Immunity

Our division is dedicated to growing our understanding of the immune system to uncover fundamental disease mechanisms that can potentially lead to the development of new treatments, therapies, diagnostic tools, and prevention strategies.

We have a long-term goal of addressing major health challenges that impact billions worldwide by bridging laboratory research with real-world applications through basic discovery biology, clinical trials, and genomic studies.

We also work alongside the Snow Centre for Immune Health to advance research into diseases affected by a dysfunctional immune system.

• Understanding the immune system and how it might be manipulated for disease treatments.
• Infectious disease including malaria, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), toxoplasmosis, intestinal infections and COVID-19.
• Nutritional health including anaemia, vitamin deficiencies, and child growth.
• Maternal and child health including pregnancy risks, stunting and neurodevelopmental challenges.

• Uncovered early molecular warning signs of inflammatory bowel disease, which could open aid in the earlier prediction of flare-ups and lead to more tailored treatments.
• Demonstrated a new vaccination approach that primes the immune system to fight malaria parasites before they can cause disease.
• Identified distinct patterns in early immune responses that could help predict autoimmune risk in people with coaliac disease.
• New anti-malaria drug candidate targeting the most prevalent malaria parasites in humans.
• Discovered a new drug compound that can prevent long COVID symptoms.
• Revised the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for anaemia diagnosis to define new haemoglobin thresholds.
• Research collaboration leading to a new treatment plan for autoinflammatory disease ORAS (OTULIN-Related Autoinflammatory Syndrome).
• Found a new way to treat children with Kawsaki Disease (KD).
• Discovery of the two types of white blood cells (T cells and B cells) which ushered in a new field of biomedical research.

How Professor Jacques Miller revolutionised our understanding of the immune system, infection and disease.

Professor Alan Cowman AC, CSL Florey Medal winner, discusses his work to understand malaria infection.

The first visualisation of the unique molecular ‘key’ used by the world’s deadliest malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum, entering and infecting human blood cells.

The Immunity division works with leading research institutions worldwide, including low- and middle-income country (LMIC) partners in Africa, Asia, South America, and the Pacific. These collaborations enhance research impact and drive innovation in disease prevention and treatment.