kind: transmissible Schwann cell cancers in the endangered Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii); Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
We developed tools to study cancer in Tasmanian devils. They could help fight disease in humans

Research Projects

A live-attenuated vaccine (DFT-Off) to promote long-term anti-DFTD immunity; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Acquisition of a VS200 Research Slide Scanner for the College of Health and Medicine; Ian Potter Foundation (IPF)
Bait Expectations; CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Cancer Shapeshifters Deciphering the contribution of tumour plasticity to DFT vaccine failure and tumour emergence; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
CRISPR screen to identify key genes driving DFTD; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Development of a devil facial tumour bait-vaccine for landscape-level distribution; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Development of a devil facial tumour disease vaccine; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Development of a field diagnostic test for DFT1/2; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Evaluation of the role natural killer (NK) cells in protection against DFTD; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Identification of devil facial tumour-associated antigens for vaccine development; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Identification of host-tumour interactions driving immune evasion and survival of devil facial tumor disease; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Immunisation to protect against transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Improving the DFTD vaccine by targeting key immune signalling molecules; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Investigation into an overlooked pathway towards anti-cancer immunity. Inhibitory motifs in the extracellular domains of immune checkpoint molecules; University of Tasmania Foundation Inc (UTF)
Investigation of cancer immunotherapy for the Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease; Morris Animal Foundation (MANF)
ON Prime Lite - Wild Immunology Network; CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Rapid antibody development for improved cancer immunotherapy diagnostics; Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation (RHHRF)
Select Foundation Senior Research Fellowship - Immunology; The Select Foundation (SelF)
Tipping the Balance from Tolerance to Immunity for the Devil Facial Tumour; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Advice to the AAD (PMU) re RTA in a COVID19 Environment
Cancer Research to Help Tasmanian Devils
GreyScan TVD Extension
ICG - GREYSCAN PTY LTD
Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal - Tasmanian Devil Vaccine research
Translating human cancer immunotherapy techniques for use in pets and Tasmanian devils

Research Candidate Supervision