Infection & Immunity

August 25 2020

Connecting infection and immunity researchers and clinicians to improve disease understanding, control and treatment

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites that spread between humans, animals and the environment

The Infection & Immunity Network collaborates around three core areas: pathogen emergence and spread, antimicrobial resistance and novel therapies, and vaccines and immunity. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of this work.

An immediate priority for the network is to establish a clinical vaccine trials platform in NSW, so that when new vaccines become available, we can rapidly test them to assess how they work in an Australian context.

Network Lead

Professor Ben Marais
Co-Director, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infectious Diseases specialist, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
ben.marais@health.nsw.gov.au

View Profileof Professor Ben Marais
Professor Tania Sorrell
Director, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity and Director, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research
View Profileof Professor Tania Sorrell

Get Involved

The best way to get involved with SHP Infection & Immunity Network is to contact Professor Ben Marais

Get Involved

Latest News

Filling an Evidence Gap to Improve Vaccination Advice to Some Pregnant Women
One of these concerns women who become pregnant while taking one of a new class of “biological” immune-suppressant drugs called bDMARDs. Typically used to treat autoimmune conditions including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and psoriasis, there is the potential that bDMARDs might reduce the effectiveness of vaccinations routinely given to pregnant women. It is … Read more

Read more of the post Filling an Evidence Gap to Improve Vaccination Advice to Some Pregnant Women
Immune System “Memories” Guide Treatment Decisions for Lung Cancer Patients
It is now possible, for example, to produce stable long-term remissions in some advanced lung-cancer patients by a process called immune checkpoint therapy. Checkpoint therapies are, however, effective in only one-in-five patients, are very expensive and can induce severe side-effects. Now a Sydney Health Partners-funded project has developed a novel blood test which can predict … Read more

Read more of the post Immune System “Memories” Guide Treatment Decisions for Lung Cancer Patients

Infection & Immunity

Network Lead

Professor Ben Marais

Professor Tania Sorrell

Get Involved

Latest News