Next Generation Cancer Immunotherapies
Our laboratory focuses on rare white blood cells called dendritic cells (DC) that initiate and orchestrate immune responses. They are critical for the generation of protective immunity against infections and cancer but also drive deleterious immune responses that cause autoimmune disease and allergy. Understanding DC biology in humans has enormous potential to develop new therapeutics and improve outcomes for millions of patients afflicted by these diseases.
This project will unravel the mechanisms by which human dendritic cells promote immune responses against cancer and how tumour cells manipulate dendritic cells to subvert immune responses. You will utilise cutting-edge techniques, including advanced culture systems, novel human immune cell and tumour models, multidimensional flow cytometry, imaging, CRISPR/Cas9 and bioinformatics. The project will deliver impactful new knowledge that will be applied to develop next-generation cancer immunotherapies.