Laboratory Head
Professor Magdalena Plebanski
magdalena.plebanski@monash.edu
Phone: +61 3 99030667
Department of Immunology
Monash University
Level 2, AMREP Building
89 Commercial Road
Melbourne Victoria 3004
AUSTRALIA
Staff
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Sue Xiang
Research Fellow
Dr Tanya Karlson
Research Officer
Dr Martina Fuchsberger
PhD Students
Cassandra David
Rohimah Mohamud (with Allergy Lab)
Jeanne LeMasurier (with Allergy Lab)
Chindu Govindaraj
Mutsa Madondo
Anthony Park (intermitted to 2012)
Hons Student
Kirsty Wilson
Masters Student
Ying Ying Kong
Research
The Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Laboratory historically focused on studies to develop a two tier approach to generate effective vaccines. Through earlier studies, the VID lab developed a new powerful platform vaccine approach able to protect against malaria, respiratory syncytial virus and a range of experimental cancers in animals. The main principle of the vaccine approach is using nanoparticles within a specific size range to “deliver” target antigens to dendritic cells (DC) for the induction of effective immunity. Following the earlier discovery, VID lab is now experimenting with different vaccine formulations, investigating the mechanisms involved in the potent immune responses induced by the “nanoparticle-antigen(s)” vaccine formulations. In addition, the VID lab also has a strong focus on immune evasion and immuno-suppression to better understand regulatory mechanisms during disease, specifically through the studies of DC and T regulatory cells (Treg). Together these two strands of research help us to design uniquely potent vaccines for therapy of human cancers and infectious diseases such as malaria. Currently we are focusing strongly on ovarian cancer, which still kills the majority of patients with no effective long term cure, both in animal studies in human trials, with exciting preliminary findings. Collaboratively, our new insights into how alter immune homeostasis in the lung using nanoparticles, are allowing us to develop new nanotechnologies against allergic airways inflammation and asthma. In addition, in collaboration with Clinical Haematologist from the Alfred Hospital, we are also involving testing clinical trial samples from patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and multiple myeloma (MM).
