Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr James (Jim) Harris is an Immunologist/Cell Biologist with interests in inflammation, autophagy, macrophage and dendritic cell biology, autoimmunity and host-pathogen interactions. He is an adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health and a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO (Biomedical Manufacturing).
Dr Harris received a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Nottingham, UK and his PhD in Immunology (in fish) from the University of the West of England, UK. He has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Animal Health, UK (on cows), Oxford University, UK (on human cells), University of New Mexico, USA (on mouse cells and bacteria) and Trinity College Dublin (on all sorts). He was also Programme Manager for the Immunology Research Centre (IRC) in Ireland, a €10 million Science Foundation Ireland-funded cluster of immunology research groups. He moved to Australia and Monash in 2013.
He has published >90 articles, with >20,000 citations (h index = 44). Jim currently serves as a Deputy Editor for Immunology & Cell Biology and as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Immunology.
Research interests
Jim has an interest in innate immunity and more specifically the regulation of inflammation, particularly cytokine release by innate immune cells. Recently, he has focused largely on the regulation of IL-1 family cytokines and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), demonstrating a specific role for MIF in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome (Nat Commun 2018). He also works on the roles of autophagy in immune cells, particularly myeloid cells. In this context, he has published studies on the role of cytokines in regulating autophagy (Immunity 2007) and on the regulation of cytokine release by autophagy (J Biol Chem 2011, J Immunol 2012, Autophagy 2016, Immunol Cell Biol 2022).
Along with his interest in the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of inflammation and immunity, Jim has developed a strong interest in immune cell responses to virus infection and is working with colleagues at RMIT and CSIRO to investigate how inflammation is regulated in infected macrophages. This work will include investigations of cells infected with Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2.
Community service
Scientists In Schools
Day of Immunology Organising committee (Melbourne) 2014
Monash teaching commitment
Department Convenor, MHTP, BMS3990 Research in Action
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):
Education/Academic qualification
Immunology, PhD, Modulation of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) immune system by melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (-MSH), University of the West of England
… → 2000
Zoology, BSc (Hons), University of Nottingham
… → 1995
Research area keywords
- Arthritis
- Autophagy
- Dendritic Cell
- Immunity
- Inflammation
- Lupus
- Macrophage
- tuberculosis
- innate immunity
- scleroderma
- MIF
- Inflammasomes
- IL-1
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Establishing a novel human model for anti-fibrotic drug screening in silicosis
Bourke, J., Royce, S., Leong, T., Corrie, S., Harris, J., Sim, C. T. K., Hoy, R., Westall, G., Bardin, P. & Chen, Y.
iCare NSW (Insurance and Care NSW) (New South Wales)
1/01/23 → 27/03/26
Project: Research
-
Using co-design to improve accessibility and acceptability of cardiac services for vulnerable populations: The Equal Hearts Study
Beauchamp, A., Nicholls, S., Jessup, R., Wong Shee, A., Van Gaal, W. J., Talevski, J., Oqueli, E., Sharma, L., Harris, J. & Alston, L. V.
1/06/22 → 30/09/25
Project: Research
-
Achieving benefit without harm: a next-generation glucocorticoid replacement
Jones, S., Morand, E., Nicholson, S. E., Russ, B., Vincent, F., Harris, J., Moore, G., Goldberg, R., Turner, S. & Rosenbluh, S.
1/01/22 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
-
-
Exploring the anti-inflammatory activity of sulforaphane
Treasure, K., Harris, J. & Williamson, G., Oct 2023, In: Immunology and Cell Biology. 101, 9, p. 805-828 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access14 Citations (Scopus) -
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor promotes glucocorticoid resistance of neutrophilic inflammation in a murine model of severe asthma
Allam, V. S. R. R., Pavlidis, S., Liu, G., Kermani, N. Z., Simpson, J., To, J., Donnelly, S., Guo, Y. K., Hansbro, P. M., Phipps, S., Morand, E. F., Djukanovic, R., Sterk, P., Chung, K. F., Adcock, I., Harris, J. & Sukkar, M. B., Jul 2023, In: Thorax. 78, 7, p. 661-673 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access11 Citations (Scopus) -
Metabolic regulation of aged hematopoietic stem cells: key players and mechanisms
Karimnia, N., Harris, J., Heazlewood, S. Y., Cao, B. & Nilsson, S. K., Dec 2023, In: Experimental Hematology. 128, p. 2-9 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
GILZ regulates type I interferon release and sequesters STAT1
Nataraja, C., Flynn, J., Dankers, W., Northcott, M., Zhu, W., Sherlock, R., Bennett, T. J., Russ, B. E., Miceli, I., Pervin, M., D'Cruz, A., Harris, J., Morand, E. F. & Jones, S. A., Jul 2022, In: Journal of Autoimmunity. 131, 11 p., 102858.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
8 Citations (Scopus) -
Inhibition of the master regulator of Listeria monocytogenes virulence enables bacterial clearance from spacious replication vacuoles in infected macrophages
Tran, T. T., Mathmann, C. D., Gatica-Andrades, M., Rollo, R. F., Oelker, M., Ljungberg, J. K., Nguyen, T. T. K., Zamoshnikova, A., Kummari, L. K., Wyer, O. J. K., Irvine, K. M., Melo-Bolívar, J., Gross, A., Brown, D., Mak, J. Y. W., Fairlie, D. P., Hansford, K. A., Cooper, M. A., Giri, R., Schreiber, V., & 23 others , Jan 2022, In: PLoS Pathogens. 18, 1, 29 p., e1010166.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access6 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
-
Paper selected for the Best of Immunology & Cell Biology (ICB)/ Clinical and Translational Immunology (CTI) Workshop at the 2019 Australian & New Zealand Society for Immunology (ASI) Annual Scientific Meeting
Vincent, Fabien (Recipient), Harris, James (Recipient), Morand, Eric (Recipient), Sahhar, Joanne (Recipient), Ngian, Gene (Recipient), Kandane-Rathnayake, Rangi (Recipient), Lang, Tali (Recipient), Lin, Emily (Recipient) & Mende, Rachel (Recipient), 11 Dec 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Immunology and Cell Biology (Journal)
James Harris (Associate editor)
2019 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
-
ComBio 2018
James Harris (Session chair)
2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
-
PeerJ (Journal)
James Harris (Associate editor)
2017 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
-
Arthritis Research & Therapy (Journal)
James Harris (Editorial board member)
2016 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
-
Immunology and Cell Biology (Journal)
James Harris (Associate editor)
2016 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility