Description
Antibody development in response to infection and vaccination in humans is poorly understood, in part due to the difficult in accessing secondary lymphoid tissues where germinal centre and antibody development occur. Recent advances in organoid germinal centre models using readily available tonsil tissue, now allow for germinal centre and antibody development in human cells to be investigated.
This project will use germinal centre organoid models to investigate human immune development to malaria parasites and malaria vaccines. Comparisons with other pathogens and vaccines (such as Strep A, or SARS-CoV-2) will be investigated. You will learn to apply advanced immunology techniques (for example multiparametric flow cytometry, RNAseq, multiomic analysis, spatial profiling), and analyse data using bioinformatic pipelines, and advanced statistical methods.
Understanding the immune response directly in the tissue where germinal centre development occurs will revolutionise our understanding of immune development in human infection. Findings have the potential to inform future vaccine development to optimise protective response to malaria and other infectious diseases.
Essential criteria:
Minimum entry requirements can be found here: https://www.monash.edu/admissions/entry-requirements/minimum
Keywords
Malaria, immunity, germinal centres, multiomic analysis, infectious disease, human immunity,
Available options
PhD/Doctorate
Masters by research
Honours
BMedSc(Hons)
Time commitment
Full-time
Part-time
Top-up scholarship funding available
Yes
Year 1:
$15000
Year 2:
$15000
Year 3:
$15000
Year 4:
$15000
Physical location
Burnet Institute
Co-supervisors
Dr
Danika Hill