- About
- People
- Projects
- Funding
- Collaborations
The Viral Immunology Group moved to the Basil Hetzel Institute in January 2010. Professor Eric Gowans and Associate Professor Branka Grubor-Bauk have remained with the group since this time while other original lab members have taken other positions or graduated and accepted positions as post-doctoral researchers around the world. Our current members are listed under the “People” tab.
Our research is focused on the development of promising Zika virus, hepatitis C and HIV vaccines, and recently SARS-CoV-2, employing various cutting edge techniques in viral vaccine design and development. This work is supported by broad experience in animal models, including infection models, in vitro and in vivo vaccine validation assays (antigen presentation, B, T cell assays, in vivo epitope mapping, fluorescent target array assay), multi-parametric flow cytometry, antibody and cytokine assays (ELISA, neutralisation assays, intracellular cytokine staining).
Interested, dedicated postgraduate students who wish to study virology and/or immunology are welcome to join our group. Please look at the possible projects under the “Projects” tab.
Publications for this group can be found on Associate Professor Branka Grubor-Bauk’s Researcher Profile page.
Read news story on The University of Adelaide website and Sunday Mail article (19 June 2022) about new COVID-19 vaccine trial that targets the Omicron variant.
Community Engagement
Read about the our group’s research in stories on The Hospital Research Foundation Group website:
- World-first needle-free Zika virus vaccine, September 2020
- South Australian scientists band together to fight COVID-19, April 2020
- The fight for a vaccine edges closer, April 2020
- Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk answers your most pressing questions about the coronavirus, January 2020
- Novel vaccine shown to prevent Zika infection, December 2019
- Virology Research Areas, June 2019
- Dr Wijesundara’s life’s work has been spent trying to eradicate deadly viruses, June 2019
Watch the video “Vaccination STEM Careers” on the RiAUS Science Channel with former lab member Dr Danushka Wijesundara explaining some aspects of our research.
Researchers
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Associate Professor Branka Grubor-Bauk
Position: Lead Researcher
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Phone: +61 8 8222 7368
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
UoA: Branka Grubor-Bauk
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Professor Eric Gowans
Position: Senior Scientist
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Phone: +61 8 8133 4003
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
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Dr Makutiro Masavuli
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Phone: +61 8 8222 6143
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
UoA: Makutiro Masavuli
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Dr Zelalem Mekonnen
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
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Dawn Whelan
Position: Research Assistant
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Email: [email protected]
Students
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Zahraa Al-Delfi
Position: Student
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
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Ryan Santos
Position: Student
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
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Morgan Skinner
Position: Student
Group: Viral Immunology Group
Theme: Drug & Vaccine Development
Email: [email protected]
Profile: View profile
Student Alumni since 2016
| Name | Degree | Awarded | Thesis title | Supervisors | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alek Kelei | First Class Honours, University of Adelaide | 2021 | Developing a novel Zika vaccine | Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk and Dr Makutiro Masavuli | The Hospital Research Foundation Honours Scholarship |
| Ryan Santos | First Class Honours, University of Adelaide | 2020 | Evaluating novel Zika virus DNA vaccines | Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk, Dr Makutiro Masavuli and Dr Zelalem Mekonnen | |
| Dawn Whelan | First Class Honours, University of Adelaide | 2020 | Maternal immunisation with a novel Zika vaccine to protect offspring from congenital Zika syndrome | Dr Branka Grubor- Bauk, Dr Makutiro Masavuli and Dr Zelalem Mekonnen | |
| Emerance Ishimwe | Honours, University of Adelaide | 2019 | Vaccination studies to elicit non-canonical neutralising antibodies to HIV | Prof Eric Gowans, Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk and Dr Dan Wijesundara | The Hospital Research Foundation Honours Scholarship |
| Zelalem Mekonnen | PhD, University of Adelaide | 2019 | Pre-Clinical Evaluation of a Vaccination Strategy to Induce Liver Resident Memory T Cells against Hepatitis C Virus | Prof Eric Gowans, Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk and Dr Dan Wijesundara | University of Adelaide Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship |
| Makutiro Masavuli | PhD, University of Adelaide | 2018 | Novel DNA vaccine formulations against Hepatitis C Virus | Prof Eric Gowans, Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk and Dr Dan Wijesundara | University of Adelaide full divisional scholarship |
| Jason Gummow | PhD, University of Adelaide | 2017 (Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence) | DNA vaccine targeting and immunomodulation | Prof Eric Gowans & Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk | |
| Khamis Tomusange | PhD, University of Adelaide | 2016 | Systemic and mucosal immunity to HIV | Prof Eric Gowans, Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk & Dr Dan Wijesundara | The Hospital Research Foundation International Scholarship |
| Harshwadhan Jagdale | MResearch, University of Adelaide | 2016 | Production and characterisation of recombinant porcine adenoviruses | Prof Eric Gowans, Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk & Dr Dan Wijesundara | Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Award |
- DNA and recombinant viral vector vaccines as therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines
- DNA delivery
- DNA as a cytolytic vaccine
- DNA vaccines designed to generate HCV virus-like particles
- Immunological analysis of the efficacy of HCV vaccines
- DNA and recombinant viral vector vaccines as prophylactic vaccines
- Recombinant human rhinoviruses as a novel vaccine for HIV
- Immunological analysis of the efficacy of HIV vaccines
| Chief Investigators | Granting Body | Project Title | Total Grant Amount | Funding Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grubor-Bauk B | Mid Career Fellowship, The Hospital Research Foundation | Neutralizing the menace of Zika virus | $480,000 | 2020 - 2022 |
| Masavuli M | Early Career Fellowship, The Hospital Research Foundation | Hepatitis C virus (HCV) challenge in vaccinated HCV-permissive transgenic mice | $240,000 | 2020 - 2021 |
| Grubor-Bauk B, Prow N, Robertson SA, Hayball J, Wijesundara D, Gowans E | Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation/The Hospital Research Foundation | Maternal immunisation with a novel Zika vaccine to protect offspring from congenital Zika syndrome | $200,000 | 2020 |
| Wijesundara WK, Gowans EJ, Robertson S, Grubor-Bauk B, Shrestha A | Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation/The Hospital Research Foundation | A pre-clinical evaluation of an innovative DNA based vaccination regimen to protect women of childbearing age against the Zika virus during sexual transmission | $240,000 | 2019 - 2020 |
| Grubor-Bauk B, Wijesundara WK, Gowans EJ | Commercial Accelerator Scheme - The University of Adelaide/The Hospital Research Foundation | A novel vaccine against Zika virus | $200,000 | 2019 |
| Grubor-Bauk B | The University of Adelaide/The Hospital Research Foundation | Research Support Barbara Kidman Fellowship | $60,000 | 2019 |
| Kopecki Z, Grubor-Bauk B, Wijesundara D, Fenix K, Cowin A | New Adventures Fund Grant, University of South Australia | Identify a diagnostic marker for psoriasis | $28,619 | 2018 - 2019 |
| Gowans EJ, Wijesundara D, Maddern G | The Hospital Research Foundation | Test the protective efficacy of a HCV DNA vaccine in an animal model | $200,000 | 2018 - 2019 |
