Search

Development of molecular tools for accurate diagnosis and disease surveillance (including vaccine impact)

Janessa Lea-Ann Peter Ruth Pickering Kirkham Richmond Thornton BSc PhD PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD Senior Research Fellow (currently HOT NORTH Early

Does mum know best? Should we be vaccinating mothers to protect their babies from ear and lung disease?

Elke Lea-Ann Ruth Peter Seppanen Kirkham Thornton Richmond BSc PhD PhD PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Program Manager, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious

Impact of Repeat Pertussis Vaccination on Infant and Maternal Antibody Quality

Ruth Peter Thornton Richmond PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group (BRIDG) Head, Vaccine Trials Group

Unlocking the immunology of whooping cough vaccines to guide the development of improved vaccines and schedules in Australia

Ruth Peter Thornton Richmond PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group (BRIDG) Head, Vaccine Trials Group

Targeting host-microbial interactions to develop otitis media therapies

Otitis media (OM; middle ear infection) is the most common reason for pre-school children to visit a doctor, be prescribed antimicrobials, or undergo surgery. Recent Cochrane reviews of clinical trials have identified that antibiotics and grommet surgery are only moderately effective in treating OM, with recurrent or persistent infection observed in one-third of children. Research efforts are focusing on developing improved therapies to treat OM and prevent disease recurrence.

Plasma secretory phospholipase A2 as an early marker for late-onset sepsis in preterm infants—a pilot study

Preterm infants are particularly susceptible to bacterial late-onset sepsis (LOS). Diagnosis by blood culture and inflammatory markers have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity and prolonged reporting times. There is an urgent need for more rapid, accurate adjunctive diagnostics in LOS to improve management and minimise antibiotic exposure.

Dysregulated Notch Signaling in the Airway Epithelium of Children with Wheeze

The airway epithelium of children with wheeze is characterized by defective repair that contributes to disease pathobiology. Dysregulation of developmental processes controlled by Notch has been identified in chronic asthma. However, its role in airway epithelial cells of young children with wheeze, particularly during repair, is yet to be determined.

In Vivo Evidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Persistence in a Subset of Pulmonary Dendritic Cells Following a Primary Infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes annual epidemics of infections affecting the whole population. In vitro, it has been shown to infect and persist in human dendritic cells (DCs) for prolonged periods. Initially persistence is associated with low levels of replication before the virus becomes dormant. Reactivation of viral replication can be triggered many months later.

Evidence of maternal transfer of antigen-specific antibodies in serum and breast milk to infants at high-risk of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae disease

Children in low-mid income countries, and First Nations children in high-income countries, experience disproportionately high rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae infections and diseases including pneumonia and otitis media.

Immunogenicity of a Third Scheduled Dose of Rotarix in Australian Indigenous Infants: A Phase IV, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Jonathan Lea-Ann Tom Carapetis AM Kirkham Snelling AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS PhD BMBS DTMH GDipClinEpid PhD FRACP Executive Director; Co-Head,