Dr Adam Wheatley
NA | a.wheatley@unimelb.edu.au
- Position:
- Laboratory Head
- Theme(s):
- Immunology, Viral Infectious Diseases
- Discipline(s):
- Discovery Research, Clinical and health systems research
- Unit(s):
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology (DMI)
- Lab Group(s):
- Kent Group, Wheatley Group
After a PhD at University of Melbourne, Dr Wheatley undertook postdoctoral training at the Vaccine Research Center, NIH, USA. There he focused upon defining correlates of immune protection following clinical immunisation trials and characterising humoral immunity elicited to experimental HIV and influenza vaccines. He returned to the University of Melbourne in 2015, where he established a team focused upon understanding mechanisms to generate broad and lasting antibody-based protection against viral diseases such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Specific interests include the control of B cell trafficking, germinal centre and memory formation, the basis for cross-reactive recognition of antigenically diverse pathogens by antibody, and the rational design and pre-clinical testing of novel vaccine concepts.
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Key Achievements
Publications
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Adam has made significant contributions to our understanding of basic B cell biology, with applications in the rational design of improved vaccines to combat viral infectious diseases. He is a major proponent of using flow cytometric approaches to study antigenic specific B cell immunity in the context of respiratory virus infection (Cell 2016, Nat Med 2020), vaccination (JCI 2019, Nat Comm 2021), and for the discovery of antiviral monoclonal antibodies (Nat Comm 2019, Cell Reports 2021). He is an NHMRC EL and Dame Kate Campbell fellow, and his research program has been supported by the NHMRC, MRFF, ARC and philanthropic grants.
Research GroupsLoading ORCID data…-
Kent Group
Stephen’s group studies immunity to HIV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2. They are analysing a variety of vaccine strategies, including nanoparticle-based vaccines. They are studying a series of immune responses to gain better insights into protective immunity to important viral pathogens. They are developing monoclonal antibody therapies for HIV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 to improve the treatment of these infections. The Kent group works very closely with Dr Amy Chung’s laboratory at the Doherty Institute.
Lab Team
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Dr Adam WheatleyLaboratory Head
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Laboratory Head
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Hyon-Xhi TanPostdoctoral Fellow
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Research Fellow
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Research Officer
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Rosela WebsterPostdoctoral Fellow
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Mai Ngoc VuPostdoctoral Fellow
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Lara SchwabPostdoctoral Fellow
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Mitchell ZhengPostdoctoral Fellow
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Mai-Chi TrieuVisiting Postdoctoral Fellow
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Andrew KellyResearch Assistant
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Lauren BurmasResearch Assistant
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Julie NguyenResearch Assistant
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Robyn EsterbauerResearch Assistant
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Thakshila AmarasenaResearch Support Officer
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Jane BattenProject Manager
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Janavi RambhatlaSenior Project Officer
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Devaki PilapitiyaPhD Student
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Ruth PurcellPhD Student (co-supervisor with Amy Chung)
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Isaac Barber-AxthelmPhD Student
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Kirsty FieldPhD Student
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Samantha DavisPhD Student (co-supervisor with Amy Chung)
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Thu DoPhD Student
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Yee-Chen LiuPhD Student
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Veronica ZoestPhD Student
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Professor David O'ConnorHonorary
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Professor Shelby O'ConnorHonorary
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Dr David (Yi) JuHonorary
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Dr Hillary VandervenHonorary
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A/Prof Matt ParsonsHonorary
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Dr Nghia TruongHonorary
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Dr Sinth JegaskandaHonorary
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A/Prof Steve RockmanHonorary
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Dr Emily PilkingtonGuest Scientist
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Dr Shiyao LiGuest Scientist
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Diyana HassanelGuest Scientist
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Zihnil MazradGuest Scientist
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Wheatley Group
The Wheatley group seeks to increase our understanding of immunity to SARS-CoV-2, Influenza and other pandemic viruses, in order to facilitate rational improvement of vaccination strategies and treatment paradigms. With a primary focus on humoral aspects of immunity, we aim:
- To explore immunological mechanisms that underpin successful vaccination, including the factors that maximise the protective efficacy, breadth and durability of anti-viral immunity.
- To design, develop and clinically assess the next-generation of vaccine platforms and regimens, including self-assembling nanoparticle and mRNA-based technologies.
- To discover, optimise and clinically develop human/humanised monoclonal antibodies as potent antiviral drugs for treatment or prevention of viral infectious diseases.
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