Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research
Led by Associate Professor Joanne Reed, the Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research (CIAR) brings together multidisciplinary researchers investigating how the immune system drives human disease. Using advanced immunology, genomics, proteomic and single-cell approaches, CIAR investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for disease. We focus on autoimmune, inflammatory, infectious and neurological diseases, with the goal of translating discoveries into improved diagnosis, prevention and personalised treatment. CIAR connects basic immunology and genomic research with clinical medicine, pathology and patient cohorts through our strong links with Westmead Hospital and NSW Health Pathology. Our close integration with clinicians and patients enables our research questions to be informed by unmet clinical needs and facilitates the rapid translation of scientific discoveries into improved biomarkers and therapeutic approaches. CIAR fosters a friendly, inclusive and collaborative research environment, with a strong commitment to supporting students and researchers through mentorship, professional development and opportunities to collaborate across disciplines.
Research groups within this centre
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Veronica Abal
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Recent achievements
CIAR researchers have been awarded competitive grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Rebecca Cooper Foundation, MS Australia, Lupus Research Alliance, Leo Foundation, Dementia Australia and Arthritis Australia.
In collaboration with Westmead Hospital, CIAR researchers have established five new disease biobanks containing patient tissue, blood and clinical information for our research studies.
Researchers have developed new technological advances in spatial transcriptomics, genomics and organoids to investigate disease mechanisms.
Grant Success for CIAR
In the last year, members of CIAR have been awarded over $5million in competitive funding grants to continue their research endeavors. A/Prof Joanne Reed received an NHMRC Investigator Leadership grant, Profs Andrew Harman and Scott Byrne NHMRC Ideas Grant and an NHMRC Development Grant to Scott Byrne. Dr. Caitlin Finney’s Dementia Australia grant was the top-rated application across Australia. PhD students Dr. Adrian Lee was awarded an AIFA Early Career Research Grant and Lara Glass an Arthritis Australia postgraduate student scholarship.
A new test to identify patients with COVID-19 in need of life-saving treatment
CIAR’s Dr. Maryam Shojaei and her team have developed a new test that identifies which patients with COVID-19 will develop a secondary bacterial infection, the leading cause of why people deteriorate after COVID-19 infection. Current tests to detect secondary bacterial infections are time-consuming and unreliable. The new test detects early warning signs from the immune system of bacterial infection to provide rapid and accurate information to enable early treatment. This work was published in Lancet Microbe (2024).
A global study uncovering genetic insights into multiple sclerosis
CIAR’s Dr. Grant Parnell and our past Director, Prof Graeme Stewart are part of the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium, that have analysed genetic risk factors in over 12,000 patients with multiple sclerosis. The team’s findings, published in Nature (2023) identify new genetic variants and other factors that correlate with disease outcomes and severity and provide clues to understand disease mechanisms and enable precision treatments.
Research Centre Research Focus
Autoimmune Diseases
Coeliac disease
Immunobullous diseases
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy
Multiple sclerosis
Sjögren’s disease
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Infectious Diseases
COVID-19
Influenza and other causes of sepsis and pneumonia
Inflammatory Diseases
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (e.g. Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis)
Psoriasis and other inflammatory skin diseases (e.g. dermatitis and eczema)
Neurodegenerative disease
Systemic Amyloidosis
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