Prof. Paul Foster

Biography

Professor Paul Foster is the Director of the Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease; the Virus, Infection/Immunity, Vaccines and Asthma Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Asthma and Airways (Newcastle node). He also currently holds the Chair of Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle. He is also a visiting Professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. He serves as an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology and the Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and is on the Editorial Boards of a number of leading international immunology/allergy journals. Professor Foster's research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of asthma, allergy, respiratory disorders, and chronic inflammation. His research program focuses on translational approaches directed towards the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapies. Professor Foster's research findings are published in the most highly ranked medical and biomedical science journals (e.g. Nature Immunology and Journal of Experimental Medicine). Essential Science Indicators metrics places his team on the forefront of his field internationally. Professor Foster receives numerous and ongoing invitations to speak and chair sessions and leading international conferences in immunology and respiratory medicine (e.g. American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, Keystone, Cold Spring Harbor, International Congress on Immunology and International Eosinophil meeting). The importance of his team's work has been recognised through award of over $10.5 million in direct funding (since 2003) through Australian national competitive grants.

Since 1995 Professor Foster's laboratory has focused on the biology of T cells and granulocytes, and on signaling by cytokines and chemokines pertinent to regulating allergic inflammatory responses, in particular asthma. In the last 5 years we have extended our focus to understanding the relationship between inflammation induced by infection (viruses, bacteria and microbial products), at various times through life, on the subsequent development of the T cell repertoire and on chronic inflammation in the lung. A focus on the role of microRNAs in the regulation of inflammation is also a main focus.

Professor Foster's activities have been supported through grants from the NHMRC (program and project grants), Australian Research Council (Discovery and LIEF grants), Human Frontiers Science Foundation, and through the CRC for Asthma and Airways. Professor Foster actively contributes to peer review at a national and international level (e.g. NHMRC; fellowship, program and project reviews/grant panel; Wellcome Trust; and leading international journals (e.g. J. of Clin. Invest., J. of Exp. Med., and Nature).

Professor Foster is also on the Editorial Board of:

• American Journal of Respiratory Cell & Molecular Biology

• Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Associate Editor)

• Current Molecular Medicine

• Journal Inflammation and Allergy

• Clinical and Experimental Allergy

Qualifications

• PhD, Australian National University, 1988
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Western Australia

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Research

Research keywords

• Allergy
• Asthma
• Chronic Inflammation
• Immunology
• Leukocyte Biology

Research expertise

Current research in my laboratory primarily aims at defining the key cellular and molecular processes that underlie the development of allergic disease (lung, skin and gastrointestinal tract) and of viral (RSV and influenza) induced pulmonary inflammation. We are particularly interested in the molecular events that predispose to remodeling of the airways in chronic disease and the subsequent impact on lung function. In particular, projects are focusing on the biology of CD4+ Th2 cells, CD8+ T cells and eosinophils, and in signaling arrangements between cytokine and chemokine systems that pertain to allergic disease, viral induced pathogenesis and viral induced exacerbation of asthma. Our aim is to develop integrative concepts on molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis by employing an approach that is multifactorial ranging from transgenic systems to the identification of novel gene products. The laboratory has established in vivo models of asthma (acute and chronic), allergic cutaneous disease and of eosinophil and lymphocyte homing to sites of allergen or viral provocation. Models of RSV infection in the presence and absence of allergic inflammation are also established. These models, in conjunction with mice that are factor deficient or transgenic (constitutive and inducible systems that are airway specific, and T cell transgenic systems), are currently being employed to define the individual role of inflammatory cells and cytokines/chemokines in the pathophysiology of allergic and viral disorders and viral induced exacerbation of allergic inflammation. Collectively, this approach is providing a fundamental platform for the identification of key targets for potential therapeutic intervention in these diseased states and models for the development of novel anti-inflammatory approaches. Models of leukocyte trafficking and pathogenesis are combined with experimental programs at a cellular level to enhance the understanding of the molecular basis of disease. Novel mechanisms to attenuate allergic and viral induced disease are also being explored. We have also established models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Current PhD and Honours projects within my team aim to gather an understanding in:

• the role of miRNA in asthma and infection

• the role of viruses in inducing asthma and COPD

• miRNA regulation of leukocyte differentiation

• the innate immune system in severe asthma

Collaboration

I have extensive national and international collaborations and associations with leading investigators and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. For example:

• Professor Andrew Mackenzie, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge University, UK.

