Immune drivers of tissue damage in coeliac disease autoimmunity

• Honours

Progression from early autoimmunity to tissue-destructive disease is a critical but poorly understood step in the development of autoimmune disorders. This project uses coeliac disease as a unique human model to investigate the immune mechanisms that drive the transition from early autoimmunity to overt disease.

Focusing on potential coeliac disease – a preclinical stage where autoantibodies are present without intestinal damage – students will apply functional assays, cellular profiling, and multi-omics to study whether gluten-specific T cells drive the onset of tissue damage in coeliac disease.

Working within the Coeliac Research Laboratory at WEHI, students will gain experience in translational human immunology and contribute to research with implications not only for coeliac disease but also for other autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes.

The Coeliac Research Laboratory is at the forefront of uncovering the immune mechanisms driving coeliac disease, with the aim of developing better diagnostics and novel treatments for patients with this common autoimmune illness.

Our team has pioneered immune approaches including a gluten challenge model to gain insights into disease biology. We are a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, nurses and students working in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Our research is regularly presented at leading international conferences and published in highly impactful journals such as Gastroenterology, Gut and Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol.

We partner with immunologists, bioinformaticians, grain scientists, advocacy groups, and industry, ensuring a multidisciplinary, translational approach. If you are passionate about impactful, patient-focused research, our lab offers outstanding training and career development opportunities.