Biography

Dr Hafsa Rana completed her Bachelor of Medical Science in 2016 with the University of Sydney, majoring in Immunobiology. She then went on to complete a Master of Philosophy (Medicine) at WIMR in 2018, characterising a novel epidermal Dendritic Cell subset and its role in HIV infection. This work contributed to a landmark publication in Nature Communications (Bertram, Botting & Baharlou et al., 2019). She then pivoted into Herpes Simplex Virus research for her PhD (2018-2022) under the supervision of Prof. Anthony Cunningham where she characterised the initial events that take place during HSV infection of human anogenital tissue. This work was published in her first author paper, Rana et al., 2024 (PLOS Pathogens) where she optimised the very first model of acute HSV infection in human inner foreskin tissue to show rapid spread of HSV within 24 hours. Her current position as a postdoctoral researcher continues this work, while also optimising a CAR T cell therapy targeting latent HIV under the supervision of Dr Najla Nasr.

Dr Rana is highly skilled in the techniques of multiparameter flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy, RNAScope (ACDbio), human tissue processing and culture, CAR T cell generation and viral growth and infectious assays. She currently as two first-author publications, and has also co-authored several publications with fellow researchers in the field.

Additional information

Dr Rana’s research focuses include the immune response to initial infection with HSV within human mucosa, specifically keratinocyte and Dendritic cell responses, and the targeting of latent HIV in CD4 T cells using CD8 T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors as a form of CAR T cell therapy.

Projects: 

• Complementary studies of HIV and Herpes Simplex Viral infection of genital mucosa and the mechanism of action of systemically delivered vaccines (Lead: Prof Tony Cunningham)
• Targeting latent HIV by novel combination immunotherapy with IFNα8 and CAR T-cells (Leads: Prof Tony Cunningham & Dr Najla Nasr)

Affiliations

University of Sydney

Professional Associations and Organisations