Description
Despite initial fears, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemics impact in sub-Sahara Africa has been less serious than anticipated. Possible reasons for this relative protection from SARS-CoV-2 include prior or current malaria infection, or other host factors like worm co-infection.
This project will used human clinical samples collected from an NIH funded observational study to investigate immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in Malawians. T and B cell responses during and following infection and vaccination will be assessed in a large cohort of individuals. Responses will be compared to Australian adults, and the impact of host co-infections assess. You will learn to apply advanced immunology techniques (for example multiparametric flow cytometry, RNAseq, multiomic analysis), and analyse data using bioinformatic pipelines, and advanced statistical methods.
Understanding immune development to SARS-CoV-2 in the context of areas of high malaria transmission will inform future COVID-19 control strategies and underlying immune development.
Essential criteria:
Minimum entry requirements can be found here: https://www.monash.edu/admissions/entry-requirements/minimum
Keywords
Malaria, immunity, SARS-CoV-2 multiomic analysis, infectious disease, human immunity, co-infections.
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
Prof
James Beeson