Sino-Australia COVID-19 Partnership program

Collaborative Research Seed Funding

Seed funding as been allocated to research projects between the Doherty Institute and Chinese partner universities. Each application has been competitively assessed by an independent panel based on objective criteria. It is hoped that these projects will form part of a larger program of work, enhance the collaborative relationship and attract additional resources.

Seven grants have been allocated as follows:

Defining immune responses in COVID-19 to understand immunotherapy treatments

Doherty Institute Investigator: Professor Katherine Kedzierska
Chinese Partner: Fudan University

Therapeutic targeting of SARS-CoV-2 RNA with CRISPR-Cas13

Doherty Institute Investigator: Professor Sharon Lewin
Chinese Partner: University of Hong Kong

Insights About SARS-CoV-2 Transmission From Hotel Quarantine In Australia and Hong Kong

Doherty Institute Investigator: Associate Professor Sheena Sullivan
Chinese Partner: University of Hong Kong

Novel DAA development for SARS-CoV-2

Doherty Institute Investigator: Dr Nadia Warner
Chinese Partner: Fudan University

Identifying and harnessing MR1-reactive T cells responding in COVID-19

Doherty Institute Investigator: Dr Zhenjun Chen
Chinese Partner: Guangzhou Medical University

COVID-19 severity and cytokine modulation of the antibody landscape.

Doherty Institute Investigator: Dr Thi Hoang Oanh Nguyen
Chinese Partner: University of Hong Kong

Haplotype Analysis of the SARS-Cov-2 genome

Doherty Institute Investigator: Professor Peter Revill
Chinese Partner: Fudan University

Sino-Australia COVID-19 Seminar Series

The seminar series features data-driven presentations form Australia and China on various topics related to COVID-19 infection and immunity.

Please enjoy recordings of past events below.

Webinar 1: Hong Kong and Australia respond to COVID-19: epidemiology, policy and practice

7 October, 2020

Professor Sharon Lewin (Doherty Institute) – Chair
Professor Jodie McVernon (Doherty Institute) – COVID-19 Epidemiology in Australia
Professor Ben Cowling (the University of Hong Kong) – Epidemiology and Control of COVID-19 in Hong Kong

In part one of this special seminar series chaired by Professor Sharon Lewin, Professor Jodie McVernon and Professor Benjamin Cowling present Hong Kong and Australia respond to COVID-19: Epidemiology, policy and practice.

All countries have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but none exactly alike. As we enhance preparedness to future disease events, we can begin to reflect and identify learnings from different locations and policy settings. Comparing the experiences of Hong Kong and Australia offers potential insight into relative effectiveness of these responses.

While the outbreaks, clinical outcomes and policy responses have varied significantly, the role of epidemiological evidence and modelling has remained critical for both. This seminar showcases the expertise of two key researchers from the Doherty Institute and the University of Hong Kong, to discuss the types of evidence used to inform government decision-making and strategy.

Webinar 2: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 Immunity in a Pandemic

30 March, 2021

Professor Katherine Kedzierska (Doherty Institute) – Chair
Dr Rong Zhang (Fudan University) – The S1/S2 boundary of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein modulates cell entry pathways and transmission
Dr Amy Chung (Doherty Institute) – High throughput characterization of antibody immunity to COVID-19