08:30-09:00

REGISTRATION

09:00-10:00

SESSION 1: KEYNOTE SESSION
CHAIR: Maria Liaskos, MIMR-PHI Institute

09:00-10:00

From lab bench to global health

Keynote Speaker:
Anne Kelso, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza

10:00-10:30

MORNING TEA - Tapestry Lounge

CHAT WITH THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER - WEHI Boardroom

10:30-12:00

SESSION 2: HOST DEFENCE

CHAIRS: Sheila Dias, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute 

Kim Pham, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

   10:30-10:45

Skin-resident memory CD4+ T cells are retained by hair follicles following skin damage

Nicholas Collins, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG)

   10:45-11:00

Intravital imaging of CD8 T cell responses in the brain during experimental cerebral malaria

Julia Gregory, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PD)

   11:00-11:15

Sidt2 is required for innate immunity to extracellular double stranded RNA

Tan Nguyen, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG) 

   11:15-11:30

Examining the role of MLKL in necroptotic cell death

Joanne Hildebrand, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PD)

   11:30-11:45

The inflammasome adaptor ASC mediates gastric tumourigenesis independent of inflammation

Alison Browning, MIMR-PHI Institute (PG)

   11:45-12:00

Harbouring a killer: a proteomic approach to comparing host responses to Hendra virus

Amanda Woon, Monash University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PG)

12:00-13:00

LUNCH

13:00-15:00

SESSION 3: PATHOGENS

CHAIRS: Jhih-Hang Jiang, Monash University, Department of Microbiology

Jaclyn Pearson, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute 

   13:00-13:15

Subverting innate immunity: Regulator recruitment as a novel complement evasion strategy for malaria parasites

Alexander Kennedy, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

   13:15-13:30

Unraveling a network of interactions involved in the trafficking of virulence proteins in P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes

Steven Batinovic, University of Melbourne, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Bio21 Institute (PG)

   13:30-13:45

Identification of substrate recognition sites for type III effector NleC of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Cristina Giogha, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG) 

   13:45-14:00

Understanding the role of Clostridium difficile toxin A and toxin B in pathogenesis and the host immune response, using a mouse model of infection

Steven Mileto, Monash University, Department of Microbiology (PG)

   14:00-14:15

The role of recombination and mutation in the generation of genetic diversity of HIV-1

Albert Garcia Minambres, Deakin University and CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (PG)

   14:15-14:30

“High Fidelity” HIV Mutations have reduced viral fitness in vivo

Sarah Lloyd, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG)

   14:30-14:45

The unique high-affinity iron assimilation system of dimorphic pathogen Pencillium marneffei

   14:45-15:00

Protein export and host cell effectors in Toxoplasma

Michael Coffey, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

15:00-15:30

AFTERNOON TEA

15:30-17:00

SESSION 4: CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

CHAIRS: Anushi Rajapaksa, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

 Julianne Bayliss, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory 

   15:30-15:45

The immunotherapeutic use of bovine colostrum against Clostridium difficile
Bliss Cunningham, Monash University, Department of Microbiology (PG)

   15:45-16:00

A novel inhibitor of Dengue Virus that activates the unfolded protein response and provides in vivo protection against lethal infection

Johanna Fraser, Monash University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PD)

   16:00-16:15

Investigating the escape mechanisms of Hepatitis C virus towards a broadly neutralising monoclonal antibody, MAb24

Jun Gu, Burnet Institute (PG)

   16:15-16:30

Association between naturally acquired antibodies to the Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface proteins DBL1 and DBL2 and protection from Malaria clinical episodes

Chris Chiu, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

16:30-17:00

SESSION 5: SCIENCE BITES

CHAIR: Natalie Counihan, Deakin University

   16:30-16:33

Super-resolution microscopy reveals important roles for microtubule bundling by rabies virus P3 protein in immune evasion and disease 

Aaron Brice, University of Melbourne, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Bio21 Institute (PG)

   16:33-16:36

Reliable in silico algorithms for determining HIV-1 coreceptor usage and patient eligibility for Maraviroc

Kieran Cashin, Burnet Institute (PG)

   16:36-16:39

TNF Receptor Associated Factor-2 negatively regulates excessive cytokine production and recruitment of inflammatory leukocytes to the skin

Nima Etemadi, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

   16:39-16:42

Chimeric secretory component: a novel tool for serodiagnosis of mucosal infections

Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah, Burnet Institute (PG) 

   16:42-16:45

Hematopoietic cell-derived CXCL10 impairs efficient control of blood stage malaria and promotes severe disease

Lisa Ioannidis, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PD)

   16:45-16:48

Regulation of binary toxin by CdtR in different backgrounds of Clostridium difficile

Shelley Lyon, Monash University, Department of Microbiology (PG)

   16:48-16:51

Programming T cell division destiny

Julia Marchingo, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

   16:51-16:54

Biochemical actions of novel compounds against Trypanosomas Brucei

Daniel Stoessel, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PG)

