Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health SciencesResearch Domains

Infection and Immunity

HIV AIDS, influenza, tuberculosis and malaria are serious diseases caused when viruses, bacteria or parasites breach our body's defences and invade our cells, tissues and organs. Researchers within the infection and immunity domain study these infectious agents, seeking to understand their mode of transmission and mechanisms of pathogenesis. They also conduct research into our body’s most sophisticated defence mechanism against infection: the immune system.

Read more about the Infection and Immunity Domain and its subdomains

 

 News

When a sore thoat ends in heart ache

It’s a disease thought to affect more than 15 million people worldwide, 2.5 million of which are children, and more than 200 000 people are thought to die from it every year. Yet many people still do not know the disease even exists. What disease are we talking about? Read more...

 

National Science Week: 10 of the Best Research Projects 2009

Congratulations to honorary researchers of the University of Melbourne, A/Professors Steven Stacker and Marc Achen, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and A/Professor David Thomas, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, whose research has been profiled in the National Health and Medical Research Council's book and accompanying series of podcasts "10 of the Best Research Projects 2009." Read more.

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Success stories

Research Snapshot

Rotavirus hastens the onset of type 1 diabetes

In type 1 diabetes the body’s immune system mistakenly sees its own pancreatic beta cells as being foreign and selectively destroys them. Rotaviruses which cause severe gastroenteritis in children have been implicated in worsening this situation. Researchers at the University of Melbourne have provided the first evidence that rotavirus infection can accelerate the development of diabetes in an animal model. These studies indicate that the timing of the rotavirus infection is important. Rotavirus can hasten diabetes onset once beta cell autoimmunity is established. This does not come about by direct rotavirus infection of the pancreas. The new animal models described in this research are expected to provide key information for understanding human diabetes. Read the paper.

More snapshots.

Events

Malaria in Melbourne
When: 26th & 27th October
Where: Walter & Eliza Hall Institute Melbourne
Registration: RegMiM2009@wehi.edu.au or visit our website.

 

Graduate Research Students

If you are interested in doing a graduate research degree please lodge an Expression of Interest.

 

The PhD Experience

Are you thinking of doing a PhD, but want to know more about what you might be getting yourself into? We invite you to listen to eight PhD candidates at various stages of their PhD share their experiences, as they plan their project, recruit participants, and analyse and communicate their results. Listen to the podcast on the PhD Experience.

 

Podcast

Health & Medicine

Australia is the only developed country yet to eradicate trachoma, a curable eye disease that causes blindness. Professor Taylor is determined to wipe out trachoma and help bridge the health gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians. Listen to the podcast.

Research Bulletin

Do you wish to be alerted to upcoming training courses, seminars, lectures and conferences? Would you like to know about research and travel grants, scholarships, fellowships and studentships? Sign up to receive the fortnightly MDHS Research Bulletin into your email inbox! The Research Bulletin aims to alert researchers and their higher degree research students to opportunities for enriching and developing their research careers and experience. To submit an item for inclusion on the Research Bulletin or to be added to distribution list, please email mdhs-bulletin@unimelb.edu.au.

To view the latest bulletin click here.

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