Julianne (Julie) Djordjevic

Associate Professor

Bachelor of Science/Honors/PhD

Julie.djordjevic@wimr.org.au

Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

Fungal Pathogenesis and Drug Discovery Group

Currently open to PHD and Honours students in the topic areas of:

Understanding fungal cell cycle and transcriptional regulation

Understanding how fungi sense and respond to nutrient deprivation and stress

Investigating new antifungal therapies

Julianne (Julie) Djordjevic

Biography

A/Prof Djordjevic investigates how fungi cause deadly diseases in humans and new therapeutic approaches to treating fungal infections (3 provisional patents).

Using the fungal priority pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans (WHO 2023) as a model, she discovered how fungi release virulence factors and how they sense and respond to nutrient deficiency and temperature stress. She also characterized a potentially druggable metabolic pathway critical for the success of a fungal infection. With a multidisciplinary team of national and international collaborators, A/Prof Djordjevic and her team are developing inhibitors to block this pathway as a new antifungal treatment. We are also investigating the antifungal properties of novel chemotherapeutic agents.

Research interests

Fungal nutrient acquisition pathways, Fungal stress response pathways, Fungal cell cycle and transcription regulation, Investigating new antifungal therapies

Adjunct roles

Fellow Australian Society for Microbiology
Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI) steering committee member University of Sydney
Professional member Australian Society for Microbiology
Host-pathogen interactions theme leader of Fungisphere (a node of Sydney ID) Sydney ID, University of Sydney.
Principal Research Fellow/Associate Professor (honorary appointment) University of Sydney, FMH
Undergraduate lecturer (3rd year) University of Sydney- School of Medical Sciences

Current grants

NHMRC: Ideas grant 2020-2023 Fungal IP7-protein interaction and invasive fungal disease: a dangerous liaison.
Western Sydney Local Health District/University of Sydney/Industry Partner:Biodiem Australia 2021-2024 NSW Health PhD Partnership Program: Arg1 as a new antifungal drug target
University of Sydney Drug Discovery Initiative 2023 Understanding the mechanism of action of a novel antifungal drug target

Affiliations

Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney

Professional Associations and Organisations

July 2023-present Australian Society for Microbiology Fellow
Jan 2023-present University of Sydney Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI) steering committee member
2019 Oct-June 2023 Australian Society for Microbiology Professional member
2018 June-present. Sydney ID, University of Sydney. Host-pathogen interactions theme leader of Fungisphere (a node of Sydney ID)
2015-present University of Sydney, FMH Principal Research Fellow/Associate Professor (honorary appointment)
2010-present University of Sydney- School of Medical Sciences Undergraduate lecturer (3rd year)

Awards and recognition

WISE Awardee 2008/2015/2016/2019/2021