Staff Profile

     I am a post-doctoral researcher at Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases (Viruses, Infections/immunity, Vaccines and Asthma at Hunter Medical Research Institute). My research focuses on the investigation of respiratory viral infection and immunity, including influenza viruses, coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses.

     Under the supervision of Prof. Peter Wark and Prof. Phil Hansbro I completed my PhD degree in 2011 and demonstrated that influenza viral entry into primary bronchial epithelial cells (pBECs) is not completely dependent on the long considered surface receptors, revealing other potential mechanisms involved in viral endocytosis. Innate antiviral responses are important in limiting viral infection and spread. I demonstrated that human influenza H3N2 is more effective in the suppression of antiviral responses including interferon (IFN)-beta and lambda responses compared to a low pathogenic avian H11N9 strain. This was the result of a more effective human influenza non-structural (NS) 1 protein compared to the avian NS1 protein. Nevertheless a low level constitutive release of IFN-beta was shown to counter-act part of the suppressive effect by the NS1 protein in an attempt to limit viral replication. High pathogenic avian H5N1 strain completely abolished this antiviral response with its NS1 protein. This demonstrates the importance of the antiviral responses to influenza infection, and also highlights the significance of NS1 proteins in the survival and fitness of the virus in human population. 

     My current research focuses on several areas of viral infection and innate immunity in people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). By using pBECs from healthy, asthmatic and COPD subjects, we are using various molecular biological techniques to investigate the molecular mechanisms underpinning the high susceptibility and severe infection outcomes in these individuals. These include innate immune dysregulations that result in exaggerated inflammatory responses and impaired antiviral responses to viral infections, including various strains and drug-resistant strain of influenza viruses, human coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses. We are also collaborating with World Health Organisation in the investigation of novel therapeutics against high pathogenic strains of influenza.

     This combination of biomedical approaches and the use of clinically relevant in vitro model will ultimately identify any potential and novel therapeutic targets not only for those with chronic airways diseases, but also for the general population against important emerging/re-emerging respiratory infectious diseases.