| Gowans E, Grubor-Bauk B, Eyre N, Wijesundara D | ACH2 | Examine the protection afforded in vaccinated mice against HCV infection | $88,000 | 2018 |
| Kopecki Z, Grubor-Bauk B, Wijesundara D, Fenix K, Cowin A | New Adventures Fund Grant, University of South Australia | Identify a diagnostic marker for psoriasis | $18,193 | 2018 |
| Kopecki Z, Grubor-Bauk B, Wijesundara D, Fenix K, Cowin A | The Hospital Research Foundation Leverage funding for UniSA New Adventures Fund grant | Identify a diagnostic marker for psoriasis | $10,000 | 2018 |
| Shrestha A | The Hospital Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship | The development of novel cytolytic DNA vaccine which elicits cellular immunity to conserved viral proteins | $240,000 | 2017 - 2019 |
| Gowans EJ, Wijesundara D, Maddern G | The Hospital Research Foundation | The protective efficacy of cytolytic DNA vaccine for HCV in marmosets: a step towards human clinical trials | $50,000 | 2017 - 2018 |
| Wijesundara D | The Hospital Research Foundation: Equipment grant | FlowJo software | $7,381 | 2017 |
| Gowans EJ | The Hospital Research Foundation | A DNA vaccine to induce protective neutralizing antibodies to the HIV Tat | $80,000 | 2017 |
| Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B, Wijesundara D | National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation (NFMRI) Portfolio 1 grant | A DNA vaccine for Zika virus | $293,000 | 2015 - 2019 |
| Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B, Wijesundara D | Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology | A multigenotypic HCV DNA Vaccine | $85,000 | 2016 - 2017 |
| Wijesundara D | The Hospital Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship | Exoploiting cytolytic adjuvants and novel recombinant viral vaccines as a way forward for HIV-1 and HCV vaccine design | $480,000 | 2015 - 2018 |
| Gowans EJ, Torresi J, Das S | AISRF | Approaches to develop an effective HCV vaccine | $200,000 | 2015 – 2016 |
| Torresi J, Gowans EJ | NHMRC (#1060436) | A quadrivalent vaccine for hepatitis C | $450,000 | 2014 – 2016 |
| Gowans EJ, Roberts-Thomson I, Grubor-Bauk B | The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) | DNA vaccine therapy for HCV | $300,000 | 2014 – 2015 |
| Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B | The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) | Optimisation of HCV vaccine design | $100,000 | 2014 |
| Gowans EJ, Wesselingh S | NHMRC | Mucosal immunity to HIV | $188,000pa | 2012 - 2014 |
| Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B | ACH2 | Development of a cytolytic HCV vaccine and a novel challenge model to test efficacy | $174,000 | 2012 – 2013 |
| Gowans EJ, Torresi J, Das S | Australia-India Biotechnology Fund | A vaccine for hepatitis C virus | $100,000pa | 2011 – 2013 |
| Gowans EJ, Roberts SK, Loveland B | NHMRC | A new HCV cell therapy | $164,749pa | 2009 – 2011 |
| Gowans EJ, Loveland B | NHMRC | A novel HCV vaccine | $151,000pa | 2009 – 2011 |
| Gowans EJ, Netter HJ | ARC | Antiviral compounds to inhibit the replicase of hepatitis C virus | $55,000pa | 2008 – 2010 |
| Collaborator | Institution | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Professor Michael Beard, Dr Nicholas Eyre, Professor Sarah Robertson | University of Adelaide | Adelaide | Australia |
| Professor John Hayball, Dr Natalie Prow, Dr Zlatko Kopecki, Dr Krasimir Vasilev | University of South Australia | Adelaide | Australia |
| Associate Professor Jill Carr | Flinders University of South Australia | Adelaide | Australia |
| Associate Professor Charani Ranasinghe | Australian National University | Canberra | Australia |
| Professor Heidi Drummer | Burnet Institute | Melbourne | Australia |
| Associate Professor Joseph Torresi | Doherty Institute | Melbourne | Australia |
| Professor David Bowen | Centenary Institute | Sydney | Australia |
| Rowena Bull, Andrew Lloyd | University of NSW | Sydney | Australia |
| Dr Andrew Leishman | N4Pharma | Derby | UK |
| Dr Peter Abbink, Professor Dan Barouch | Harvard Medical School | Boston | USA |
| David Hipkiss | Enesipharma | Abingdon | UK |
| Ashley St John | Duke-NUS | Singapore | Singapore |
| Dave O'Connor | University of Wisconsin | Madison | USA |
