Postdoctoral Fellow, Interventional Immunology in Neonatal Diseases

Ritchie Centre

Hudson Institute of Medical Research

I trained for 3 years as a Medical-Technical Assistant at the School for Health in Meiningen, Germany, before studying biochemistry/molecular biology at the Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany. After graduating in 2008, I applied for a PhD Fellowship at the Pharmazentrum Frankfurt (Centre for Pharmacology and Toxicology, head of department Prof. J. Pfeilschifter) at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In July 2008, I was awarded a competitive three year PhD Fellowship by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (the German equivalent of the NHMRC). Under supervision of Prof. Heiko Mühl, I studied the expression regulation and function of interleukin-22 and completed my PhD in Theoretical Medicine in February 2012. In April 2012, I was recruited to the Nold Laboratory at the Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Paediatrics, Monash University. With extensive expertise in cytokine biology, I currently investigate the function and therapeutic potential of novel immune modulators of the interleukin (IL-)1 family, namely IL-1 receptor antagonist and the more recently discovered IL‑37 and IL‑38. With a strong interest in promoting the translation of basic science into applied interventional immunology, I also explore the role of these cytokines in clinically relevant models of diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus, SLE) and viral infections. The ultimate goal of my research is to influence clinical practice through the development of improved treatments for severe inflammatory conditions.