Viral hepatitis – hepatitis B and C – affects more than 500 million people globally and is a leading cause of liver cancer and liver failure. Our basic laboratory research is informed by clinical practice at Blacktown and Westmead Hospitals, giving us ready access to a patient cohort, the ability to run hospital clinical trials, and providing a vehicle for rapid translation of our research.
Research Directions
- Find a cure for Hepatitis B
- Improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for people living with Hepatitis B
- Understand the mechanisms of HBV infection persistence and HBV DNA integration.
- Host-virus evolution in chronic HBV infection and liver disease progression.
- Pre-cancerous changes in liver cancer to develop novel diagnostics and prognostics.
- The broader impacts of chronic hepatitis B from the perspective of the affected community
- Study the impact of hepatitis C virus drug resistance mutations on treatment outcomes
- Monitor hepatitis C drug resistance in the community to assist hepatitis C elimination
Recent Achievements
- A/Prof Thomas Tu recognized for his research and community leadership with the Inaugural Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Fellowship
- A/Prof Douglas awarded a NHMRC Ideas Grant to develop new ways to identify people with hepatitis B who can safely stop long term treatment (EMPOWER-B study)
- A/Prof Douglas awarded an international patent for a novel approach to curing hepatitis B by targeting a key host gene, funded by an ongoing NHMRC Ideas Grant.
Recent publications

Mitosis of Hepatitis B virus-infected cells results in uninfected daughter cells. JHEP Rep, 4:100514.
June 2022

De novo synthesis of Hepatitis B virus nucleocapsids is dispensable for the maintenance and transcriptional regulation of cccDNA. JHEP Rep, 3:100195.
February 2021

Impact of an Open Access Nationwide Treatment Model on Hepatitis C Virus Antiviral Drug Resistance. Hepatol Commun, 4:904-915.
June 2020

Polo-like kinase-1 mediates hepatitis C virus-induced cell migration, a drug target for liver cancer. Life Sci Alliance, 6: e202201630.
August 2023

The lived experience of chronic hepatitis B: a more complete view of its impact and why we need a cure. Viruses, 12:515.
May 2020
NAME | ROLE |
A/Prof Mark Douglas | Group Leader |
A/Prof Thomas Tu | Group Leader |
Dr Sarah Bae | Postdoctoral Fellow |
Ms Delgerbat Boldbaatar | PhD student |
Mr Henrik Zhang | PhD student |
Ms Dong Li | PhD student |
Mr Harout Ajoyan | PhD student |
Ms Vikki Ho | Senior Research Officer |
Ms Gabriela Wu | Honours student |
Ms Mylisa Vu | Project manager |
https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/about/our-people/academic-staff/mark-douglas.html
Recent Media Mentions
- https://www.innovationdistricts.au/news/humans-aug23
- Featured as “Human of Westmead” (Aug 2023) – https://www.innovationdistricts.au/news/humans-aug23
- Writer and Presenter of “What do we mean by Hepatitis B cure?”, an episode of HBV Cure FAQs, a community tool empowering the community by equipping them with the knowledge needed to understand research for a Hepatitis FAQs – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-AkX9PJzgY
- Interviewed by Bendigo Advertiser about childhood hepatitis of unknown aetiology (22nd May 2022) – https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/7774974/rise-in-mysterious-childhood-illness-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/ and https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/7774974/rise-in-mysterious-childhood-illness-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/
- Interviewed by BBC World News about childhood hepatitis of unknown aetiology (22nd May 2022)
- Interviewed by Channel 7 News about childhood hepatitis of unknown aetiology (Apr 2022) – https://7news.com.au/news/public-health/a-deadly-hepatitis-outbreak-is-spreading-across-the-world-heres-what-we-know-c-6608861?fbclid=IwAR0XGYZXm_-DoxNCaRwjYvx5tcVHkSA-PqyyzzSQPz-hsIEdofecuZbXjhY
- Interview subject for Career Evolution: STEM initiative, run by Western Sydney Business Connection for school students in South West Sydney to encourage careers in STEM
- Interview subject of 2 articles in Nature (Mar 2022) – https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00812-1; https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00816-x
- Invited interviewee for LiverWELL podcast (23rd December 2021) – https://liverwell.org.au/podcast-an-interview-with-thomas-tu/
- Central subject for “Routine vaccines, Extraordinary impact: Hepatitis B” article series by Gavi, the vaccine alliance (5th Nov 2021) – https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/routine-vaccines/extraordinary-impact-hepatitis-b
- Invited interviewee for GAVI, the vaccine alliance (5th Nov 2021) – https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/whenever-i-get-pain-my-side-it-always-accompanied-anxiety-how-it-feels-live-chronic
- Invited interviewee for The Limbic (20th Sept 2021) – https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/podcast-gesa-21-conference-wrap-with-dr-thomas-tu-and/id1550546090?i=1000536069732
- Invited interviewee for ShootStar HBV awareness campaign run by Hepatitis NSW (September 2021) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6cZ3MKdT1g
- Invited guest interviewee for Hope 103.2 Radio Program (August 2021) – https://hope1032.com.au/stories/culture/podcasts/2021/dr-thomas-tu-the-scientist-who-found-hope-by-researching-his-own-disease/
- Host and panel member of general public event Viral Hepatitis: improving lives with medical research – a panel discussion (29th July 2021) – https://youtu.be/rVEnz4PtrEY
- Invited interviewee for Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine eNews Bulletin (July 2021) – https://www.ashm.org.au/news/hepbcommunity.org—an-australian-led-global-hepatitis-b-community-initiative/
- Invited interviewee for B Heppy, a podcast developed by the Hepatitis B Foundation (USA) (July 2021) – https://bheppy.buzzsprout.com/1729790/8875834 and https://bheppy.buzzsprout.com/1729790/8912845
- Interviewee for The Medical Republic (23th April 2021) – https://medicalrepublic.com.au/new-online-community-for-hep-b-patients/44153
- Interviewee for HepVoices (14th April 2021) – https://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/sites/default/files/resources/documents/hepvoice_marchapril.pdf
- Interviewee for The Pulse (13th April 2021) – https://thepulse.org.au/2021/04/13/westmead-hepatitis-b-researcher-launches-world-first-support-forum/
- Interviewee for Eavesdrop on Experts University of Melbourne Podcast (November 2019) – https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/podcasts/exposing-the-hepatitis-b-virus
- Blog post for Hepatitis Australia (October 28th 2019) – https://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/blog/thomas-story
- Central subject of ABC Health News website story on HBV research (October 2nd 2019) – https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2019-10-02/hepatitis-b-diagnosis-inspires-science-career/11566428?fbclid=IwAR0oZBiSBFVQ6GX2y56NqEl4EWabp2Aw7KUZ2sjejdTZh_cAfY6oyeKoEUU
- Central subject of Doherty Institute News website story on HBV research (October 2nd 2019) – https://www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/news/dr-thomas-tus-speech-from-the-international-hbv-meeting-2019
- Central subject of SBS News story on HBV research (October 1st 2019) – https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1604591171599/sbs-world-news-1-october
- Central subject of SBS News website story on HBV research (October 1st 2019) – https://www.sbs.com.au/news/hepatitis-b-cure-will-be-found-within-10-years-pledge-international-scientists-in-australia
- Central subject of Drive (ABC Melbourne Radio program) Interview on HBV research (October 1st 2019) – https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/drive/drive/11540940