The Human Immunology Laboratory at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) studies the immunology of the autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes (T1D). Our focus is on understanding how and why the immune system, of otherwise healthy people, turns against the pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells causing the disease T1D. The work in the lab is divided into two broad themes: (i) understanding the underlying immune mechanisms that lead to T1D and (ii) applying this knowledge to develop better ways to diagnose, predict progression and delay or prevent the onset of T1D.
Unusually for an autoimmune disease, T1D frequently develops in the first decades of life. Currently, T1D is treated by frequent insulin injections which replaces the insulin normally produced by the beta cells. While insulin replacement has been a life-saving therapy for T1D over the past 100 years, it is not a cure. People with T1D have must manage their insulin therapy and have a shorter life expectancy than those without T1D.
We have projects that investigate: (i) the antigen specificity of human islet-infiltrating T cells, (ii) the role of autoantibody responses in the pathogenesis of T1D and (iii) develop and validate new assays for monitoring changes in function of beta-cell antigen specific T cells in people with, or at risk of developing T1D. Students who work on these projects will join a vigorous research group that currently three postdocs, three research assistants and three students. They will gain an excellent scientific and academic training in immunology, particularly human T-cell immunology and autoimmunity.
Supervised by
