The Wonderful World of the Immune System

Dr Tony Kenna is a cellular immunologist and a senior research fellow at the Queensland University of Technology. His research career has focused on human immunology and the identification of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS and systemic sclerosis). The genomics revolution of the last decade has greatly expanded the understanding of the genetic architecture of many immune-mediated diseases. A major challenge now is to determine how newly identified genetic variants alter immune cell and immune system function(s). Working closely with leading human geneticists, Tony's research integrates world-first genomic data with cellular and molecular immunology to unravel the key drivers of disease pathogenesis. His work also enriches fundamental knowledge of human immunology. Dr Kenna’s lab has established biobank of patient clinical material with which to interrogate altered immune function in immune-mediated diseases.