WEHI Immunity special seminar hosted by Dr Susanne Heinzel

Dr Juliana Yeung

AgResearch Group Scientist – Bioeconomy Science Institute, NZ

Beyond Target Discovery:

How Do We Know Which Targets Matter?

L3C Seminar Room

Join via TEAMS

Including Q&A session

Modern discovery technologies can generate large numbers of candidate antigens and protein targets. The challenge is determining which of these targets are biologically meaningful and worth pursuing.

This seminar draws on examples from salivary antibody biology, food allergen research, vaccine development and ovine pneumonia. Although these projects began with very different biological questions, they repeatedly encountered similar challenges: understanding what antibody binding represents, determining whether a target is recognised in its native biological context, and deciding what evidence is required before a target can be prioritised.

Drawing on examples from immunoproteomics, antigen validation, proteomics, and flow cytometry, I will discuss how my thinking has evolved from target discovery toward questions of biological interpretation, confidence, and evidence. Particular emphasis will be placed on the strengths and limitations of different approaches used to evaluate protein targets and support biological decision-making.

Finally, I will discuss the questions that have emerged from this work, including what evidence we have used to establish confidence in biological targets and how emerging approaches in systems immunology, biomarker discovery, and high-dimensional immune profiling may provide new ways to explore these questions. The seminar is intended as an opportunity to reflect on the assumptions that underpin target selection and to discuss what evidence is required before a biological target is considered actionable.

Dr Juliana Yeung is a researcher at the Bioeconomy Science Institute (AgResearch group) in Palmerston North, New Zealand, working in vaccine development and immunoproteomics. With a background in protein science and molecular microbiology, her research spans ruminant vaccines, ovine pneumonia, antibody biology, and food allergens. She is interested in how confidence is established in biological targets and in emerging approaches in systems immunology, biomarker discovery, and high-dimensional immune profiling. Juliana is visiting Sydney and Melbourne as an ASI Postdoctoral Travel Award recipient.

All Welcome!