Helen McGuire

Associate Professor Helen McGuire is affiliated with the University of Sydney, holding a position in the School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health. She is a member of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre and the Charles Perkins Centre. Her research focuses on applying cytometry techniques, particularly mass cytometry (CyTOF), to study immune system dynamics in diseases such as cancer, infections, and cardiovascular conditions. She has been instrumental in launching mass cytometry in Australian medical research as part of Prof Barbara Fazekas’ team at the Ramaciotti Facility for Human Systems Biology.

• Education: BMedSci (UNSW), PhD in Immunology from Garvan Institute of Medical Research (2011).
• Professional Roles: Councillor of the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry, Marylou Ingram Scholar, past President of the Australasian Cytometry Society, and past Councillor of the Australian & NZ Society for Immunology.

Her research interests emphasize translational immunology, with a focus on immune checkpoint blockade in cancer, cytokine signaling in inflammatory diseases, and biomarker discovery for atherosclerosis. She investigates T cell responses, CAR T cell therapy, and immunological mechanisms in conditions like multiple sclerosis and endometriosis. Her work bridges clinical applications and advanced cytometry methodologies for disease prediction and treatment efficacy.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in mass cytometry for immune profiling, T cell exhaustion, and the interplay between microbiota and immune modulation in diabetes. She has also contributed to guidelines for immunological studies and protocols for phosphorylated signaling marker analysis in mass cytometry.

• Awards: 2019 Sydney Catalyst Best Oral Presentation, 2013 Stanford Postdoctoral Mentor of the Year, 2012 NHMRC Early Career Fellowship.

In advising and grants, she mentors students like Natalie Smith (melanoma immunotherapy) and Shuwen Ye (pancreatic cancer therapies). She leads or co-leads grants on topics such as immune monitoring in cancer, cardiovascular precision medicine, and nanotechnology for contraception. Her grants include collaborations on inflammatory biomarkers in arthritis and AI-driven analysis of high-dimensional cytometry data.

She is affiliated with the Ramaciotti Facility for Human Systems Biology and collaborates closely with Prof Fazekas de St Groth’s team. Her research also explores immune reconstitution post-hematopoietic stem cell transplants and cytokine profiles in viral infections.