Understanding the dynamics of T cell responses to chronic infection. The health, social, and economic impact of chronic infections on the Australian and global populations is enormous. A major obstacle to the development of vaccines against chronic infections is that we have a poor understanding of immune responses to persistent infections. We aim to use bioinformatics and mathematical modelling to understand immune responses to persistent viruses so that we can improve the long-term immune cont ....Understanding the dynamics of T cell responses to chronic infection. The health, social, and economic impact of chronic infections on the Australian and global populations is enormous. A major obstacle to the development of vaccines against chronic infections is that we have a poor understanding of immune responses to persistent infections. We aim to use bioinformatics and mathematical modelling to understand immune responses to persistent viruses so that we can improve the long-term immune control of chronic viral infections such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This project will strengthen Australian research in the area of interdisciplinary approaches to immunology, which is becoming crucial to interpreting the rapidly increasing volume of data obtained using advanced experimental techniques.Read moreRead less
T cell recognition and control of virus: the balance between T cell receptor diversity and degeneracy. T cells provide an important line of defence in the immune system's resistance against infectious diseases. However, changes to the T cell population during prolonged infection, and with age, can compromise the immune system's ability to fight effectively viral infections. The proposed research will greatly improve our understanding of the recognition and control of viral infections by T cells. ....T cell recognition and control of virus: the balance between T cell receptor diversity and degeneracy. T cells provide an important line of defence in the immune system's resistance against infectious diseases. However, changes to the T cell population during prolonged infection, and with age, can compromise the immune system's ability to fight effectively viral infections. The proposed research will greatly improve our understanding of the recognition and control of viral infections by T cells. The insights gained from this research will enable us to exploit key features of T cell responses to improve the outcome of viral infections in elderly individuals and to develop better vaccines for protection against a range of infectious diseases that affect the Australian population, including HIV and Hepatitis C.Read moreRead less