Department of Pathology Honours Projects
Dr M Dziegielewski
Application of computers and multimedia in Pathology education.
Dr N Hawkins
Molecular changes which drive the process of development or colorectal cancer. Emphasises on the correlation between microscopic appearances of cancer and the key genetic and epigenetic changes that underpin cancer development.
Dr P Polly
Unravelling transcriptional mechanisms of liver and muscle gene regulation by nuclear hormone receptors in the context of cancer induced inflammation. Impact of systemic and metabolic changes due to: altered cytokine levels; presence of tumours; toxicity of anti-cancer drugs and cachexia are focus areas of clinical importance.
Dr M Raftery
Proteomic analysis of cells/tissues using protein separation mass spectrometry techniques. Provides an opportunity to apply state-of-the-art techniques in proteomics to a disease condition, working in collaboration with the researchers listed above and below.
Dr G Velan
Multimedia and education in Pathology.
A/Prof Minote Apte / Dr Phoebe Philips
Project 1: Molecular mechanisms of pancreatic inflammation and pancreatic fibrosis.
Project 2: Pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, in particular the role of tumour-stromal interactions in cancer progression.
Skills Learnt: Cell culture techniques, protein chemistry (immunoblotting, ELISA, enzyme assays), and immunostaining, RNA and DNA isolation, RT-PCR, working with animal models of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Prof Carolyn Geczy / Dr Ken Hsu
Project 1: Characterisation of novel S100 calcium binding proteins in chronic disease. These novel proteins act like cytokines and affect neutrophil and macrophage functions, and mast cell activation. We have found novel anti-oxidant functions of these proteins indicating critical roles in asthma and atherosclerosis.
Project 2: Regulating cancer cell growth and invasion by S100 proteins.
Using gene manipulation, S100 proteins in cancer cells will be knocked-down or over-expressed. Analysis of the influence of this on cell survival and invasion in cell-based assays and in animal models will be performed.
Project 3: Transcriptional regulation of S100 genes in myeloid cells and cancer cells. How S100 genes are turned-on in particular environments (eg in a tumour) will be studied, with emphasis on particular signaling pathways and transcription factors.
Skill acquired: Gene manipulation and protein analysis, gene analysis at molecular levels, cell-based assays for apoptosis and migration, and assessment of animal models.
Dr Nick Di Girolamo
Inflammation and eye disease. Tissue breakdown and injury repair of the eye. The effects of UV light on the eye.
Project 1: Investigate the role of CD44 (hyaluronan receptor) and MMP-9 in corneal stem cell migration.
Project 2: Identify regulatory mechanisms that define human lens development including whether stem cell activity can be localised.
Project 3: Describe the pathology that develops on the ocular surface of UV irradiated mice eyes. Is this an appropriate model of UV-induced human ocular surface disease?
Project 4: To investigate the metastatic activity of human colorectal cells that have had their MMP-1 gene silenced in an animal model of colorectal cancer. This study will assess the functional importance of MMP-1 in tumour invasion and metastasis.
Skills learnt: Flow cytometry, real time PCR, histology, immunohistochemistry, Western Blotting, multiplex MMP and cytokine assays, some projects involve animal models.
Prof Michael Grimm
Mechanisms of inflammation and leucocyte recruitment in inflammatory bowel disease.
Project 1: Examination of regulatory and effector mechanisms involved in protection against intestinal inflammation following appendicectomy.
Project 2: Chemokine and chemokine receptor determinants of leucocyte migration to the intestine in health and disease.
Skills learnt: Flow cytometry, ELISpot, cytokine production, immunohistochemistry, real time PCR and microarrays. Mouse studies: abdominal surgery, inducing colonic inflammation, clinical assessments. Human studies: health questionnaire studies, tissue disaggregation, cell isolation and tissue culture.
Dr John Hunt / Prof Patrick McNeil
Project 1: Mast cells: genetics of novel mast cell proteases and role of mast cells/mast cell proteases in inflammation, including in rheumatoid arthritis.
Project 2: Leucocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors in rheumatoid arthritis.
Project 3: Autoantibodies against CRP, SAA and lipoproteins in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Skills learnt: Cell culture, recombinant protein production, molecular biology techniques including PCR, qRT-PCR, immunoblot and immunohistochemistry, and microarrays. Some projects involve animal studies (knock-out mice), and others involve studying patient samples.
Prof Rakesh Kumar / Dr Cristan Herbert
Project 1: Macrophages and inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of asthma
Project 2: Role of subsets of T helper cells in asthma
Project 3: Influence of early-life infections on the development and progression of asthma: role of epigenetics
Skills learnt: Laboratory studies utilise animal models (inbred mice) and a variety of quantitative histopathology and immunology assays e.g. immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, RT-PCR, multiplex cytokine assays.
Prof Andrew Lloyd / Dr Ute Vollmer-Conna / Dr Barb Cameron
Project 1: Determinants of the severity and course of acute infection: genetic, immunological and neurobehavioural factors contributing to illness outcomes.
Project 2: Making leucocytes move: the role of chemokines and their receptors in the regulation of trafficking of effector and regulatory T lymphocytes into the liver in hepatitis C infection.
Project 3: Protective immunity against hepatitis C: defining the characteristics of cellular immune responses against the virus in high risk individuals with good outcomes, including those who remain uninfected and those who clear infection.
Skills learnt: Laboratory studies: flow cytometry, ELISpot, cytokine production, immunohistochemistry, real time PCR and microarrays. Neurophysiological studies: autonomic function and exercise performance studies. Epidemiology: qualitative and quantitative data collection methods in the field; mathematical modeling and multivariate statistical analyses of population data
Dr Nicodemus Tedla / Dr Katherine Bryant
Modulation of immune responses with novel immune regulatory receptors (leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors). Regulation of the threshold and amplitude of cellular activation in rheumatoid arthritis and allergic inflammations. The mechanisms of viral and tumour immune evasion.
Project 1: Identification and characterization of novel ligands for LILRs
Project 2: The role of LILRA2 in bacterial phagocytosis and killing in neutrophils
Skills learnt: Flow cytometry, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, immunoblots, ligand binding assays, subcloning, phagocytosis and bactericidal assays, protein expression and real time PCR.
Prof Paul Thomas
Project 1: Nitric oxide, oxidative stress and the lung. Projects include: the role of NO in airway inflammation; oxidative-antioxidative balance, and functional studies on how these mediators affect airway cells.
Project 2: Exhaled breath condensate and breath analysis in smoking-related lung diseases and asthma-this rapidly progressing area of research is leading to new advances in how we can monitor lung diseases such as lung cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Skills learnt: Working with patients in a hospital setting, and laboratory skills including cell biology studies and protein detection assays.
Prof Denis Wakefield
Project 1: Role of molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of HLA B27 related diseases.
Project 2: Clinical features and treatment of chronic anterior uveitis.
Project 3: Clinical features and long term follow up of HLA B27 uveitis.
Skills learnt: Data handling including collection of clinical information and databasing. T cell response assays including flow cytometry and ELISpot.
Dr Amany Zekry /
Dr Clovis Palmer
Pathogenesis of liver injury in chronic hepatitis C virus infection and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Project 1: Role of the innate and cellular immune responses in mediating liver injury in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Project 2: Role of microRNA in the liver in the regulation of host responses to obesity and hepatitis C infection.
Project 3: The hepatitis C cell culture model: examining the interactions between lipids, cytokines, and hepatitis C virus.
Project 4: Novel approach to characterise metabolic and effector CD8+ T cells function during chronic HCV infection. This study is examining the role of various metabolic and interferon signalling molecules on the effector function of cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells during HCV infection
Skills learnt: Real time PCR and microarray techniques, flow cytometry, ELISpot, immunohistochemistry, cell culture, quantitative PCR, phos-flow cytometry, ELISA, multiplex cytokine assay, cell sorting, target gene knockdown and proteome analysis.
Centre for Vascular Research
Prof B Chong
Platelet and megakaryocyte biology; Mechanisms of platelet disorders; Gene regulation of haematopoiesis.
Dr M Davenport
Mathematical and statistical analysis and bioinformatics of infectious diseases. Current projects involve study of viral-immune dynamics in HIV, and red cell destruction in malaria. Students with some background in (or just not afraid of) mathematics, bioinformatics, or computer science are encouraged to come and discuss the possibilities.
Dr K Gaus
The role of membrane structure and the organization of membrane domains (lipid rafts) in signal transduction processes.
Prof W Jessup
Cell biology of atherosclerosis. Interests are in how cells in the artery wall store and export excess cholesterol. Current projects: role of membrane transporter proteins in cholesterol export; plasma membrane structure and function in arterial cells; how diabetes stimulates atherosclerosis. Techniques include gene silencing (siRNA), transient and stable overexpression systems, real-time PCR, HPLC, Western blotting, functional assays of cholesterol transport, cell culture and microscopy.
Prof L Khachigian
Uncovering the roles of key transcription factors in neointima formation (arterial thickening), angiogenesis, tumour growth, myocardial ischemia, and inflammation. Novel uses of DNAzymes, siRNA and modified antisense oligonucleotides as gene-silencing "molecular assassins" in cellular and animal models of human disease. Isolation and characterisation of novel genes that are involved in narrowing of blood vessels.
Dr Shane Thomas
Project 1: Role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease
This project aims to define the biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which oxidative stress causes endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular disease patients.
Project 2: Roles and regulation of an immune regulatory protein in antigen presenting and cancer cells
This project aims to better understand the biochemical and molecular mechanisms through which tumour cells avoid removal by the cancer patient’s immune system.
Skills learnt: Tissue culture of vascular, immune or cancer cells, molecular biology (PCR), cell signalling and western blotting, analytical chemistry (spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry), recombinant protein expression and site-directed mutagenesis, measurement of blood vessel function, animal models of vascular disease, histology, immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy.
UNSW Cancer Research Centre
Dr Anthony Don
Project 1: Formation and secretion of sphingosine 1-phosphate in tumour cells. Secretion of sphingosine 1-phosphate in the tumour microenvironment promotes blood vessel formation and polarises macrophages such that they support rather than inhibit tumour growth, as well as enhancing the growth of the tumour cells. This project will use biochemistry and molecular biology techniques, as well as liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, to investigate the control of sphingosine 1-phosphate formation, secretion, and degradation in breast and pancreatic cancer cells.
Project 2: Mechanism of action of novel anti-cancer agents based on the endogenous lipid sphingosine. We will investigate the activation of a family of kinases that respond specifically to sphingosine analogues, and the function for these kinases in the inhibition of tumour cell proliferation and survival. The project will employ biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology techniques.
Prof Philip Hogg
Studying the concept of biological regulation through protein disulfide interchange. We have shown that disulfide interchange events are critical for new blood vessel formation in tumours and HIV infection of blood cells.
Dr Jason Wong
Identification of splice variants in cancer proteomes. Splice variants have been implicated in many cancers. Identification of these variants will enhance our understanding of the how they affect protein function.
Skills learnt: Bioinformatics, Proteomics, Mass spectrometry.