Shelley Waters

Shelley Waters is a Researcher at The University of Western Australia, affiliated with the UWA Medical School and the UWA Centre for Medical Research (Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research). Her work focuses on immunological and virological mechanisms of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in clinical contexts including HIV co-infection, transplantation, and cardiovascular disease.

Her research examines HCMV's role in immune dysregulation through viral homologues like IL-10, genetic susceptibility factors such as HLA-E/UL40 interactions, and inflammatory pathways linking viral infections to coronary artery disease. Recent investigations extend to lipidomic signatures in granulomatous diseases using MALDI-MSI technology, demonstrating cross-species pathological mechanisms in sarcoidosis.

Publications over 2023-2025 reveal intensifying focus on HCMV-HIV-cardiovascular disease triads, with emerging work on molecular imaging of granulomatous inflammation. Key methodologies include clinical sample analysis, next-generation sequencing, and mass spectrometry imaging to dissect viral footprints and host responses.

Dr. Waters contributed as Investigator 10 to the NHMRC-funded "Gamma Counter to Support Clinical and Pre-Clinical Research at WA National Imaging Facility Node" (June-December 2024), enhancing imaging infrastructure for medical research. Her fingerprint analysis confirms dominant expertise in Cytomegalovirus (100%), Human Cytomegalovirus (92%), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (76%) research.