Exploring the molecular drivers of allergy and autoimmunity

• PhD

Many diseases are driven by the immune system erroneously responding to stimulus, such as allergens (asthma) or self-tissue (autoimmunity). Both allergy and autoimmunity are rapidly growing health concerns in the Western world.

The Allan lab, including current and previous students, have spent many years revealing the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive asthma and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a common autoimmune disease.

Current projects focus on drug screens for novel asthma therapeutics, cutting-edge molecular examinations of SLE patient cohorts (both adult and paediatric) and the drivers of disease, among others.

The projects would be best suited to a student with a strong cellular and molecular biology background; however, projects can be tailored to suit a student’s skill set.

The Allan Lab focuses on the molecular regulation of the immune system, in both health and disease. We have a long record of combining cutting-edge technologies (RNA-Seq, single cell RNA-Seq, ATAC-Seq, in situ HiC, capture HiC, Pore-C, chromosome paint, among others) with bioinformatics to make impactful discoveries.

We enjoy highly collaborative projects and have well established networks with scientists at WEHI, across Australia and around the world. This provides an excellent interdisciplinary training environment for students, as well as opportunities to build valuable networks.