معرفی
Dr. Megan Steain is a Senior Lecturer in Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Sydney, affiliated with the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation, the Charles Perkins Centre, and the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute. Her research focuses on viral immune evasion mechanisms, particularly in Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) and SARS-CoV-2. She investigates how viruses modulate host cell death pathways, such as apoptosis and necroptosis, and their impact on immune responses. Additionally, her work explores functional amyloids in viral pathogenesis and the development of novel vaccine strategies against emerging pathogens.
Her current research student, Olivia Lavidis, is working on 'Harnessing the inflammatory power of necroptosis to build second-generation viral oncolytic vectors.' Her recent grants include projects on HSV1 and Alzheimer’s disease, nasal-delivered vaccines to block SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and oncolytic vector therapies for colorectal cancer.
Research interests span topics like innate immune modulation, viral modulation of apoptosis, and adjuvant mechanisms in vaccine design. Her work bridges basic virology with translational research, aiming to improve understanding of viral persistence and develop effective antiviral strategies.
She has collaborated on grants such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) project, the NSW Health/Covid-19 Research Grant, and the Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity funding. Her research has contributed to breakthroughs in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy prediction and mechanisms of immune response suppression by herpesviruses.
