Queensland COVID-19 research
This page of Queensland’s research related to the COVID-19 pandemic is compiled from information provided by Queensland universities and research institutes.
While many of our researchers are working on potential vaccines, treatments and other medical interventions, other researchers are applying their expertise to other impacts of the pandemic upon our economy and other aspects of society. The data includes immediate research activity, recent relevant work, proposed research (subject to available funds) and other responses using the resources and expertise of our research organisations.
Listing 6 matching responses out of 149 total responses.
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Harnessing Oxidised Cholesterols to Reverse Susceptibility to COVID-19 in Diabetes August 2021
Diabetes increases susceptibility to and severity of bacterial and viral respiratory infections. A Mater Research group led by A/Prof Katharina Ronacher recently discovered that oxidised cholesterols play an important role in the immune response to tuberculosis in the lung. They are now investigating the role that oxidized cholesterols, so called oxysterols, play in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 severity in presence and absence of diabetes. This study will significantly advance our knowledge in respiratory infection research by establishing the biological significance of oxidised cholesterols and the benefits of modulating oxysterol activity to improve respiratory infection outcomes.
#Immunology
- Centre
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Mater Research Institute
The University of Queensland - Contact details
- Associate Professor Katharina Ronacher
Principal Research Fellow
katharina.ronacher@mater.uq.edu.au
+617 3443 7633 - Collaborations
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- Collaborators:
- Dr Kirsty Short, The University of Queensland
- Prof. Mette Marie Rosenkilde, The University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Prof. Thomas Mandrup-Poulsen, The University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Understanding T cell mediated immune control of Sars-CoV-2 and the development of a cellular immunotherapy approach for COVID-19 May 2021
Our research team is focused upon developing an understanding of immunodominant T cell responses to Sars-CoV-2 and using this knowledge as a platform to develop T cell based immunotherapy. Associate Professor Corey Smith, head of QIMR Berghofer’s Translational and Human Immunology Group, is leading the COVID-19 Immunity study, examining how the immune systems of those who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 responded to the virus. QIMR Berghofer researchers have received a million dollar boost to further their understanding of COVID-19 immunology from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) as part of its Coronavirus Research Response.
#Immunology
- Centre
- Contact details
- Associate Professor Corey Smith
Team Head
corey.smith@qimrberghofer.edu.au
+617 3362 0313 - Collaborations
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- The University of Queensland
- Monash University
- Mater Research
- Queensland Health
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Understanding immunity to COVID-19 May 2021
Professor Denise Doolan at AITHM James Cook University is part of an Australian and international collaboration to understand immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and why individuals respond differently, and to develop diagnostics for COVID-19 suitable for rapid point-of-care measurement of immunity in low transmission and resource-poor areas.
#Immunology#Diagnostics
- Centre
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Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine
James Cook University - Contact details
- Professor Denise Doolan
Professorial Research Fellow
Denise.Doolan@jcu.edu.au
+617 4232 1492 - Collaborations
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- Prof Katherine Kedzierska, Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne
- Australian National University
- Burnet Institute, Monash University
- The University of Queensland
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High levels of a specific cytokines in COVID-19 severity suggest a divergence between anti-viral and pro-inflammatory T-cell responses May 2021
This Queensland collaborative research project with several Chinese research institutes aimed to gain an understanding of the paradox of the immunity in COVID-19 patients with T cells showing both functional defects and hyperactivation and enhanced proliferation. By investigating COVID-19 patient samples and mouse models, this study demonstrates a divergent function of T cells in severe COVID-19 patients in which insufficient anti-viral immunity and pro-inflammatory T cell expansion contribute to disease severity.
#Immunology
- Centre
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Diamantina Institute
The University of Queensland - Contact details
- Prof Di Yu
Professorial Research Fellow
di.yu@uq.edu.au
+614 2333 9898 - Collaborations
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- Collaborators:
- Professor Min Xie and her team, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital
- Tongji Medical College
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
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Spatial mapping of COVID-19 infected tissues May 2021
We used cutting-edge spatial mapping tools to identify and compare cells in the lungs of COVID-19 patients, to that of influenza and healthy tissue. This work has identified genes which are exclusive to COVID-19 and may be used to stratify disease severity early on.
#Data science#Diagnostics#Immunology
- Centre
- Contact details
- Dr Arutha Kulasinghe
NHMRC Research Fellow
arutha.kulasinghe@qut.edu.au
+617 3138 6227 - Collaborations
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- Collaborators:
- Dr Fernando Guimaraes Diamantina Institute
- Prof Gabrielle Belz Diamantina Institute
- Dr Kirsty Short School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
- Prof Ken O’Byrne Institute of Health Biomedical Innovation, QUT
- A/Prof Melissa Davis, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
- Dr Chin Wee Tang, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
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Researchers develop direct-acting antiviral therapy to treat COVID-19 May 2021
Scientists from Menzies Health Institute Queensland and City of Hope in the US have developed an experimental direct-acting antiviral for COVID-19. They used gene-silencing RNA technology - siRNA (small-interfering RNA) to attack the virus’s genome directly. This stops the virus from replicating and is delivers the siRNA to the lungs by lipid nanoparticles. This still experimental treatment was designed at Griffith University and City of Hope. The treatment reduces viral load by 99.9% and is designed to work on all betacoronaviruses such as the original SARS virus (SARS-CoV-1) as well as SARS-CoV-2 and any new variants that may arise in the future.
#Immunology#Infection management
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Menzies Health Institute Queensland
Griffith University - Contact details
- Prof Nigel McMillan
Program Director Infectious Diseases and Immunology
n.mcmillan@griffith.edu.au
+61 0413 730 894 - Collaborations
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- Collaborator: Beckman Research Institute - City of Hope USA
- Funder: Medical Research Futures Fund - Australian Government
Other Queensland COVID-19 initiatives
- Queensland Government
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) business assistance finder
- Life Sciences Queensland
- Life Sciences Queensland joins the data-powered alliance to stop COVID-19
Key Australian COVID-19 initiatives
- Australian Academy of Science
- Rapid Research Information Forum (RRIF)
- COVID-19 Expert Database
Key international COVID-19 initiatives
- CORD-19 (COVID-19 Open Research Dataset)
- Free database of 130,000 plus COVID-19 open research papers