• Professor K Takeda and S Akira, Osaka University, Osaka Japan.

• Professor Marc Rothenberg, Children’s Hospital Medical Centre, Cincinnati, OH.

• Professor Helene Rosenberg, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA.

• Professor Richard Stevens, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.

• Professor Sebastian Johnston, Imperial College, London UK.

• Professor Pardric Fallon, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

• GSK.

• MedImmune Inc, Washington DC, USA.

• Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
110799	Immunology Not Elsewhere Classified	75
110200	Cardiovascular Medicine And Haematology	25

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Hunter Medical Research Institute
• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Asthma & Respiratory Diseases

Group

• Hunter Medical Research Institute - VIVA

Memberships

ARC Committee member

• Member

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Member - CRC for Asthma and Airways
• Editor - (Small Granting Agencies State Foundations and Councils)
• member - American Society for Immunology
• member - International Eosinophil Society
• member - International Mucosal Immunology Society
• member - The Australian Lung foundation
• member - The Australian Society for Immunolgy
• member - The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand

Editorial Board.

• Editor - Journal Inflammation and Allergy
• Editor - Clinical and Experimental Allergy
• Editor - American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
• Associate Editor - Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Appointments

Visiting Professorship Harvard University, MA (United States)

01/01/2010

Awards

Research Award.

2010	Research Excellence HMRI (Australia)
1999	Australian Academy of Science and The Royal Society Travelling Fellowship ANU (Australia)
1997	Human Frontiers Science Programme International Collaborative Grant ANU (Australia)
1996	The British council Collaborative Research Award ANU (Australia)
1996	The John curtin School of Medical Research, Howard Florey Young Investigators Award ANU (Australia)
1996	The Asthma foundation of NSW, The Jean Jeavons grant for Asthma Research ANU (Australia)
1994	Australian Academy of Science and The Royal Society Travelling Fellowship ANU (Australia)
1983	Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Scholarship ANU (Australia)

Research Funding

2005	CRC for Asthma and Airways University of Newcastle (Australia)
2003	NHMRC Programme Grant 2003-2007 ANU (Australia)

Invitations

Congress of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 29th Conference, United Kingdom (Invited Speaker)	2010
The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) 65th Annual Meeting - Mini-symposium (educational section), United States (Invited Speaker)	2010
Biennial Symposium International Eosinophil Society 6th Conference, Belgium (Invited Speaker)	2009
The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) 64th Annual Meeting - Mini-symposium (educational section), United States (Invited Speaker)	2009
The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) 63nd Annual Meeting - Mini-symposium (educational section)., United States (Invited Speaker)	2008
Molecular Therapeutics of Cancer Gordon Conference, United States (Invited Speaker)	2007
Biennial Symposium International Eosinophil Society 5th Conference, United States (Invited Speaker)	2007
International Congress of Immunology 14th Conference, Brazil (Invited Speaker)	2007
The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) 61st Annual Meeting - Mini-symposium (educational section), United States (Invited Speaker)	2006
The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) 60th Annual Meeting - Symposium Chemokines and Receptors, United States (Invited Speaker)	2005
25th International Symposium Collegium Internationalale Allergologicum, Sweden (Invited speaker)	2004
12th International Congress on Immunology 4th Annual Conerence of FOCIS, Canada (Invited speaker)	2004

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

• Hunter Medical Research Institute Building Committee

• Research Committee - Member

• Academic Senate - Member

• Animal Services Research Facility, Advisory Committee, Sub-committee - Member

• Analytical and Biomolecular Research Facility Advisory

• Strategic Research Advisory Panel HMRI - Member

• Research Committee, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle - Member

• Steering Committee, Vaccines, Infection, Virus and Asthma Group, HMRI - Member

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Biomedical Sciences
• Immunology
• Medicine
• Pharmacy

Teaching expertise

• Immunology

• Research Commercialisation