Validating minimally invasive paediatric coeliac disease diagnostics

• Honours

Coeliac disease (CeD) affects ~1.4% of people worldwide, yet many children remain undiagnosed or experience delayed diagnosis because paediatric CeD is often subtle, non-classical, or asymptomatic. Current diagnostic pathways are burdensome, requiring gluten ingestion, CeD serology, and often an invasive gastroscopy with collection of duodenal biopsies, supporting growing interest in population screening for CeD.

This project will validate two minimally invasive diagnostic approaches for childhood CeD: a blood-based functional T cell assay and a salivary tTG-IgA test. Samples will be collected from a prospective cohort study of children aged 3-17 years across two major Australian paediatric centres, with centralised testing at WEHI. Working within the Coeliac Research Laboratory, the student will gain highly translatable skills in human immunology, functional assays, and clinical data analysis.

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.