Innate Immunity, Cell Death, and New Targets for Fighting Severe Influenza

Why does the immune system sometimes protect us from influenza, but other times drive the severe lung damage that makes the infection deadly? The answer lies in the powerful interplay between innate immunity and programmed cell death pathways. These ancient defence mechanisms are essential for controlling infection, but when dysregulated, they fuel inflammation, tissue injury, and poor outcomes. This project will explore how innate immune responses and cell death pathways cooperate, or conflict, during influenza infection. By dissecting the molecular “decision points” that tip the balance between viral clearance and damaging inflammation, we aim to discover new host targets that both limit viral replication and protect against immunopathology. As an Honours or PhD student, you will be at the forefront of discovery science with direct translational impact. You’ll gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art approaches, including: -Advanced flow cytometry to define immune cell activation and death -Microscopy and histology to visualise infection, and lung pathology -Molecular and biochemical assays (western blot, ELISA, cytokine bead arrays, microscopy) to track signalling and inflammation -Viral plaque assays and tissue culture models to measure replication -Pre-clinical in vivo and ex vivo lung models to study host–virus interactions This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team tackling some of the biggest questions in immunology and infectious disease: how the immune system decides between protection and pathology, and how this knowledge can be harnessed to design the next generation of host-directed therapies.