Alexandra Brown

Alexandra Brown is an early career researcher and respiratory immunologist affiliated with The University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute. She holds a Post Doctorate Researcher appointment in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, specializing in respiratory diseases. Her work focuses on understanding interactions between bacterial/viral infections and host immune responses in asthmatic disease, particularly exploring iron metabolism's role in respiratory pathogenesis and therapeutic target discovery.

Dr. Brown completed her Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Hons), and Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Newcastle. Her research integrates immunology, infectious disease, and respiratory biology to address high-burden respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD.

Key research interests include:

• Iron metabolism's role in viral (influenza) and bacterial infection outcomes
• Sex hormone impacts on asthma severity and immune responses
• Obesity-associated respiratory disease mechanisms
• Inflammasome pathways in severe asthma
• Therapeutic targeting of metabolic pathways in lung disease

Her publications (n=73) reveal a focus on translational research linking basic immunology to clinical applications. Notable findings include identifying iron regulation as critical for influenza severity and demonstrating female sex hormones' influence on asthma pathogenesis through metabolic pathways.

Dr. Brown has secured $3.06M in research funding including NHMRC Ideas Grants and industry partnerships. She currently supervises 5 PhD students investigating topics like obesity-lung disease interactions and iron metabolism's therapeutic potential.

Her work is conducted through collaborative networks at the Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs and the Immune Health Program, with active involvement in international respiratory disease research initiatives.