Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute

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Disease-specific research

Leaders in bacterial, viral and fungal research
  • https://www.sydney.edu.au/infectious-diseases-institute/our-research.html Our research
  • https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/industry-and-community/support-us.html Support us

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Our experts focus on some of the most important infectious disease challenges. Diseases such as tuberculosis have affected human kind since ancient times, whilst SARS-CoV-2 and HIV represent newly emerged viruses in our world. Our basic and translational research is aimed at preventing infection, improving treatment and achieving cure.

Themes

  • Tuberculosis false
  • Fungi false
  • Hepatitis false
  • Herpesviruses false
  • HIV and STIs false
  • CNS Infections false

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the number one infectious diseases killer on our planet.

Undiagnosed disease, poor treatment outcomes and ongoing transmission from patients with multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB threaten recent gains in global TB control.

Our research focuses on detecting, treating, and preventing TB.

Fungi

Increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the major human pathogens - Aspergillus and Candida species, have emerged as a major health risk linked to agricultural biocide use, while resistant rice blast and wheat rust threaten global food security.

Our researchers from medical, veterinary, and agricultural disciplines are working together to define the magnitude and risks of AMR in our region.

  • Antifungal drug discovery research leading to the identification of a new drug target and several potential inhibitors, led by Associate Professor Julie Djordjevic.
  • Development of hydrophobic antifungal compounds that can be aerosolised for use in treatment of pulmonary fungal infections, such as Aspergillosis, led by Dr Philip Kwok.
  • Investigation of environmental Aspergillus fumigatus in Vietnam to understand azole resistance and cryptic species in the Mekong Delta, led by Associate Professor Justin Beardsley.
  • Exploring fungus and native bee interactions for ecosystem and human health, led by Dr Kenya Fernandes.

Hepatitis

An estimated 250 million people are infected with hepatitis B and 70 million with hepatitis C. Our basic and translational research is aimed at preventing infection with these viruses, improving treatment and achieving cure.

Optimising treatment of Hepatitis B with novel predictive biomarkers
 
Hepatitis B is treatable but most people have to take medicine for life. Some people can safely stop treatment after a few years but it is difficult to predict for each person whether or not the virus will come back.

We have developed a new test to measure different forms of virus in the liver. This test should identify people who can safely stop treatment and those who need to continue. In this grant we will study how to use our test to improve quality of life for people living with hepatitis B.
 
This project is led by Associate Professor Mark Douglas.

Herpesviruses

Herpesviruses can be especially serious for people with weak immune systems.

In these individuals, the virus can cause severe infections and complications because their bodies have trouble fighting it off.

Our researchers are dedicated to deepening our understanding of herpesviruses to develop better prevention and treatment strategies.

Novel regulation of a fundamental host defence pathway by human herpesviruses
 
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) often cause serious disease. For example HCMV is the leading infectious cause of birth defects and a major complication in transplant patients, and HSV causes cold sores that can be life-threatening in those with a compromised immune system.
 
We have identified a novel way that these viruses can control the host response to infection. Our research investigates this control to identify potential ways to control viral disease. 
 
This project is led by Associate Professor Barry Slobedman and Professor Allison Abendroth.

HIV and STIs

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a major global challenge with no vaccine and no cure.

HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help fight infections.

If left untreated, HIV can weaken the immune system over time, making it harder for the body to fight off diseases and infections.

  • Human anogenital mononuclear phagocytes in transmission of HIV: Dendritic cells (DC) are the first cells to interact with HIV and the program has discovered three that transmit the virus. Our research will define the receptors these DCs use to bind HIV and how they activate the immune system which is important information for vaccine design. Using new technologies that the research program has pioneered, the project will also define how HIV transmission occurs in human inflamed tissue for the first time which will lead to better prophylactic treatments. This project is led by Professor Andrew Harman.
  • Delineating the viro-immunological factors contributing to transient HIV control during consecutive analytical treatment interruptions, led by Professor Sarah Palmer.
  • Personalised TCR T cell immunotherapy to tackle HIV immune escape, led by Gabriel Duette.

CNS Infections

A central nervous system (CNS) infection like meningitis or encephalitis refers to an infection that affects the brain and spinal cord. These infections can be caused by various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Our researchers from different disciplines have the shared aim of finding better treatments or prevention strategies to deal with infections and immunological disorders affecting the brain and nervous system.

  • Japanese Encephalitis in northern New South Wales: an exploratory research to understand the perceptions and map practices of service providers, program managers and stakeholders in the region. This project is led by Kazi Rahman and Associate Professor Philip Britton.
  • Understanding the autoimmune response against the brain to improve diagnosis and therapy of neuroimmunological disorders. This project is led by Professor Fabienne Brilot-Turville.

Contact us

Email
infectious.diseases@sydney.edu.au

Mailing address
Westmead Hospital
Level 5, Block K 
Westmead NSW 2145