معرفی
Dr. Grant Parnell is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and a Group Leader at the Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research (Westmead Institute for Medical Research). His research focuses on translating genomic and transcriptomic technologies into clinical practice, particularly investigating the role of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in immune tolerance and myeloid cell differentiation. He leads the Immunogenetics Group, which explores interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors (e.g., vitamin D deficiency and Epstein-Barr virus) in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS).
Education:
- PhD in Biomedical Science, University of Sydney (2014)
- BSc (Hons Class I)
Research Interests:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis and genetic risk loci
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) interactions with immune cells
- Vitamin D's role in immune regulation and autoimmune disease susceptibility
- Biomarker discovery for infectious diseases (e.g., influenza)
Recent Article Trends: His work spans genomic and epigenetic mechanisms linking EBV infection, VDR signaling, and MS progression. Key themes include viral-host interactions, genetic-environmental risk synergies, and translational applications of transcriptomics.
Awards: 2021 Faculty of Medicine and Health Makers and Shapers Award for Teaching Excellence.
Grants/Advising: Active grants focus on EBV-MS therapeutic targets, vitamin D's immunomodulatory effects, and molecular mechanisms of MS pathogenesis. He has advised over 20+ research projects across multiple institutions.
Labs/Teams: Leads the Immunogenetics Group at the Westmead Institute, collaborating with the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium and multiple academic hospitals.
