Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Ana Traven obtained her PhD in 2002 from the University of Zagreb Croatia. As a postdoctoral fellow, she trained at the St. Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne (supported by the NHMRC Peter Doherty training fellowship), and in the Department of Microbiology at Columbia University in New York City (supported by a Short-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Human Frontier Science Program Organisation). In 2009 Ana started her own research group at Monash University, where she is currently Professor and ARC Future Fellow.
Research interests
Microbial pathogens are responsible for millions of deaths globally, with raising concerns over resistance to available therapies (AMR or antimicrobial drug resistance), and predictions suggesting that by 2050 deaths from infections might become more prevalent that deaths from cancer. In addition to bacteria, fungal pathogens are another important class of microbes which have become prevalent killers, particularly of immunocompromised and severely ill people. Estimates suggest that at least 1.5 million people die from fungal infections every year. Cancer, HIV, organ transplants and intensive care unit hospitalisation are predisposing factors for life-threatening fungal infections.
In 2022, the WHO published a call to action, the first Fungal Pathogens Priority list. The Traven lab focuses on two of the pathogens that are classified in the top priority group by the WHO: Candida albicans and Candida auris. We are using molecular approaches to understand how these two pathogens regulate their biology to cause infections, as well as their immune responses and evasion mechanisms. We also work on finding compounds with antifungal activity towards improved therapeutic options.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- Infection
- Innate immunity
- Host-Pathogen Interactions
- antimicrobial drug resistance
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Harnessing disease tolerance and immune protection to treat fungal sepsis
1/01/25 → 31/12/29
Project: Research
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NHMRC Equipment Grant - PIXUL Multi-Sample Megasonicator (ProtiFi)
Schittenhelm, R. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Faridi, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Creek, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Steele, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Li, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Traven, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lahoud, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Daly, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Lim, T. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/11/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Immuno-metabolic interactions of the fungal superbug Candida auris
Traven, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Ben-Ami, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McConville, M. J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Vince, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Herold, M. (Associate Investigator (AI))
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1/01/21 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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An investigation into metabolic competition between host and pathogen in infection.
Traven, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Naderer, T. (Associate Investigator (AI)), McConville, M. J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Beilharz, T. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Hickey, M. (Associate Investigator (AI))
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1/01/19 → 31/12/22
Project: Research
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Metabolic homeostasis in fungal infections from the perspective of pathogens, immune cells, and whole-body systems
Weerasinghe, H., Stölting, H., Rose, A. J. & Traven, A., Sept 2024, In: Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. 88, 3, 26 p., e0017122.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
The C-terminal protein interaction domain of the chromatin reader Yaf9 is critical for pathogenesis of Candida albicans
Lo, T. L., Wang, Q., Nickson, J., van Denderen, B. J. W., Lucas, D. D., Chai, H. X., Knott, G. J., Weerasinghe, H. & Traven, A., Mar 2024, In: mSphere. 9, 3, 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Candida auris uses metabolic strategies to escape and kill macrophages while avoiding robust activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome response
Weerasinghe, H., Simm, C., Djajawi, T. M., Tedja, I., Lo, T. L., Simpson, D. S., Shasha, D., Mizrahi, N., Olivier, F. A. B., Speir, M., Lawlor, K. E., Ben-Ami, R. & Traven, A., 30 May 2023, In: Cell Reports. 42, 5, 24 p., 112522.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access19 Citations (Scopus) -
Leveraging the MMV Pathogen Box to Engineer an Antifungal Compound with Improved Efficacy and Selectivity against Candida auris
Pan, B., Weerasinghe, H., Sezmis, A., McDonald, M. J., Traven, A., Thompson, P. & Simm, C., 13 Oct 2023, In: ACS Infectious Diseases. 9, 10, p. 1901–1917 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
3 Citations (Scopus) -
Quantitative live-cell imaging of Candida albicans escape from immune phagocytes
Olivier, F. A. B. & Traven, A., 15 Dec 2023, In: STAR Protocols. 4, 4, 30 p., 102737.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
Open Access
Prizes
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Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University-Monash University (AFTAM) Research Collaboration Awards
Traven, A. (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Other distinction
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Georgina Sweet Awards for Women in Quantitative Biomedical Science
Traven, A. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Activities
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FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on Human Fungal Pathogens
Ana Traven (Organiser)
2019Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Victorian Infection and Immunity Network
Ana Traven (Executive Member)
2019 → …Activity: External Academic Engagement › Professional association or peak discipline body
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World Congress on Inflammation
Ana Traven (Member of programme committee)
2019Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on Human Fungal Pathogens
Ana Traven (Member of programme committee)
2019Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Lorne Infection and Immunity 2017
Ana Traven (Member of programme committee)
2019Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
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Superbugs: The health threat that has failed to capture public attention, Monash Lens, 18 November 2020, https://www.monash.edu/discovery-institute/news-and-events/news/2020-articles/superbugs-the-health-threat-that-has-failed-to-capture-public-attention
Davis, M., Naderer, T. & Traven, A.
20/11/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Monash researchers reveal how a deadly fungal infection shape-shifts into an invasive monster
21/11/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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Monash study exposes key tactic used by deadly fungus
1/05/18 → 7/05/18
2 Media contributions
Press/Media: Research
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Study exposes key tactic used by deadly fungus
1/05/18
1 item of Media coverage, 1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research