10 Oct 2017
NHMRC grants October 2017 | Amy Chung | Functional antibodies against infectious disease
Amy Chung
Amy Chung, amfAR Mathilde Krim Fellow, HIV Vaccines Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute.
Career Development Fellowship
Project
Importance of functional antibodies against infectious diseases
Context
Antibodies are highly functional proteins capable of recognising infectious disease pathogens and instructing surrounding immune cells to attack them. This project aims to identify specific antibody targets on HIV and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis associated with protection/control of disease and to understand the mechanisms behind the most functional antibodies. Ultimately, these studies will guide the development of future vaccines and therapies against these deadly pathogens.
Antibodies are a vital component of the immune response required for protection and control of infectious diseases. The support provided by this fellowship will allow us to further understand the protective mechanisms of antibodies against HIV and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and may potentially provide new insights towards the development of improved antibody based-vaccines and therapeutics.