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• infectious disease and the immune system
• epidemiology/population health research

• Paediatrics

• Infectious diseases
• Respiratory Medicine

We have two different research focuses.
1] Studying how respiratory viruses (eg RSV) interact with airway epithelial cells to cause wheezing illness in infants and young children. We use an ex-vivo model of airway epithelial cells (differentiated at the air liquid interface) obtained from infants and young children. {Proceedings National Academy Science USA. 2012. In-vitro modeling of respiratory syncytial virus infection of paediatric bronchial epithelium, the primary target of infection in vivo. R Villenave et al}

2] Development of rapid near patient diagnostic tests for serious bacterial infection in children. We have developed the LAMP method for meningococcus and GBS. {Lancet Infectious Dis 2015 15(5); 552-8. Diagnostic accuracy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification as a near-patient test for meningococcal disease in children: an observational cohort study. TW Bourke et al}.

1] Using well differentiated airway epithelial cells obtained from young children with/with out a history of wheezing experiments using RSV and Rhinovirus will be performed to further elucidate why some children wheeze with these viruses and why some go on to develop asthma. Early biomarkers for persistent wheeze may be identified.

2] Children attending Emergency Departments with Fever and purpuric rash. Most have a viral infection but many are admitted and treated with intravenous antibiotics just in case. This research would be to develop a clinical decision algorithm using LAMP for meningococcal disease and/or procalcitonin that would allow safe discharge without antibiotics.