The Univeristy of Melbourne The Royal Melbourne Hopspital

A joint venture between The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital


Dr Figgett is an expert in B-cell immunology, autoimmunity pathogenesis mechanisms, and mouse models of Systemic Lupus Erythematsus (SLE). He completed his BSc(Molecular Biology & Genetics) (Hons I) degree from Sydney University (top-ranked in his honours cohort), followed by his PhD from UNSW (with full APA scholarship). He completed postgraduate training in research commercialisation (UNSW Business School), and postdoctoral training in computational science and bioinformatics to analyse transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbial metagenomics datasets. Dr Figgett’s research includes fundamental B-cell biology and the development of new therapies for treating SLE and B-cell malignancies.

  • Key Achievements
    • Dr Figgett discovered a fundamental safety-mechanism that regulates the non-specific activation of B-cells, a finding published in Immunity (a top-ranked primary immunology journal). He identified key protein interactions that are important in the disease-progression of SLE, and has developed novel treatment strategies for autoimmunity and B-cell-related diseases. He co-supervised 9 research students and was awarded competitive early-career research awards from the Victorian Cancer Agency, and the University of Melbourne (Translational Research Award), supporting immuno-therapeutics innovations.

    Publications
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    Research Groups