Prof. Philip ( Phil ) Hansbro

Biography

Associate Professor Phil Hansbro has an extensive track record as a program leader in the study of respiratory infections and their interactions with obstructive airway diseases (OADs), such as asthma and chronic obstructive airway disease (COPD). He has developed a nationally competitive respiratory research group at the University of Newcastle and made important and novel observations of how different infections differentially affect the development and exacerbation of asthma. His group has shown for the first time that the age of first infection and the timing of infection relative to allergic sensitisation play pivotal roles in determining the affects of infection on asthma. The nature of infection is important and Chlamydia, Haemophilus and viral infections promote or modify asthma, whereas other bacterial infections are protective. These studies have identified the potential for the development of novel prevention and treatment strategies for respiratory disease, which are the subject of ongoing studies. He is also an expert in the study of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds and to date his group has collected over 240,000 samples and identified ~250 AIVs.

He is the leader of the Microbiology, Asthma & Airways Research Group at the University of Newcastle. His group has been recognized by the award of numerous nationally competitive grants. Importantly in the last 4yrs he has been awarded 3 large NHMRC project grants as CIA and grants from NHMRC (x2) and ARC as alternate CI.

He Since 2004 he has published many internationally peer reviewed journal articles, with an average impact factor of 5+. These include publications in the leading respiratory (Am J Respir Crit Care Med [IF=9.84]), allergy (J Allergy Clin Immunol [IF=9.8] and immunology journals (J Immunol [IF=6.4]). His vaccine work is now being published (Vaccine [IF=3.4]) and frequently writes invited reviews in prestigious journals (2x Pharmacol Ther [IF=8.0], Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol [IF=4.5], Immunology [IF=3.4]), which are described by reviewers as making substantial contributions to the fields. He is a regular reviewer for national granting bodies and leading international journals.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Leeds - UK, 1991
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), Hallamshire University

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Research

Research keywords

• Allergy
• Asthma
• Avian influenza
• Bacteriology
• COPD
• Immunology
• Infectious diseases
• Inflammation
• Microbiology
• Respiratory diseases
• Virology

Research expertise

Expertise in the inevstigation of the relationship between bacterial and viral infections and obstructive airway diseases such as asthma and COPD. Expertise in the collection and analysis of avian influenza viruses from wild birds.

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
110700	Immunology	75
110299	Cardiovascular Medicine And Haematology Not Elsewhere Classified	25

Centres and Groups

Centre

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

Group

• Hunter Medical Research Institute - VIVA

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Representative of UNEW and HMRI nodes - CRC for asthma and airways education committee
• Membership - NHMRC grant review panel (GRP2e inflammation)
• Associate director - Priority research centre for asthma and airways, UNEW
• Deputy Program Leader - Priority research centre for asthma and airways, UNEW
• Co-director Infection and immunity research cluster - School of Biomedical Sciences

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Head - Discipline of immunology & Microbiology
• Extrenal member - Mater Hospital grant review panel
• Membership - National Avian Influenza Stearing Committee
• Organiser and convener - Newcastle Asthma Meeting 2005, 2006 and 2007
• Invited academic member - Nuways committee for streamlining research processes
• membership - Organising committee of teh international symposium on pneumococci and pneumococcal diseases
• Membership - School of Biomedical Sciences executive
• Deputy Head - School of Biomedical Sciences research committee

Appointments

Group leader Microbiology Research Group UNEW (Australia)	01/10/1999
lecturer in Microbiology uNEW (Australia)	01/10/1999 - 01/12/2004
senior lecturer in Microbiology uNEW (Australia)	01/01/2005
Head of Discipline of immunology & Microbiology UNEW (Australia)	01/01/2007

Awards

Research Award.

2005	Brawn fellowship Faculty of health, UNEW (Australia) Research support for promising research
2002	Leo Dintenfass Award Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation (Australia) most interesting and innovative project 2002

Invitations

CRC for asthma and airways CRC for asthma and airways, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2007
CRC for asthma and airways CRC for asthma and airways, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2006
CRC for asthma and airways CRC for asthma and airways, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2005
Influenza symposium Influenza symposium, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2006
National avian influenza conference National avian influenza conference, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2006
research grants review panel Mater Hospital, Australia (External Reviewer - Programs.)	2006
Various including Asthma Think tank and a variety of other invited talks at departments and conferences Many, Australia (Invited talks)	2006

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

Extensive expertise and experience in University administration and governance. head of Discipline of Immunology & Microbiology, Deputy Head of School of bIomedical Sciences Research Committee and various teaching administration bodies.

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Allergy
• Asthma
• Bacteriology
• Infectious diseases
• Microbiology
• Respiratory diseases
• Virology

Teaching expertise

Extensive undergraduate and postgraduate teaching experience into a wide variety of courses using teh full range of educational tools. Particular expertise in teaching Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing.