The Translational Immunology Research Program focuses on improving the diagnosis, management and care of people living with immune deficiencies due to genetic and other causes. This includes people with primary immunodeficiency, locally acquired immunodeficiency, those who have received a haematopoetic stem cell transplant, and people with autoimmune conditions.
The research team is involved in developing pathways to gene therapy and discovering new drugs and biomarkers. They also seek to adapt existing research tests so that they can be used in the diagnostic laboratory to improve diagnosis for patients.
The research program functions through close collaboration between patients, clinicians and researchers at St Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research and St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, as well as the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Kirby Institute. The program also offers education and training opportunities for PhD students and medical trainees.
The research is integrated into the clinical services at St Vincent’s Hospital so that the clinicians and researchers can work together to improve clinical care of patients. Patients diagnosed in Immunology clinic can then be provided personalised treatment based on the findings and insights from the research program.
St Vincent’s was the first hospital in Australia to establish a Clinical Immunology department. The Centre for Immunology was established soon after, which comprised clinical immunology, diagnostic immunology, and research laboratories. It was from this strong, established clinical research hub that St Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research was born.