Tony Cunningham

Professor

AO/FAHMS/MD/MBBS/BMedSci (Hons)/FRACP/FRCPA/FASM/FRNS

tony.cunningham@sydney.edu.au

Centre for Virus Research

Vaccines and Adjuvants Group

Herpes Immunology Group

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

Immunology

HIV

Antivirals

Virology

Vaccines development for COVID-19

HSV

HIV and Herpes Zoster

Tony Cunningham

Biography

Professor Anthony (Tony) Cunningham, AO, FAHMS, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, FRSN is a viral immunologist, infectious diseases physician and vaccinologist, well known internationally for his research on the immunology of HIV and herpesviruses and of vaccines. He played a major role in the development and trialling of a partially effective Herpes simplex vaccine and the highly efficacious Shingrix, now extending skills to COVID vaccine research. He is one of the three top cited herpes vaccinologists internationally over the past 10 years (Expertscape 2023). He is Director, Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Professor and vaccine theme leader, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, University of Sydney and NHMRC Senior Leadership Fellow.

Research interests

Immunology, HIV, Antivirals, Virology, Vaccine development for COVID-19, HSV, HIV and Herpes Zoster

Adjunct roles

Professor School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
Vaccine Theme Leader Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases (Sydney ID), University of Sydney
Director Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research (ACH4)

Recent publications

Immune Responses to a Recombinant Glycoprotein E Herpes Zoster Vaccine in Adults Aged ≥50 Years.

The adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster vaccine confers long term protection against Herpes zoster: Interim results of an extension study of the pivotal phase 3 clinical trials ZOE-50 and ZOE-70 Clin Infect Dis 74

Invited Commentary: Advances in understanding the mechanism of action of adult vaccines.

Identification of HIV transmitting CD11c+ Human Epidermal Dendritic cells.

Human anogenital monocyte-derived dendritic cells and langerin+cDC2 are major HIV target cells.

Current grants

NHMRC Investigator Grant 2025-2029 Complementary studies of HIV and Herpes Simplex Viral infection of genital mucosa and the mechanism of action of systemically delivered vaccines.
Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research (ACHA4) 2024-25 Targeting latent HIV by novel combination immunotherapy with IFNα8 and CAR T-cells
GSK 2019- Studies of MPL and QS21 adjuvants on human innate immune cells ex vivo.
Swiss National Science Foundation 2024-26 Influence of saponin adjuvant formulation on immune responses: a translational approach
Moderna Global Fellowship 2022-25 Vaccine adjuvant uptake and innate immune responses in an ex vivo human lymph node culture model.
Moderna Sponsored Research Agreement 2022-25 Mechanism of action of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in human lymph node and muscle model.
MRFF 2022-25 Bringing Optimised COVID-19 vaccine Schedules To ImmunoCompromised populations (BOOST-IC)
NSW Ministry of Health 2021-25 Clinical and immunological responses to COVID-19 vaccine(s) in NSW recipients.
NHMRC Investigator Grant 2020-24 Pathogenesis of HIV and Herpes simplex viral infections underpinning development of new preventative and therapeutic strategies.

Affiliations

University of Sydney

Professional Associations and Organisations

Australasian Society for Immunology Honorary Life Member
Australasian Society for Microbiology Fellow
Australasian Virology Society Member
Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Chair, NSW and ACT Branch, and Council Member
International AIDS Society Member
Royal Society of New South Wales Fellow

Awards and recognition

2024 Honorary Life Member Australasian Society for Immunology
2015 President Elect of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI)
2015 Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS)
2010 Awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for “service to medicine, particularly in the field of viral research and through the development and leadership of medical and biomedical research”
2009 John Subake-Sharpe Lecture, International Herpesvirus Workshop, Ithaca, United States of America
2005 Beyerink Lecture, Dutch Virology Society
2003 3rd Jian Zhou Oration, Centre for Cancer and Immunology Research, The University of Queensland
1984-1983 NH&MRC Overseas (Neil Hamilton Fairley) Postdoctoral Fellow Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University
1990 Elected Fellow of the Australian Society of Microbiology