The astonishing lack of innovation in the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; lupus) and related  diseases, is broadly acknowledged. For the last 60 years, glucocorticoid (GC) (or ‘steroid’) use has been effectively universal in the treatment of autoimmune disorders both in developed and developing countries. This is despite the predictable harmful effects of glucocorticoids on health, and also despite decades of research aiming to uncover a safer alternative. Why the stagnation in progress in this field? No newly discovered targets or pathways have proved to be as widely applicable as GC to the range of processes operative in autoimmune disease. 

What is lacking is a safe targeted therapeutic with the rapid, profound, ‘diagnosis agnostic’ effects of GC. Our work in a range of inflammatory cells and pathways, in mouse models and human samples, has confirmed that the glucocorticoid-induced protein GILZ represents a novel therapeutic alternative to reduce reliance on glucocorticoids.

The research conducted by my team is paving a pathway towards developing a therapeutic strategy to target GILZ. We draw upon our internationally recognised expertise and tools in lupus models, glucocorticoid biology and human immunology. Our research centre curates a very large and detailed longitudinal lupus clinical database linked to a multi-thousand sample biobank, as well as access to the full suite of molecular and cellular technologies and murine lupus models.

See more here: https://youtu.be/2KS1WZbGFJs 

And here: https://www.veski.org.au/people/sarah-jones/

Sarah is the Head of the Rheumatology Research Laboratory within the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health. Her research centres on advancing innovative pre-clinical interventions and experimental, biological and clinical investigation of autoimmune disease mechanisms. Alongside her position at Monash University, Sarah also holds the position of acting CEO and Founder at GILZRx, Australia, leveraging her extensive 18-year background in management and research within the life sciences and biotechnology field.

Sarah supervises PhD, MD-PhD, Honours, BMedSc (Hons) and 3990 students - please contact Sarah if you are interested in joining her group.

Sarah works closely day-to-day with rheumatologists and clinical researchers in the Department of Rheumatology at Monash Health. Sarah also supervises research Honours projects for BMedSc (Hons) students and MD-PhD students. 

Scientific consultant, editor and lead author, Nelson Cengage Learning

• Biology for the Australian Curriculum, Units 3 and 4 (released in Australia and New Zealand)
• Biology for the Victorian Certificate of Education, Units 1 and 2
• Biology for the Victorian Certificate of Education, Units 3 and 4

Sarah has a track record of engaging deeply with the secondary education sector in Australia to promote quality education in biology. Sarah has held roles as lead author, consultant and editor on Nelson Cengage’s Biology textbook series (years 11 and 12) for the Australian Curriculum and the Victorian Certificate of Education, delivered training and workshops for teachers as well as materials for use in classrooms, and has held had many volunteer roles with multiple outreach programs targeting senior secondary school students and teachers.