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Dr Bridie Clemens

Dr Bridie Clemens

(03) 8344 3383 | bridie.clemens@unimelb.edu.au

Position:: Research Fellow
Theme(s):: Immunology
Discipline(s):: Indigenous Health
Unit(s):: Department of Microbiology and Immunology (DMI)
Lab Group(s):: Kedzierska Group

Dr Bridie Clemens is an NHMRC Peter Doherty Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Bridie’s PhD research, conducted with Professor Stephen Turner at The University of Melbourne, combined aspects of cellular, molecular and structural immunology to provide novel insights into the selection of T cell repertoires in response to virus infection. Under the mentorship of Professor Anne Kelso, Bridie’s early postdoctoral research focused on dissecting the molecular mechanisms involved in regulation of T cell differentiation and function. As an NHMRC Peter Doherty Fellow, Bridie has embarked on a new research program that focuses on identifying and characterising protective immune responses in Indigenous Australians who are highly susceptible to severe influenza disease. These studies are the first of their kind to be performed for Indigenous populations anywhere in the world and are crucial for designing better strategies to protect Indigenous Australians from the threat of severe influenza disease.

Research Groups

Research Groups
- Kedzierska Group
  
  Professor Katherine Kedzierska’s team researches immunity to viral infections, especially the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. Her work spans basic research from mouse experiments to human immunity through to clinical settings, with particular focus on understanding universal CD8+ T cell immunity to respiratory viruses. Her studies aim to identify key correlates of severe and fatal respiratory disease in high-risk groups including children, the elderly, Australian First Nations people, pregnant women and patients with co-morbidities.
  
  Lab Team
  - Professor Katherine Kedzierska
    
    Laboratory Head
  - Dr Oanh Nguyen
    
    Senior Research Fellow
  - Dr Lukasz Kedzierski
    
    Senior Research Fellow
  - Dr Brendon Chua
    
    Senior Research Fellow
  - Dr Louise Rowntree
    
    Senior Research Fellow
  - Dr Carolien van de Sandt
    
    Senior Research Fellow
  - Dr Bridie Clemens
    
    Research Fellow
  - Dr Hayley McQuilten
    
    Research Officer
  - Lily Allen
    
    Research Assistant
  - Jennifer Habel
    
    PhD Candidate
  - Wuji Zhang
    
    PhD Candidate
  - Isabelle Foo
    
    PhD Candidate
  - Howard Huang
    
    PhD Candidate
  - Deborah Gebregzabher
    
    Honours Student
  - Dr Ryan Thwaites
    
    Visiting Researcher from Imperial College London
  - Tejas Menon
    
    PhD Candidate

Full University of Melbourne profile