   16:54-16:57

Identification and localisation of tetracycline resistance elements in Clostridium sordellii

Callum Vidor, Monash University, Department of Microbiology (PG)

   16:57-17:00

The dose makes the poison: dendritic cell suppression by P. falciparum

Xi Zen Yap, Burnet Institute (PG)

17:00-18:00

POSTER SESSION, FOOD AND DRINKS

18:00

ORAL/POSTER PRIZE PRESENTATION

Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 and innate immunity

Elizabeth Aitken, University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine at the Peter Doherty Institute (PD) 

Mutations within conserved SH3-binding motifs identified in key regulatory West Nile Virus proteins impact on replication

Turgut Esad Aktepe, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG)

Using high-throughput approaches to measure levels of immunity to Plasmodium falciparum across populations

Ricardo Ataíde, Burnet Institute (PD)

Envelope glycoprotein determinants of macrophage tropism during progressive HIV-1 subtype C infection

Katharina Borm, Burnet Institute (PG)

Interferon gamma autoantibodies associated with susceptibility to disseminated mycobacterial infections

Julian Bosco, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

Prosthetic joint infections and superbug biofilms

Darcie Cooper, Deakin University (Honours Student)

MYB is essential for the function of thymus-derived regulatory T cells

Sheila Dias, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PD)

Tcf-1 controls the differentiation of innate-like CD8⁺Rorγt⁺ T cells

Brigette Duckworth, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (Vacation Scholarship Student)

Antibody response to a library of Plasmodium vivax invasion antigens in an area of decreasing malaria transmission

Camila Franca, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

The correlation of an M Peptide ELISA with the direct bactericidal assay for Group A Streptococcus

Hannah Frost, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (RA)

Role of Regulatory T cells in Citrobacter rodentium infection

Ka Yee Fung, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PD)

Characterization of the role of the MARCH family of ubiquitin ligases on membrane proteostasis in vivo by label free proteomic analysis

Pauline Huang, University of Melbourne, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Bio21 Institute (PD)

The therapeutic use of colostrum-derived antibodies against toxin and spores of Clostridium difficile

Melanie Hutton, Monash University, Department of Microbiology (PD) 

Single nucleotide polymorphisms within cardiolipin synthase 2 reduce daptomycin susceptibility and impact on cardiolipin biogenesis in Staphylococcus aureus

Jhih-Hang Jiang, Monash University, Department of Microbiology (PD)

An information-theoretic approach to dissect the kinetics of lymphocyte response

Andrey Kan, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PD)

How malarial infection leads to severe malarial anemia

Asha Lakkavaram, Deakin University (PG) 

Investigating the role of IFN-lambda in immunity against parasites

Rachel Lundie, Burnet Institute (PD)

Mouse Norovirus recruits PI4P during infection

Tanya O’Donnell, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG)

CHD7 deficiency in “Looper”, a new mouse model of CHARGE syndrome, results in ossicle malformation, otosclerosis and hearing impairment

Jacqueline Ogier, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (RA)

A genome-wide RNAi screen to identify host factors involved in Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm effector translocation

Sze Ying Ong, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG) 

Characterisation of a family of novel glycosyltransferases from Salmonella

Joshua Newson, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG)

Asymmetric Cell Division during T lineage development - consequences in immunity and cancer

Kim Pham, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PD)

Haematopoietic Cell Kinase activation promotes the development and progression of colorectal cancer in mice

Ashleigh Poh, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

Aerosol delivery of therapeutics by inhalation via acoustic nebulisation produces both local and systemic responses in sheep

Anushi Rajapaksa, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (PD)

Shape of the fluoroquinolone concentration-time profile is critical in resistance prevention

Vanessa Rees, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PG)

Starving the superbug: A novel antimicrobial therapy that targets selenium metabolism to treat Clostridium difficile infection

Christine Roder, Deakin University (PG)

Sequence-dependent off-target inhibition of TLR7/8 by synthetic microRNA inhibitors

Soroush Sarvestani, MIMR-PHI Institute (PG)

A single dose vaccine depot that is slowly degraded in tissue to induce and maintain strong long-lived antibody responses

Toshiki Sekiya, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG) 

Characterisation of the Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm effector SnpL

Hugh Spencer, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG) 

Small molecules as a weapon of choice to target RIPK2

Che Stafford, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

Identification of enhancers in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

IFNγ and Smac mimetics induce synergistic killing of tumor cell lines

Maria Tanzer, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (PG)

Bioinformatic analysis of genome-wide SNP data from NGS studies of P. falciparum

Natacha Tessier, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (RA)

The branched structure of an electrostatically charged Pam₂Cys-containing lipopeptide is important for conferring immunogenicity when formulated with antigen

Acep Riza Wijayadikusumah, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG) 

Mapping potential substrate ‘docking’ sites of a novel bacteria enzyme NleB1 which inhibits host cell death

Tania Wong, University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute (PG)