Dr Anna Coussens, Lab Head | WEHI Researcher Profile

About

Hon A/Prof Coussens, BSc (Hons) PhD, is an infectious disease immunologist whose research focuses on identifying mechanisms and mediators of immune dysregulation that increases risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) to develop improved diagnostic and treatment approaches. Over the last 15 years she has characterized the in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro mediators of human TB immunopathogenesis, detrimental co-infection interactions with HIV-1 & SARS-CoV-2, identified and evaluated novel blood biomarkers of subclinical TB, developed bioinformatic tools to improve drug resistant TB detection, and evaluated host-directed therapies to prevent and resolve TB in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials and experimental medicine studies.

Laboratory Head in the Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence division at the WEHI, since 2018, she previously worked in the UK (2008-2012) and South Africa (2012-2018) and maintains an Honorary Associate Professor position at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Completing a PhD in Molecular Cell Biology at the Queensland University of Technology (2007) she completed postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Medical Research, UK, working on a Phase 2 TB treatment trial of adjunct vitamin D. In 2012, she moved to University of Cape Town to gain clinical TB-HIV research experience in a high endemic setting, where her innovative work was recognised by the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2014, when she received the Sydney Brenner Postdoctoral Award, an endowment of the late Nobel Laurette.

In 2023, together with colleagues from the UK she initiated and co-chaired the International Consensus for Early TB group, developing a new disease framework for TB. She is now working with the WHO to progress this into policy change. She has contributed to NIH high level meetings framing the direction of the TB-HIV-Diabetes research agenda, spoken at the Global Research Council on gender equality, World Economic Forum Africa and Wellcome Research Institute on ECR challenges and is an elected member and now alumnus of the Global Young Academy (tenure 2014-2019).

Education

Joint appointments

Grants and funding

Publications

Selected publications from Dr Anna Coussens

Macpherson L, Kik SV, Quartagno M, Lakay F, Jaftha M, Yende N, Galant S, Aziz S, Daroowala R, Court R, Taliep A, Serole K, Goliath RT, Davies NO, Jackson A, Douglass E, Sossen B, Mukasa S, Thienemann F, Song T, Ruhwald M, Wilkinson RJ, Coussens AK, Esmail H, Barry CE, Ellner JJ, Flynn JL, Heinsohn T, Horsburgh CR, Jacobson KR, Malherbe ST, Salgame P, Sheerin D, Streicher E, Tlala M, Via LE, Walzl G, Warren R, Warwick J. Diagnostic Accuracy of Chest X-ray Computer-Aided Detection Software for Detection of Prevalent and Incident Tuberculosis in Household Contacts. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2024;:10.1093/cid/ciae528

Tamuhla T, Coussens AK, Abrahams M, Blumenthal MJ, Lakay F, Wilkinson RJ, Riou C, Raubenheimer P, Dave JA, Tiffin N. Implementation of a genotyped African population cohort, with virtual follow-up: A feasibility study in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Wellcome Open Research. 2024;9:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.23009.1

Auld SC, Barczak AK, Bishai W, Coussens AK, Dewi IMW, Mitini-Nkhoma SC, Muefong C, Naidoo T, Pooran A, Stek C, Steyn AJC, Tezera L, Walker NF. Pathogenesis of Post-Tuberculosis Lung Disease: Defining Knowledge Gaps and Research Priorities at the Second International Post-Tuberculosis Symposium.American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2024;210(8):10.1164/rccm.202402-0374so

Denholm JT, Coussens A, Houben RMGJ, Horton KC, Wong EB, Kendall EA, Martinez L, Musvosi M, Zaidi SMA. The International Consensus for Early TB framework (ICE-TB): Implications from a low-incidence setting. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 2024;28(8):10.5588/ijtld.24.0081

Dale KD, Schwalb A, Coussens AK, Gibney KB, Abboud AJ, Watts K, Denholm JT. Overlooked, dismissed, and downplayed: reversion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis immunoreactivity. European Respiratory Review. 2024;33(173):10.1183/16000617.0007-2024

Coussens AK, Zaidi SMA, Allwood BW, Dewan PK, Gray G, Kohli M, Kredo T, Marais BJ, Marks GB, Martinez L, Ruhwald M, Scriba TJ, Seddon JA, Tisile P, Warner DF, Wilkinson RJ, Esmail H, Houben RMGJ, group ICFET, Alland D, Behr MA, Beko BB, Burhan E, Churchyard G, Cobelens F, Denholm JT, Dinkele R, Ellner JJ, Fatima R, Haigh KA, Hatherill M, Horton KC, Kendall EA, Khan PY, MacPherson P, Malherbe ST, Mave V, Mendelsohn SC, Musvosvi M, Nemes E, Penn-Nicholson A, Ramamurthy D, Rangaka MX, Sahu S, Schwalb A, Shah DK, Sheerin D, Simon D, Steyn AJC, Anh NT, Walzl G, Weller CL, Williams CM, Wong EB, Wood R, Xie YL, Yi S. Classification of early tuberculosis states to guide research for improved care and prevention: an international Delphi consensus exercise. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2024;12(6):10.1016/s2213-2600(24)00028-6

Chambers ES, Cai W, Vivaldi G, Jolliffe DA, Perdek N, Li W, Faustini SE, Gibbons JM, Pade C, Richter AG, Coussens AK, Martineau AR. Influence of individuals’ determinants including vaccine type on cellular and humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. npj Vaccines. 2024;9(1):10.1038/s41541-024-00878-0

Stewart J, Walker N, Jennings K, Delport C, Nuttall J, Coussens AK, Dyers R, Jolliffe DA, Tang JCY, Fraser WD, Wilkinson RJ, Bekker L-G, Martineau AR, Middelkoop K. Prevalence, incidence and determinants of QuantiFERONTM positivity in South African schoolchildren. IJTLD OPEN. 2024;1(5):10.5588/ijtldopen.24.0084

Middelkoop K, Micklesfield LK, Walker N, Stewart J, Delport C, Jolliffe DA, Mendham AE, Coussens AK, van Graan A, Nuttall J, Tang JCY, Fraser WD, Cooper C, Harvey NC, Hooper RL, Wilkinson RJ, Bekker L-G, Martineau AR. Influence of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral content, bone turnover markers, and fracture risk in South African schoolchildren: multicenter double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial (ViDiKids). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2024;39(3):10.1093/jbmr/zjae007

Middelkoop K, Micklesfield L, Stewart J, Walker N, Jolliffe DA, Mendham AE, Coussens AK, Nuttall J, Tang J, Fraser WD, Momand W, Cooper C, Harvey NC, Wilkinson RJ, Bekker L-G, Martineau AR. Influence of vitamin D supplementation on growth, body composition, pubertal development and spirometry in South African schoolchildren: a randomised controlled trial (ViDiKids). BMJ Paediatrics Open. 2024;8(1):10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002495