The new collaboration is the first international partnership established by the Snow Centre and builds on more than a decade of joint research publications by Professors Duffy and Hodgkin.

Together, they have united science and mathematics to explore how immune B and T cells are modified as they divide and multiply – work that has helped reshape how immune behaviour is studied.

Prof Duffy, Professor of Mathematics and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University, brings mathematical knowledge and skill to help scale up the Snow Centre’s ‘Cyton2’ cell timer model. This model reveals how individual immune cells make critical decisions, offering new insights into the immune system’s inner workings.

Prof Hodgkin, Scientific Program Lead at the Snow Centre, said, “This collaboration represents an exciting step toward transforming how we understand, diagnose, and ultimately prevent immune disease.”

He said it is rare to work with someone with such depth of mathematical expertise who can help solve biological problems.

“Prof Duffy’s contributions to my team’s work are an integral piece of the puzzle.”

The Cyton2 Cell Timer model tracks immune cells with remarkable precision, revealing how they behave at key moments in their life cycle – division, destiny, and death.

When placed under controlled stimulation conditions, the model can be used to measure the strength of response of human cells.

Preliminary results have indicated that a weakness in cell response strength can reveal immune deficiency, while an overly strong response could indicate a higher risk of autoimmune disease.

These insights suggest that immune disorders may be inherited and result from a combination of many small effects that on their own are harmless.

The new project will integrate immune data with genetic sequencing, aiming to uncover how genetic variation influences immune cell behaviour, helping to explain why some people are born with immune disorders and how likely these conditions are to occur.

Prof Duffy said he was excited to collaborate on the research.

“I’ve never passed up an opportunity to work with Prof Hodgkin. The Snow Centre has a bold vision, and I want to be part of it.

“My goal is to bring complementary mathematical expertise to support the team and help them achieve their goals.”

The Cyton2 Cell Timer model helps scientists understand how immune cells behave over time. It looks at three important stages in a cell’s life – when it divides, what path it takes, and when it dies.

By tracking individual cells at these key moments, researchers can see how they make crucial decisions that affect our immune system.

The Snow Centre has a bold and ambitious global mission to improve the lives of people with immune diseases, using a unique approach to immune health.

Co-led by WEHI and the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), in partnership with the Snow Medical Research Foundation, the Snow Centre brings together leading Australian and international researchers with a shared mission to transform how we research and treat the immune system.

The centre is funded by an initial commitment of up to $100 million over 10 years – one of the largest and longest-running philanthropic partnerships in Australian history.

To find out more, visit snowimmunehealth.org.au

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Header image: Professor Phil Hodgkin, Snow Centre for Immune Health, Scientific Program Lead and Dr Vanessa Bryant, Snow Centre for Immune Health, Deputy Scientific Director