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Our research

“We’re unlocking new frontiers of discovery, forging a future where immune health can be transformed into a visible picture that can be measured and understood.”
Professor Ken Smith
Director, WEHI

About our research

The centre’s interconnected research and clinical programs are designed to tackle three grand challenges in immune health. These include how to:

  • Predict who is most at risk of developing an immune disease
  • Measure, monitor and modify the immune system to maintain optimal health and prevent disease
  • Advance the development of personalised treatment approaches for immune-related conditions.

Research focus

To meet these challenges, we have established three programs:

Program 1: Measure

Build and expand on a toolbox of tests to measure immune health. These tools will help define the boundaries of a ‘healthy’ immune system and detect early signs of dysfunction.

 

Program 2: Model

Create computer models that mimic how a person’s immune system works. These personalised models will streamline the design, testing and development of new diagnostic tools and targeted treatments.

Program 3: Monitor and Modify

Establish long-term patient groups, starting at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with plans to eventually expand across Australia and internationally.

By collecting and analysing detailed clinical and immunological data over time, we aim to uncover patterns, track immune changes and design tailored interventions that improve outcomes for people living with immune diseases.

The Snow Centre for Immune Health’s pioneering research approach will accelerate discoveries in the lab to benefit patients.

“Side-by-side collaboration between researchers and clinicians, constantly sharing knowledge from the lab to bedside and back again, is the driving force of innovation in patient care.”
Professor Shelley Dolan
Chief Executive, the Royal Melbourne Hospital

Understanding the immune system

Our breakthrough science begins with a key question: How does the immune system sense, measure and match its response to specific challenges?

This is a complex and difficult problem, but our research teams have made a conceptual breakthrough.

This unique approach has the potential to guide personalised prevention and disease treatment strategies worldwide.

 

Learn more about immunology and our immune system

Sensitive immune cells

Immune cells constantly scan their surroundings, sensing threats and fine-tuning their responses.

They alter their actions to match the level of danger, like adjusting a series of dials.

These immune ‘dials’ are remarkably sensitive, and even small genetic differences between individuals can significantly alter how strongly a cell responds.

Measuring immune dials

We measure immune cell responses under highly controlled conditions to understand how they behave with mathematical precision.

By studying how these immune ‘dials’ are set and adjusted, we can explore the decision-making potential of the immune system – offering a powerful new way to assess and monitor a person’s immune health.

Diagram of three dials indicating how long cells take to divide
Any tiny changes can result in a massive impact.

Deepening our understanding of immune function

Immune-mediated diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide and represent a significant global health issue. These conditions arise from dysfunction in the immune system, leading to chronic illness, reduced quality of life, and increased risk of severe complications, such as infections or organ failure.

The prevalence of these diseases is rising, driven by many factors including aging populations, environmental changes, and lifestyle shifts. The problem is that we have no effective tools for measuring immune health or predicting those most at risk.

 

The core aim of the Snow Centre is to shift our understanding of how the immune system operates and to translate our insights into discoveries of new measures and interventions for disease.

By deciphering the intricate workings of immune responses, memory and disease variations, we aim to improve early diagnosis, understand disease mechanisms and develop more effective, personalised treatments.

Our unique scientific approach

At the Snow Centre for Immune Health, our approach involves interconnected research programs, uniting scientists and clinicians to tackle the big questions in immune health.

Find out more

Join our team

The centre is expected to employ more than 50 scientists, clinicians and staff within the first five years, supporting the next generation of talented researchers and uniting many minds from diverse fields to focus on immune health.

Visit our career opportunities page for current job listings.

 

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