Title: Research on the Immune Response of the Tasmanian Devil & Devil Facial Tumour Disease

Speaker: Greg Woods, Professional Research Fellow, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania

Time: April 13, 2016, 9:30am

Venue: KIZ main building, Meeting Room 237

Everyone is welcome!

Biography:

Professor Woods completed an undergraduate degree 【BSc (Hons)】 at Monash University, a

postgraduate degree at the University of Tasmania (PhD) and has worked as a research scientist in Toronto Canada, London England, and Edinburgh Scotland. He has an international research profile having contributed significantly to the field of dendritic cells, specifically in the area of Langerhans cells, cancer and the development of the neonatal skin immune system, the effect of sunlight on the developing skin immune system and the role of vitamin D3. Professor Woods was one of the first in the world to indicate that immature dendritic cells induce suppression. Since undertaking studies on the Tasmanian devil, major progress has been made in understanding its immune system and how devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) escapes immune recognition. Involvement with the Devil Facial Tumour Disease has created unique opportunities and research programmes and showed for the first time that devils can produce an immune response to DFTD.

Research Interests:

Professor Woods' research interests are primarily aimed at how cancer cells escape detection by the immune system. His major research programme is to evaluate the immune system of the Tasmanian devil and to understand how devil facial tumour disease can be transmitted between devils with the ultimate objective to develop strategies to protect devils from this infectious cancer.

Research Groups

Devil Facial Tumour Disease: Woods Group

Research Projects

The Immune Response of the Tasmanian Devil & Devil Facial Tumour Disease

Related Publications

*Malley RC, Muller HK, Norval M, *Woods GM. Vitamin D3 deficiency enhances contact hypersensitivity in male but not in female mice. Cellular Immunology 2009; 255: 33-40.

*Kreiss A, Fox N, Bergfeld J, *Quinn SJ, Pyecroft S, *Woods GM. Assessment of cellular immune responses of healthy and diseased Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). Developmental and Comparative Immunology. 2008; 32 : 544-553.

*Kreiss A, Wells B, *Woods GM. The humoral immune response of the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) against horse red blood cells. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2009; 130(1-2):135-7.

Simpson CC, *Woods GM, Muller HK. Impaired CD40-signalling in Langerhans cells from murine neonatal draining lymph nodes - implications for neonatally-induced cutaneous tolerance. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 2003; 132:201-208.

Dewar AL, Doherty KV, *Woods GM, Lyons AB, Muller HK. Acquisition of immune function during the development of the Langerhans cell network in neonatal mice. Immunology 2001;103: 61-69.

* Denotes Menzies

Researcher Related Funding Bodies:

Australian Research Council

Cancer Council Tasmania

University of Tasmania Foundation - Brian Marks Bequest

Turner Endangered Species Fund