Ashley Mansell

Ashley Mansell is an Associate Professor affiliated with Monash University and based at the Hudson Institute - Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Disease. His research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms of innate immunity, particularly the role of inflammation in a wide range of diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and infectious diseases.

• PhD in Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin (2001)
• BSc in Chemistry, Monash University (1988)

Dr Mansell’s research centers on the body’s first-line immune defense mechanisms, especially Toll-like receptors and inflammasomes. He investigates how these pattern recognition receptors detect pathogens and initiate inflammatory responses, and how dysregulation leads to chronic or hyperinflammatory conditions. A major focus is immunometabolism, particularly the role of STAT3 in mitochondrial reprogramming and metabolic regulation of immune cells. His work has significant implications for understanding and treating diseases such as septic shock, autoinflammatory disorders, and viral pandemics like COVID-19 and influenza.

His recent publications highlight cutting-edge work on gasdermin proteins and NLRP3 inflammasome activation by viral proteins. These studies explore how programmed cell death pathways (pyroptosis) contribute to lung damage during viral infections and how targeting inflammasomes can reduce disease severity. His research is highly translational, aiming to develop new therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases.

Dr Mansell is actively involved in multiple research projects funded by the NHMRC and other agencies, focusing on influenza, silicosis, kidney disease, and cerebral palsy. He collaborates with virologists and international partners, including a laboratory in Bonn, Germany. His work contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in health and well-being.

• Targeting pyroptosis to limit influenza severity (2023–2026)
• NLRP3 as a biomarker/therapeutic in silicosis (2021–2024)
• Inflammasome targeting for cerebral palsy (2018–2020)

He is accepting PhD and Honours students and leads projects on immunometabolism and inflammasome modulation. While no specific awards are listed, his sustained research output and leadership in major grants reflect significant recognition in the immunology field.