Jessica Borger

Dr Jessica Borger completed her Bachelor of Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Honours) at the University of South Australia then moved to the UK and completed a prestigious Medical Research Council Phd scholarship at the National Institute of Medical Research awarded through University College London. In Prof Rose Zamoyska's laboratory she investigated the localisation of cell surface receptors and intracellular proximal TCR signaling molecules in CD8 T cells during memory formation. Jessica's MRC postdoctoral research from 2010-2016 at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland with Prof Zamoyska involved investigating the novel role of Caveolin-1 in T cell cholesterol homeostasis, integrin signaling and exosome biogenesis. In 2016, Jessica returned to Australia and is a senior postdoctoral researcher at Monash University in Ass. Prof. Margaret Hibbs laboratory. Dr Borger currently holds a CASS Foundation Medicine/Science grant (2019-2020) to design superior CAR-T therapy approaches using novel intracellular checkpoint blockade targets. Other areas of research focus on investigating the signaling pathways of gamma delta T cells and their contribution to inflammation in models of lung disease, as well as interrogating signaling pathways involved in B cell development, activation and function.

Dr Borger also works as Associate Editor Web Promotions for Immunology & Cell Biology, Topic Editor for Frontiers in Immunology, an Associate Faculty Member for F1000Prime, providing recommendations on peer-reviewed articles recently in press, in collaboration with Ephraim P. Engleman Distinguished Professor Art Weiss and a reveiwer for Immunology & Cell Biology and Frontiers in Immunology. Dr Borger serves on the executive committee of the Victorian Infection and Immunity Network and the Lorne Infection and Immunity Conference, is Secretary on the Australian Socitey of Immunology Advanced Immunology School, is a committee member on the Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion commitee of the Central Clinical School at Monash University and the A+ Gender Equity committee of the A+ Alfred Rssearch Alliance.  Dr Borger was awarded a prestigious Veski Inspiring women STEM sidebyside scholarship - Leading the Way: Mid-career emerging leaders and was recently nominated for The Times 100 Women of Influence Award 2019. Dr Borger also writes for The Conversation, Women in STEMM Australia and Women's Agenda.