Dr Emma Grant leads a research team within the laboratory of Prof Stephanie Gras in the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University. Her research focuses on identifying and characterising immune cell responses towards different pathogens, with a particular emphasis on influenza virus, which kills more than half a million people worldwide annually. By understanding which immune cells are “superior” in providing protection against viruses and identifying which parts of the virus they “see”, we hope to inform the design of next generation theraputics and vaccines.
Throughout her career, Dr Grant’s research has assessed immune responses in “high-risk” populations such as the elderly, and Indigenous Australians. She has also identified numerous virus-derived targets which induce strong immune responses, representing targets for future therapeutics and vaccines. Her research success, lead to back-to-back Fellowships since the completion of her PhD in 2015 (NHMRC CJ Martin 2016-2020, ARC DECRA 2021-2024), and the award of several highly competitive travel and career development awards, most recently the Lorne Infection and Immunity Mid-Career Development Award.
Research areas
Identifying new pathogen-derived targets for next generation therapeutics and vaccines
T cells, are a subset of immune cells which are critical in the control and clearance of viral infections such as influenza virus. There is growing interest in the field to activate protective T cell responses using next generation vaccines or therapeutics. T cells respond to infections by recognising small pathogen-derived targets bound to highly-diverse specialised molecules called Human Leukocyte Antigens.
Our research group is interested in identifying novel pathogen-derived targets which can be presented by these diverse HLA molecules, with a particular focus on HLA molecules that are prevalent in the human population but are highly understudied. We have already identified novel virus-derived peptides that induce strong T cell responses presented by a range of HLA molecules and will continue to investigate targets for other understudied molecules.
Understanding key correlates of protection against pathogens
Immune responses to pathogens can vary widely between humans, from small responses with limited protective capacity, to large, overwhelming responses which are detrimental to humans and exacerbate mordibity. Understanding which factors are key for a protective immune response will help us know which cells to target using next generation therapeutics and vaccines.
Our research group is interested in understanding key correlates of protection of immune responses in humans. This includes factors such as understanding the size, composure and the potency of the immune response, whether immune cells can protect against different strains of the same pathogen, and how long the immune memory lasts following the clearance of infection. We have developed and optimised many assays to assess these correlates of protection towards different pathogens including influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. We will continue to build upon this knowledge and investigate other key correlates of protection towards different pathogens, particularly viruses such as influenza.
Develop novel methods to enhance our understanding of immune cell populations in rare clinical samples
The immune response is made up of an orchestra of immune cell subsets that work in symphony to protect the body of infection. There are several cell types that make up the immune response. B-cells - which make antibodies, “Killer” CD8+ T-cells - which directly kill infected cells, and “Helper” CD4+ T-cells - that help both CD8+ T-cells and B cells. To get a full and complete picture of an immune response towards a particular disease really requires us to observe each of these cell populations and their targets, simultaneously.
Our research group will establish newly available technologies at La Trobe University which were generated to assess several CD8+ T cell populations simultaneously. We will then extend upon the scope of this new technology, by integrating our laboratories expertise in protein biochemistry and my research groups expertise in flow cytometry to simultaneously assess helper (CD4) and killer (CD8) T-cells and B populations, in our rare clinical samples.
